Have we mentioned how much we love weddings?

This wedding season — while not as saturated as last year’s — has us ripe with anticipation, and we’ll be honest… it has a lot to do with Pete and Whitney.

We’ve thrown quite a bit of love at Pete and Whitney before, but it seems hardly enough blogtime for how much they truly mean to us.

When we first moved to Colorado four years ago, Pete was one of the first to greet us with open arms. He helped me move a couch into my new apartment after climbing a 14er, he drank beer with Jason as if he were an old friend [even though it was their first meeting], and he initiated our favorite tradition of the week: Game Night.

That’s right, we’ve been having a weekly Monday Game Night with Pete for almost four years running. It’s a sacred night on our calendars and one that gives us something to look forward to on what can sometimes be the hardest day to overcome. Bread, olive oil, cheese, and charcuterie are always involved, as are the ever-flowing abundance of wine and whiskey. Add in some strategic games of Dominion [read: “nerd cards”] and some pretty spectacular company, and you have an evening that most would deem way too special to indulge in so often.

A typical Game Night occurrence

Dominion!

So when, two years into our three-person Game Night streak, Pete brought along a lady friend named Whitney — the first one he deemed worthy of learning the secrets of the game and committing to the cause — we knew it was a big deal. Little did we know that this lady friend would become one of our favorite people on the planet and that they would be getting married in just a few years’ time.

Again, a common occurrence at Game Night

The funny thing is that Whitney actually went to college with all of us. As it is the case with many of our Denver Trinity friends, we knew of her through others but were never actually friends with her during college. Yet we honestly don’t know what our lives would be like without her now. Genuine and kind, hilarious and intelligent, adventurous and badass, loyal and independent, this girl is what dreams are made of. Not only are we thrilled that Pete met her [and recognized these traits enough to know that he couldn’t live without her], but we’re also grateful that he introduced us to her and gave us a friend for life.

So when it was time for to celebrate Whitney’s bachelorette in the mountains this past weekend, we couldn’t wait to take part. [Please note: Jason wasn’t invited, nor did he attend, but he did consult on baked goods and gifts. But yea, no boys allowed.]

The plan was an awesome one, thanks to her super organized bridesmaids: rent a huge cabin in the mountains, hike a 14er [don’t worry, I did not attempt, or else I probably wouldn’t be alive to write this], soak in the Jacuzzi, play tons of games, shower Whitney with gifts and alcohol, and go out for a night on the town in Breckenridge.

Basically, the perfect Colorado weekend.

Those of us who decided against a 14er and opted instead for the beauty of Mohawk Lake

Views from the trail

Shot-skis with the bachelorette

Besides the stereotypical bachelorette contributions, I felt the hankering to bake something. You would have thought I would have opted to go the non-family-friendly route [read: male member shaped things] but for some reason, the joy of funfetti seemed more appropriate to match the celebratory tone of our girls’ weekend.

Funfetti is just one of those rare things that exudes excitement. The challenge, however, is ensuring that any homemade version tastes just as good [if not better] than the box version — because, in my opinion, funfetti is one of the few baked goods [like red velvet cake or your grandma’s divinity] that you just don’t want to mess with. You want it to taste like your childhood, or else it doesn’t count.

So while I had every intention of creating my own recipe for this cake, I have to admit that I ended up following a previously established one to a T. That’s because the funfetti recipe and advice by molly yeh was simply too good to be true. This gal did all of the research: what types of sprinkles pop the most? what combinations of flour help suspend the sprinkles? how do you ensure the light, fluffy texture we know and love so well from the box mix? [hint: egg whites and vegetable oil]

The end result was pretty darn good, if I say so myself. I promised I wouldn’t tell the girls how much butter went into this cake, but I guess the cat’s out of the bag. [Note: It’s a lot. Which is probably why it was so. freakin. good.]

So the next time you feel the hankering to make funfetti, I urge you to ditch the box and go check out molly yeh’s version. Her original recipe can be found on Food52 HERE.