Choose a Wedding Cake Designer
LDS brides and grooms get their wedding cakes from all sorts of designers, from a top-dollar professional wedding cake specialist to their talented Aunt Miranda who will do it for free. Accounting for price, style, and taste, how do you choose a wedding cake decorator?
The fun part is browsing through bridal magazines and online wedding cake photo galleries for pictures of the intricate, unique, and always beautiful wedding cakes. Who knew that food could be so much fun just to look at? Don’t worry about finding “your” wedding cake just yet, but do save pictures of favorites or jot down notes about the general sizes, shapes, colors, and styles.
The practical aspects of choosing a wedding cake decorator may not be quite as fun, but hang in there. The cake testing will be a fun “date” while you’re counting down the months until the wedding, and of course the breathtaking cake near the head table on your wedding day will make it all worthwhile.
Start gathering names and contact information for wedding cake decorators in your area. Consider dedicated professional wedding cake designers, local bakery shops, or even someone you know who is an experienced cake decorator. Remember that referrals are the most reliable indicator of a good baker and decorator, so ask recently married couples from your area who they have hired to decorate their wedding cake and whether they were happy with the results.
While you are name-gathering, do some introductory research on the true cost of wedding cakes in your area. Use what you find to set a realistic budget. Stick to the maximum spending limit you set, choosing the most acceptable baker in your price range.
When you meet with potential wedding cake designers, try to get a feel for how you think the two of you would work together. Does s/he seem professional and flexible? Does s/he seem to understand what it is you’re looking for in a wedding cake? Do you see a lot of wedding cakes in his/her portfolio that you like? Remember that you will be investing a lot of trust in the baker you ultimately choose – you won’t see the cake until the wedding day, when there are no second chances.
Seeing their portfolio is an absolute must. Remember that a cake decorator is an artist, and all artists – whether they are Rembrandt or Andy Warhol – have their own signature style. Even though talented cake decorators can imitate a number of styles, their unique “flavor” is usually evident in the portfolio of their previous work. Find a wedding cake decorator who shares a common philosophy with you, and most importantly, understands what you want and will be able to deliver it on your wedding day.
Other questions to ask a potential wedding cake designer include:
♥ Do you make custom design cakes?
♥ How is your pricing determined?
♥ What down payment is due and when is the remainder due?
♥ What types of delivery or assembly charges apply?
♥ Do you include pillars, cake toppers, or other “extras?”
♥ What is the rental fee for “extras” and what if they are damaged or not returned?
♥ How can I schedule a cake taste testing?
♥ What is your cancellation policy?
♥ What if I am not satisfied with the final result?
Remember: When choosing a wedding cake baker and designer it isn’t always easy to juggle cost, style, and taste to come up with the perfect solution. But do your homework and ask lots of questions in order to get the best possible results.
♥ Jenny Evans
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