Our Favorite Sweet Spots in Twin Cities!
There are so many amazing bakeries in the Minneapolis / St. Paul area, but we wanted to give you a list of favorites incase you are planning a wedding or looking to get some sweet treats from a local shop this time of year! So if you are in the market for some sweets, keep reading!
FEED ME SWEETS AND TELL ME I’M PRETTY!
We love wedding desserts; it is definitely one of the top 5 reasons we love being planners haha! Our couples often come to us asking for suggestions, and we are always looking at the best places to send them to. Because life is too short for gross desserts am I right?
The number one question we get is “What are couples doing for desserts now a days?” Our response is “Whatever makes you happy!” Because today, there are no rules! From 5 tiered cakes, to groomsmen cakes, cupcakes, bars, cookies, ice cream, cotton candy, donuts, and more, the options for wedding desserts are endless!
Every small town has a great bakery, we can tell you where to get the best donuts in Glenwood Minnesota, but if we talked about our favorite bakeries around Minnesota, this would be 10 pages long, so today, we will talk about our favorites from the Twin Cities / surrounding areas!
1. Thirsty Whale
I don’t think it is a secret how much we love this little hidden gem in North Minneapolis, Thirsty Whale does it all, and we have never had a bad thing from there. Specializing in Donuts and cakes, they love to throw some flair on their cakes! You can get mini desserts from them as well! Most of the time, our couples will get a small cake to do their cake cutting photos, along with a mix of donuts & mini desserts. Need gluten free options, they got it! Looking for a funky and wonderful small bakery, Thirsty Whale is your jam! Thirsty Whale Website
Fun Fact: We had Thirsty Whale for our wedding and did 500 mini cupcakes plus maple bars, plus, a cake for us!
Photo by Sea Circus Weddings
2. Café Latte
If you have not tried their Tres Leches cake, stop what your doing and go there right now! Café Latte specializes in gourmet cakes, tarts, and cheesecakes. Located off of Grand Avenue in St. Paul, if you want something special for your guests, this is the place! Cafe Latte Website
Photo by Lindsey White
3. Amy’s Cupcake Shoppe
Photo by Brian Bossany
I remember the first wedding where we had Amy’s Cupcakes at, I think Adam ate like 3 of them that night, the flavors are always a hit! While yes, cupcakes is the game, they always have fun treats like mini cheesecakes, pies, tarts and more! Located in Hopkins, MN, this gem is always a great option! Amy's Cupcake Shoppe Website
4. Hey There Cup Cake
If you want a Pinterest cake that is also mouth watering good, Hey There Cupcake is your spot! Chelsea creates simply amazing cake creations, often times way to pretty to eat, but once you dig in, you won’t want to put it down! Hey There Cupcake Website
Photo by Eileen K
5. ‘Sammy’s Sweets
We have so much love for Sammy’s Sweets! These mini cupcakes are made by Sam & his Mom out of their home, they have the cutest little garage set up like a cupcake shop! These things are seriously so drool worthy, the blueberry pancake is YUM! If you haven’t heard of Sammy’s story, we urge you to go read more! Sammy's Website
Photo by Eileen K
6. Heights Bakery
Photo by Veronica Barnes
Unless you grew up in Columbia Heights, Heights Bakery might not sound like something you were going to try, but this hometown bakery has some of the best donuts around! If you are looking for delicious simple donuts, Heights Bakery is it!
7. Nothing Bundt Cakes
Photo by Two Oaks Photography
Everyone loves NBC, when we have a wedding that has the bundtlets, those babies almost need a security guard of their own! They have a variety of different flavors, and they are simply to die for! Nothing Bundt Cakes Website
8. Patrick’s Bakery
Alright, so the desserts at Patrick’s Bakery will make you cry with joy, you want to wow your guests, get some of their mini desserts an create magic! Patrick's Website
9. North Mallow
We are huge fans of enhancing your guests experience, and this is how you do it! Obviously smores are always a hit, but how about fancy smores, with gourmet chocolate & marshmallows (that do not burn btw). The stand is super cute, and it comes with a host to assist guests in making their smores! Seriously you cannot go wrong with North Mallow! North Mallow Website
Photo by Eileen K
10. Fletcher’s Ice Cream
Handmade ice cream, custom flavors, its perfect! Fletcher’s is our go-to ice cream shop, but for weddings, we could not recommend them enough! Jason is the owner and master ice cream maker, when I say that his blueberry ice cream changed my life, I am not kidding, legit blueberries the size of marbles throughout, fresh and refreshing, his ice cream is out of this world! Why not change it up a bit and serve your guests ice cream!?! Fletchers Website
11. Muddy Paws Cheesecakes
When we think of super good cheesecakes, we head to Muddy Paws! You can wow your guests with their decadent cheesecakes, if you want to really enhance the guest experience, they also have trucks!
Kickin it with Jesse Mast of Mast Wedding Films!
Today we are chatting with the delightful Jesse Mast, owner of Mast Wedding Films! We chatted about his business, as well as asked him some fun questions about life and what his spirit animal is!
One of the things we pride ourselves on is finding the perfect vendors for our couples to work with. There are so many people in this industry, sometimes it can be hard to choose who is going to be the best option for you. We wanted to start doing vendor spotlights on some of our favorites in the industry, giving you a little glimpse into their personalities and their passion!
We kick this off with one of the most charming guys out there, Jesse Mast of Mast Wedding Films! Jesse is the kind of guy who literally lights up a room with his smile. His genuine love for what he does, comes through in his perfectly curated videos that he makes, showcasing the love and happiness his couples get to experience on their wedding day!
We dug deep to ask him some questions about his business, family, and some silly ones thrown in there as well! So If you are curious to know what Muppet Jesse relates to most… Just keep reading!
Starting off easy, what made you decide creating wedding films was the path you were going to take?
It'd been a combination of things. It's a rewarding job, but also a God-send to support my family. Sending the final product to clients, and seeing their reaction, knowing they'll cherish the wedding film for years to come is really special to me.
Tell us about your family!
My wife is an incredible teacher, she subs part-time at our kids school. I have a highly creative 8 year old daughter, who enjoys selling custom “Picture stories” on the sidewalk in the Summer. My 7 year old son is the most extroverted kid there is, he doesn’t care what game you are playing, as long as you are playing with him!
Can you describe your approach to creating wedding films?
Photo by Unique Touch Photography
I'm a filmmaker. I look at the wedding day like I'm making a movie. I want to tell a great story about my heroes (the couple), and please the "fan base" (family & friends) who can't wait for the release date! My vision is to capture visually, what they are experiencing emotionally :)
Do you have anyone in the industry that influences your work, or work that you admire?
In this field, I've really enjoyed the work of Curtis Kennedy. He's been doing this for 6 years, and had lots of success. We met for coffee last winter, and he gave me lots of helpful, professional advice.
As wedding vendors, we all have our struggles when it comes to booking our ideal clients, what do you think are some of the biggest struggles in the land of videographers?
Getting bookings is an uphill battle. It seems like most couples want videography, but it's not in their "Top Ten" list of wedding priorities, but I think that will change in the next 5 years. Most couples who don't get a wedding video often regret that decision.
Describe to us, your spirit animal?
A handsome, friendly brown horse named Julio.
What are your favorite and least favorite parts of wedding days?
FAVORITE: Getting "lovey-dovey" shots of the couple, along with the photographer. It's always a ton of fun, and the shots turn out great!
LEAST FAVORITE: Filming the "grand entrance," when the wedding party enters the reception area. It's hard to get good shots in the midst of all the chaos.
LEAST LEAST FAVORITE: When a wedding guest takes photos on their phone during the ceremony, especially when they're told NOT to. My motto is, "Guests enjoy the moment, tourists take photos. Don't be a tourist."
What are some of your dream wedding venues you want to work at?
FAVORITE PLACES: The Calhoun Beach Club, The Blaisdell Mansion, The Varsity Theater, The JX Event Venue, Camrose Hill, Legacy Hill Farm, The Gardens of Castle Rock
PLACES I WANT TO FILM: Filming anywhere in Hawaii would be great, but in the Twin Cities, I would like to film at the Mill City Museum, Aria, and The NP Event Space
FIRST TIME 2020 VENUES: Pinewood, The Hutton House, The St Paul College Club
What do you like doing in your free time?
Binge-watching Netflix, working out, and disc golf!
What Muppet would you say you most relate to?
Kermit, especially when makes his scrunched face (when perturbed)
What advice do you love giving to couples that are planning their wedding?
First, hiring Dos Goats (We’re blushing)
Second, having them instruct the officiant to "winsomely" tell the wedding guests to turn off their cell phones before the ceremony begins, and lastly, reminding them that during the wedding day, they can completely ignore, and just enjoy getting married. Again, my vision is to capture visually, what they are experiencing emotionally, so when they watch the wedding film over and over, they get to remember how it all felt!
Instagram - @Mastweddingfilms
Photo by Tom Thornton Photography