7 minute read
READY, SET, BAKE
Local suppliers from around the region offer their advice for creating the perfect wedding cake
We’re currently planning our big day and we’ve decided against a traditional cake. Do you have any alternative suggestions? From doughnut towers to gooey brownie stacks, you’ll find an alternative option that you will love. A few years back, cupcake towers were extremely popular, but this has made way for cupcake tables instead. Imagine a long table with lots of different crates and stands all filled with different styles and flavours of cupcakes to cater for everyone.
One of my favourite alternatives to a wedding cake is a gorgeous dessert or nibbles table – I can guarantee that your guests will love it too.
Having an alternative option doesn’t mean you miss out on the popular cake cutting picture. You can have a small cake stacked up high as a centrepiece for the cake table – take a look at this gorgeous set up for example!
Cakes can often be forgotten about as the day progresses; by having an array of sweet treats presented in rustic bowls or on gold trays by the cake will ensure guests keep seeing the masterpiece. Sophie Hunt | Red Robin Cakery | www.redrobincakery.co.uk
We’d love to have a luxurious cake on our big day, but we’re worried about the price tag. Do you have any ideas to keep the price down? It’s very important when planning a wedding to have a budget and stay within this figure. Everyone wants to have a luxurious cake on their special day and this can be achieved in a few ways. One thing to remember is that wedding cakes vary in size and design. As it takes time to create curtain details, the more intricate designs will result in higher costs. That’s why real, dried, or silk flowers are cheaper than sugar flowers, which takes time to create. Dummy polystyrene tiers are a great way to create an illusion of a larger cake while still catering for your number of guests. But remember, they still need to be covered and decorated. We love flowers and want to incorporate them into our cake design. What do you recommend we look for? Whether you decide on sugar or fresh flowers, adding florals gives a perfect touch of elegance and romance to any design. We specialise in sugar flowers, which take the utmost care and time in preparing them petal by petal to ensure each one is made to perfection. Bakers can produce Another factor to consider is the venue’s distance. If your wedding is far away, it might be worth looking at a cake maker nearer the property to reduce the delivery charge. A smaller wedding cake can always be accompanied by a kitchen cake sliced up behindthe-scenes to offer extra flavour choices without increasing the number of tiers. Lastly, ingredients will affect the price tag. If you’re having lots of tiers that include champagne or alcohol, this will increase the price of the bake. Joanna Evans | Joanna Evans Cake Design www.joannaevanscakedesign.co.uk your favourite blooms in advance to match any colour scheme no matter what season you’re tying the knot. Sample flowers can be created for you to view, and any elements can be changed. The bonus of sugar blooms is that they can be saved as a keepsake if cared for correctly.
Fresh flowers can look exquisite on a beautifully finished wedding cake, especially when purchased from the wedding florist to ensure all blooms are matching on the day. It’s important to pick a cake maker who’s confident in arranging fresh flowers as they need to be prepared correctly by placing the stem in food-safe picks before they’re inserted into the cake. Fresh flowers can also be dried, pressed and kept as a beautiful keepsake after the special day.
Whatever option you choose, don’t let flowers be an afterthought as they can transform a cake into something spectacular. Sarah Reilly | Julia Florence Cake Design | www.juliaflorencecakedesign.co.uk
WWW.CAKESETCETERA.CO.UK
Phone Sheila for more details 0115 972 7737| 07930395090 | sheila@cakesetcetera.co.uk 1 Chapel Street | Long Eaton | Nottinghamshire | NG10 1EQ Luxury Cakes, PROFESSIONALLY MADE, WITH A FRIENDLY AND PERSONAL SERVICE, JUST FOR YOU...
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Every couple wants to have the perfect wedding cake, but it all starts with finding the right supplier. With an array of cake bakers in the East Midlands, finding the ideal company can be tricky. That’s why we’ve created this fourstep guide to make to process more manageable.
STEP ONE: DO YOUR RESEARCH
First things first, there are lots of companies out there all costing different amounts and it’s important to stick to your budget. Rule out any companies you can’t afford, which might be difficult but remember why you set that price limit to start with.
When researching companies, don’t just look through websites. Check each supplier’s social media pages to view their work and see if the style matches your day. It’s also the perfect opportunity to discover more inspiration.
If you’ve already picked a venue, check with the team if they have a list of recommended suppliers. This is a great way to find local, trustworthy companies they’ve worked with before.
STEP TWO: READ REVIEWS
Once you have narrowed down your search, the next stage is to read about other couples’ experiences with the businesses. Facebook and Goggle are two excellent places to read reviews, and this process will be your best friend. Here, any issues about the company will be flagged up. By reading through the comments, you’ll discover if the company is reliable, hardworking, fair and if the team has good communication skills – you’ll never want to be left in the dark about anything.
STEP THREE: CONTACT SUPPLIERS
Once you have completed the above steps, it’s time to contact the companies and we suggest meeting suppliers face-to-face. You can pick a relaxing environment for the meeting, such as a coffee shop and this will allow you to get a feel of the team, connect on a personally level, show inspiration photos, and discuss contracts, which can sometimes be confusing. Meeting in person might not be possible with the current pandemic, but don’t worry as Skype, Facetime and Zoom are all excellent services that let you video chat people from home.
When discussing details with the baker, here are a few questions that are important to ask… ❤ How long has the company been running and how many wedding cakes have you created? ❤ Can I view the portfolio of your work? ❤ Would you be delivering and setting up the cake on the wedding day? ❤ Will there be any additional costs that I should know about? ❤ What designs do you specialise in? ❤ How far in advice will you create my wedding cake?
STEP FOUR: THE FINAL DECISION
When making the final decision, talk to your partner about what’s important to them and together, pick the right option for the day. Take into consideration your theme, budget and gut feeling. Once you have found the one, the real fun begins with caketasting sessions and design consultations where your vision will come to life.
