Love in an Elevator

Now that I've got that horrible tune in your head, I'll try to redeem myself.

This blog isn't about Aerosmith.  I just lost half of you, but that's okay.  This blog is actually about smart people.  Not your average smart people...your MIT Media Lab, Mechanical Engineer, smart people. 

Suffice it to say, that the first two line items on the groom's virtual resume are as follows: Max/MSP chiptune externals and virtual circuit bending-enabled emulators.  Template-directed bytecode instrumentation for program visualization. 

 

 'Nuff said.

Laura and Kyle met at MIT.  They both worked in the Media Lab there, where, I still have no idea what they do. I do know two things.  One, they shared their first kiss in the elevator at the Media lab, and two, Kyle proposed four years later in that same elevator.  I instantly went for the obvious...an elevator cake, but Laura reeled me back in, and pointed out that the Media Lab's elevator is nothing to write home about.  Instead, she and Kyle recommended that we use the Media Lab building as loose inspiration for the cake.  She also suggested that we make little frosting robots to top the cake.  Did I mention that I heart Laura?

As we began sketching, we copied the paneled texture of the atrium of the building, worked in the gear motif from their invitations (engineers, people) and even incorporated my first-ever cut out, overhanging cake, again, inspired by the Lab's architecture.  They suggested that the Cake-Bots be building their initials on top of the cake, as  MIT students are known for "hacks" (pranks), many of which involve building things on rooftops.

Laura even requested that her Cake-bot be holding her "favorite drill".  No kidding, she has a "favorite drill".  I'm liking this girl more and more.  When I asked her for a photo of her with the drill, she didn't have one, so she gave me the make and model of it, and sent me this little beauty of a pic instead.  It was entitled "best picture of me with a power tool". 

Now, I've recieved a ton of extranneous collateral from my clients in my day.  Photos of their pets for our frosting ASPCA doggies, photos of wedding dresses, centerpieces, and honeymood destinations, but none will ever delight me as much as this one.

With the bulk of the cake designed, we had one blank tier (by luck, or maybe subconciously by my own brute determination to share the elevator story with their guests).  So, I laid it out there once more.  With my best sales pitch, while whining a bit and bouncing up and down on my chair like a third grader who has the answer to the teacher's question, I once again suggested the elevator.  It would look like the button panel of the elevator, and we'd even carve out the cake behind the 3rd floor (Media Lab level) button. We'd put an LED light behind the number, printed on a sheet of vellum so that it lit up.  Not sure if it was my incessant nagging, or the LED light that did it, but it was a yes!

The wedding day came, and while setting up the cake, one of the Caterers asked about the meaning behind the Cake-bots.  I began to explain that the bride and groom worked in robotics, and turned to one of the bridesmaids (also from MIT) for verification.  She got as far as "well, robotics is a small part of what we do at the media lab..." before my brain shut down as though she were surely speaking another language that I will never understand. 

Suffice it to say...Smart People.

Many thanks to Shelley Paulson for the beautiful photos!!

 

Ain't that a kick in the head?

How lucky can one guy be?

I kissed her and she kissed me

Like the fella once said,

"ain't that a kick in the head?"

I've had the pleasure of working with couples of all ages, all sorts of backgrounds, and (I thought) all professions.  I've made cakes for professional athletes, Hollywood celebrities, doctors, lawyers, prison guards, cops, paramedics, even two bona fide NASA rocket-scientists (they prefer to be called aerospace engineers, but I can't help but think the former is a far cooler title).  So when I was meeting with Elissa and her Dad to design her wedding cake, and she informed me that her groom wouldn't be sampling the cakes because he was "training".  I needed to know what on earth kind of career would limit someones cake intake!  My professional baseball and hockey player-clients have had no trouble packing in the goodies...and my NFL player-groom practically considered it a part of his training regiment!  So what exactly does this guy do that is so disciplined that he won't indulge in a little cakey goodness?

He's a UFC fighter.

The Evil Cake Genius is a lover, not a fighter.  I'd never seen a UFC fight before.   Just never had any interest...until then.  Turns out, I wouldn't have to wait long... the groom was scheduled to fight that weekend.  So, on Saturday night, I popped some corn, put on my favorite pajamas, and my husband "The Captain" and I curled up on the couch with our little dog Speck, and put on the fight. 

GRATITUDE CHECK:  Cake decorating may not be the glamourous, exciting job they depict it to be on most shows.  The work is rewarding, but downright physical at times.  There's a lot of heavy lifting, long hours on your feet, cleaning, cleaning, and more cleaning, more time than you'd ever expect is spent doing mundane office work, and when you finally produce your masterpiece, it is inevitably cut up and eaten.  But even on my worst day I can pretty much go to work with the safe assumption that no one is going to beat the living crap out of me.  Just sayin'.

Back to our lovely couple.  Nik has a great record.  He's a hell of a fighter, and we watched as he fought despite a possibly fractured orbital bone (pretty sure that's his eye socket).  I will NEVER say that my job is tough again.

A week later, Elissa called back to book the cake.  I was glad.  She's really fun to work with, and I love the design we came up with (based on her beautiful dress). 

She wanted to keep the sweet understated cake, but wanted to know how we could include the groom a little in the design. I'm glad I watched his fight, because I knew the answer immediately.  A frosting band aid.  Nothing could be more appropriate.  She agreed, and added that he is a huge fan of Star Craft.  Being more geek than athlete, I had a slightly better idea of what she was talking about (only slightly).  So we added the Protoss symbol to his band-aid (that's his race in the game). 

The wedding day came, and we set up the cake amidst all of the insane sound and lighting that any good UFC wedding reception should have (smoke cannons included).  In all of the excitement of the day, I'm sure a little frosting band-aid on the back of a wedding cake could easily go unnoticed.  That's why we were surprised and delighted to hear that the groom actually Tweeted a photo of it.  Elissa told us that she had to wait to cut the cake because he insisted on Tweeting it live.  Cake mission...accomplished.

My head keeps spinnin',

I go to sleep and keep grinnin'

If this is just the beginnin',

My life is gonna be beautiful!

 

She's tellin' me we'll be wed,

She's picked out a king-size bed

I couldn't feel any better or i'd be sick

Tell me quick oh, ain't love a kick?

Tell me quick ain't love a kick in the head?