The question has been popped, the ring has dazzled your nearest and dearest and the butterflies have settled. You’ve landed bottom first off cushy cloud nine.
Now what?
It’s wedding planning time! Some of you will be cheering with glee, clipboard in hand, colour schemes on the brain. But for others, you may already be feeling overwhelmed and a little bit green with the scale of what’s ahead of you.
So, here’s our guide to choosing your perfect wedding cake and making sure you’ve got the taste, size and style on point.
1. Start early.
Your venue choice can really influence the aesthetic and design details of your cake: Delicate buttercream icing won’t withstand the heat as well as sturdier fondant at an outdoor summer wedding, for example, so once you’ve secured your location, start shopping around for your baker. Here are also things to consider when scouting for a wedding venue.
2.Wedding details.
Ensure your venue, date and estimated no of number of guest have been sorted. This is quite important as it helps your baker to know their availability for your date, helps them narrow down the best options according to your design mood board and hopefully knows what works best for your chosen venue.
3.Find your baker.
Word of mouth is the tried-and-true way to find a baker, but attending wedding fairs is another route. Couples have the opportunity to meet local bakers and see and sample cake without having to commit to a private consultation.
4.Get social.
You might be ultra-organised and have a wedding cake mood board, a Pinterest or instagram page you’re constantly updating or you might have seen the cake of your dreams in one of the many wedding magazines or blogs you’ve been poring over in the last few months. So, when choosing the right person to make your cake, make sure you’ve seen their style and know what to expect. Also seek out online testimonials and reviews to complete the picture before you schedule a meeting.
- 5.Get inspired.
- Your overall wedding style can kick-start the design process with your baker, but don’t stop there. Mood boards, images of cakes you love, your wedding color palette, your dress — any and all of these elements will get the cake design wheels in motion.
- 6.Align your style.
- Some bakers are highly specialized and others offer a much wider variety of styles. I specialize in fondant cakes with a modern aesthetic. I don’t do buttercream or rustic cakes, but there are other bakers who work exclusively with buttercream. There are even bakers who only create naked cakes. As you explore and gather cake images, note the styles that speak to you. Whimsical? Geometric? Romantic? Rustic? Glamorous? Do you see a pattern emerging?
- 7.Schedule a meeting.
- Once you’ve narrowed your search to two or three bakers (or even The One), the cake journey begins! Before even thinking about red velvet vs. vanilla bean, your baker will need the nitty-gritty details such as wedding date, venue and estimated head count.
- 8.Bottom line basics.
- A big part of the job of a planner is helping a couple prioritize where the cake purchase fits within their wedding budget. A good cake designer will make helpful suggestions to keep your budget on point, while still meeting your aesthetic needs. The cost of a cake is determined by the number of servings needed and the complexity of the design. Sugar flowers can dramatically spike the costs because they are handcrafted, time-consuming — and thus expensive. Hence while choosing that design, bear in mind th overall cost. Perhaps discuss and share ideas with your planner.
- 9,Get inspired.
- Your overall wedding style can kick-start the design process with your baker, but don’t stop there. Mood boards, images of cakes you love, your wedding color palette, your dress — any and all of these elements will get the cake design wheels in motion.
- 10.Be fearless with flavors.
- Some bakers charge extra for so-called premium flavors and fillings, others (like me) do not, so be sure to establish any cost upgrades at your tasting so you don’t get hit with surprise surcharges. I encourage clients to push the flavor envelope. Why go with vanilla, chocolate or red velvet when there’s praline and hazelnut cake accented with chocolate mousse and a drizzle of caramel to consider? Your cake should be both beautiful and delicious: Don’t choose flavors you think everyone will like, choose the flavors you like. Remember, it’s your wedding and this is your cake.
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