RomanticModern 1Modern 2

Traditional and Contemporary

 

 

 

What is your style? 

 

Are you:

Romantic--lots of side designs which may include cameos, fruit, lots of butter cream icing work,seperated tiers.

Modern--2 versions shown--bright colors, some different shapes or presentation styles, gum paste flowers, fondant use, things you’d look at and say “clever”…..On the first cake in this category, very little design here makes you think, "simple yet elegant".

Traditional--The Swag and roses look, along with bows, ruffles, separations between layers using pillars, or fountains on stands. Some fresh flowers, and toppers which are pre-made.

Contemporary---mini dots either used singly, or in a triangle--very little design, usually with fresh flowers, mostly butter cream, but fondant as well in some designs.

 

Of course, your first thing to look at is the creation styles of your cake professional.

Is this person a cake decorator or a Sugar Artist?

Cake Decorators work not only in buttercream, fondant, and other mediums available to them, some of them are trained in Sugar Artistry as well.  A Sugar Artist might create hand made gum paste flowers for you instead of purchasing them premade.  Premade are more budget conscious as they are imported from foreign countries where they are mass produced by minimum wage workers.  This is what makes them more affordable. However, this does not mean that a cake decorator does not know how to make them, she is just offering you a more affordable option. Just ask!

 Hand made gum paste flowers, figurines, or fruits, depending on the number needed,  can take weeks if not months to create in advance.  Once created they are normally hand painted to create more detail, or dusted with luster and pearl dusts to make them more realistic. They are then arranged into sprays or clusters, with floral taping, again a time consuming job. They are expensive, expect to pay a lot more for these as they are so painstakingly made. This is a "if you have to ask then you probably can't afford them" situation.  You might be able to afford a few roses, or calla lillies, but entire arrangements are costly.  They are created normally to be saved for making into a future arrangement, but don't expect all these flowers to survive the wedding day.  They are extremely fragile, sensitive to humidity, but can be most beautiful whether pre-made or handmade. 

Saving Gumpaste Flowers 

If you decide to keep your flowers, handmade or otherwise, you will need to make arrangements for an acrylic box to keep these flowers in with a humidity packet or two saved from shoe boxes,  to place inside the box to protect the flowers from humidity.  You may find acrylic boxes listed in the back of bridal magazines which you may have purchased.  Keep at least one after the wedding, so you can order the size acrylic box you'd need to preserve these flowers. 

No matter which type of gum paste flower you choose, keep in mind your budget, the willingness of the decorator/artist to work within your budget, and their willingness to produce a stunning cake which will be long remembered.

Ok, so you will look for someone with your complimentary style. 

What about references?

Many decorators, myself included, first used word of mouth to begin producing wedding cakes. As their businesses grew, some have advertised, others have maintained contact with caterers, florists, and party rental representatives.  When asking for referrals from other vendors, be sure and ask for cake referrals.  You might ask questions such as these:

How long have you known them and their work?

Are they a reputable company..in good standing with other vendors, friendly toward them, dedicated to the bridal party and delivering on time?

Do their cakes taste as good as they look?  This is VERY IMPORTANT to find out.  A good indication is to ask the venue director if he/she has tried the cake of the decorator in question. Another person to ask on site is the head waiter who serves at events.  Most of the time, the wait staff will have tasted many cakes from various cake providers and can tell you on the spot who has good cake or not.

Any problems with the cakes being frozen upon arrival?  You'd be surprised what I've heard in 15 years.  I won't even begin to go there! Remember,..chilled and frozen are completely different.

Do you work with them often?   (Remember here that even if a vendor hasn't worked with them often, it could be due to a brides budget and how that person fits into that budget.) It's not so much that she's an expensive person, but that the bridal budget was pretty much gone before she hired a cake person.  Don't compromise taste and look.  This dessert event will be the highlight of the evening's events, no matter how many times they come back for cake.  Many people will judge the quality of a wedding by the cake, save room in the budget..kinda like we say in the south when people collect your plate after a meal..."Save your fork, the best is yet to come."

Is this a flexible person?

Be sensible with your professional cake person.  Listen to their advice, and don't be so stuck on having exactly this or that, as some things just don't translate into "cakedom".  Know however, that your main objective is to have the cake provider keep in mind your wishes when designing your cake. If the provider is stuck on an issue, it may be a professional opinion she's trying to relate to you to keep you from making a faux pas...that's why you both must be flexible...compromise is always a good lesson to learn for the future.

What is the deposit and payment schedule like?  Do you offer credit card payment options?  Normally,  half down is expected at the time the consultation is finished to secure the date on your cake professional's calendar.  Some decorators will work out a payment schedule, others offer credit card options.  This is actually a good thing, because many times your life will become hectic the two weeks prior to the event, and making a credit card payment helps smooth life a bit in all the hubub of the wedding preparations. Two weeks before the wedding is a good time to have the cake paid off. My contract states that as well.

Do you work by contract?  Work by contract with your cake provider.  This piece of advice goes without saying with all your vendors.  Knowing where you stand, what to expect, and what you get for your money is priceless.  Be mindful that changes in the last week before the wedding can sometimes be reflected in added cost contractually.  Check the contract before making that call! Eight (8) more servings won't affect the whole cake event...Twenty-five (25) however, would need attention.  Most catering companies require a final head count 2 weeks before the event to order product in and get prepared to do the work.  Your cake professional is no different and respects your appreciation of this.  Call and make changes to the cake pro, if necessary, after speaking with the caterer, if you need to add, or change anything. Call her anyway as a courtesy, to be sure you are still clear on what your plans are.  There have been times I've really appreciated the bride keeping in touch with me, to keep her specific design work in my head before the event. Sometimes arrangements can be finalized on delivery with this call, or a time set up to deliver the ribbon your decorator will need for your cake.  With this call, I've even been reminded to order a tool I'd need! Lastly, Don't stress!  Once you've made this phone call ,  unless your numbers change again drastically, sit back, relax and let your cake professional do the work you've paid him/her to do.

P.S.  It's always a great idea to send the cake professional a photo of the finished cake, as sometimes we get there before the florals or table is set.  We love to see the finished details!Heck, I've even had Thank you notes!

Any other questions?  Just email me at:

beacake@aol.com

Confectionately yours,

 

Harriet Cobb

www.harrietscreations.com

 

 

GO BACK TO HOME PAGE