Today I’m highlighting an awesome wedding vendor that is based out of Bothell but serves the Seattle area as well, Grain Artisan Bakery.
This incredible baker was involved in one of our recent styled shoots (coming to the blog, soon!), and I fell in love with not only her delicious treats, but found a new friend in the sweet owner, Lauren. I interviewed her for today’s blog post – and of course, there are plenty of mouth-watering, craving-inducing photos to go alongside!
Grain Artisan Bakery hosts Pop-Up Shops and takes part in several farmer’s markets throughout the area, so you can stop by and fall in love with her desserts – just check out her upcoming schedule HERE.
How did you start your business?
My whole business began because of my son’s first birthday party. I have always liked to plan and throw parties, and his first birthday was going to be the best yet. By the time I had purchased a few hundred dollars worth of decor, goodie bags, and themed food, I realized I had forgotten a very important part… cake. And cake wasn’t cheap. So, being a frequent cook and having a love for dark chocolate and really anything sweet, I decided to give it a go myself. I have baked my whole life, but seldom did cakes from scratch, but I am pretty good in the kitchen, and that carried over. I did a spread of four cupcakes, and my friends and family went wild! Two people in particular suggested I bake on the side. Baking on the side seemed alright, but if I was good enough for that, why not aim higher? And so Grain Artisan Bakery was born.
What is your favorite part of doing weddings?
Easily my favorite part of weddings is garnishing the cake. I hated cakes at first. I didn’t do cakes for a full year. I didn’t like cakes at first. Now, I love cakes. Well, let me rephrase that, I love my specialty cakes! My favorite part of weddings is when I am given artistic license and I am able to create the stunning semi-naked, drip, gold embellished floral cakes I have become known for.
Tell me about your favorite wedding cake or dessert to date.
My favorite cake?! Oh geesh, that’s a hard one. One of my favorites was a simpler cake I made for my headshots with DanYelle McNeely awhile ago; I’m not sure if it was my ultimate favorite, but I loved that cake! It was one of my favorite flavors, margarita (yes, with good tequila and Cointreau!), and I frosted it semi-naked and garnished it with local organic frosted greenery and white floral with a hint of lavender coloring, all from Field to Heart. I also just created a very festive cake recently, a spiced carrot cake adorned in 23k gold leaf and garnished with local salmon-safe pepper berry foliage. I really could list another five favorites, but I will leave it at those two!
What are some of the most common flavor combos people request?
Well, I am known for my unique, artisan flavor combinations! With that being said, my brown sugar vanilla bean + sea salted caramel, dark cacao + sea salted caramel, spiced pumpkin + sea salted caramel are all huge hits. Are you seeing a theme here, haha?! My dark cacao + blackberry is also popular (I use big sweet juicy blackberries from Raising Cane Ranch in season), as well as raw honey + wild lavender. During the summer, pretty much every combination I do with lemon cake + is a huge it!
What tips do you have for couples trying to choose a baker?
Why do you locally source your ingredients, and why does that make a difference?
How far in advance do you suggest couples hire you?
What makes your company different than other bakers in the area?
What areas do you service?
I serve both the greater Snohomish and the greater Seattle area, and will stretch as far as Issaquah. So, if you’re a Seattle bride looking for a 2017 wedding, head on over to my Instagram and check me out!
Why is it important to hire a Cake/Dessert Artist instead of DIYing your wedding desserts?
DIY is a great thing. You can save money, learn some skills, and usually have a decent end product. However, you do not want to DIY your wedding cake or desserts! In order to have them tasting fresh, they need to be baked the day before or day of, neither of which will allow you time to DIY cake batter in your kitchen in your wedding gown! You want a baker who does this every day to be doing your cake, so it turns out perfect, and even better than you imagined. You want a baker who will have every guest at your reception raving about the deliciously moist cake. You want to leave the batter on the baker’s apron, not your gown.
Check out a few more of Grain Artisan Bakery’s amazing creations, and then find her contact/social info at the bottom of the post!
