Preparation is the key to a successful wedding cake design session. Here are our tips to ensure you get the cake you’ve always dreamed of:
1. Do your cake research.
Look at pictures of cakes until your eyes hurt! Pick out a few of your favorites and bring them with you to your appointment. Don’t bring 50 photos though…that’s not helping your cake decorator see your vision. Try 10 or fewer.
2. Do your bakery research.
Once you have an idea of what you want your cake to look like, start researching local bakeries to find ones you’d like to work with. Even if they don’t have a cake similar in their photo gallery, does it look like they are capable of decorating your dream cake? Will their prices fit within your cake budget? Check out their reviews! Are their previous brides disappointed, content, happy, or THRILLED?
3. Plan your time wisely.
We recommend sitting down for a tasting & design consultation with a minimum of 2 cake decorators. Don’t go with the first one you sit down with (even if they’re awesome like us). I mean, this is the FUN part of wedding planning – who doesn’t love cake?! And make these appointments at least 6 months prior to your big day. Many cake decorators book up months in advance so don’t set yourself up for disappointment if you wait too late and all the “good ones” are booked.
4. Bring your inspiration & information
Bring everything you can to the cake tasting that will help your cake decorator see your vision for you dream cake. Cake decorators are awesome and fun people, we know, but we are not mind readers. Bring color swatches, your wedding invitation, pictures of the cakes you like, pictures of reception decor, etc. Know approximately how many cake servings you’ll need and how much you’d like to spend on the cake.
5. Does the shoe fit?
Ok, you’ve sat down with the cake decorator, designed your dream cake, and tasted his/her cakes. First of all, does the cake taste good?! Secondly, do you feel comfortable with this decorator? If your personalities clash, you might be better off finding another decorator that is more suited to you. This might be the last time you meet face-to-face with the decorator so do you trust that she a) understands your vision and b) is competent enough to bring that vision to reality? And third, does the dream cake fit in the budget?
And last, but not least, if you’re having trouble narrowing down your own cake vision, use your resources. There are tons of wedding magazines and websites at your fingertips. Try TheKnot.com or WeddingWire.com for starters. And we all know that Pinterest is a bride’s best friend.