Shopping for a Wedding Cake

You said yes. Your venue is booked. Your gown is ordered. You have selected your menu for the reception. Now it is time to concentrate on your wedding cake. The spotlight of your wedding reception will be your cake. The wedding cake should be a reflection of the bride's and groom's style and personality. You want to design your wedding cake around your wedding day. When your family and friends reminisce about your wedding day, make sure they are talking about your elegant gown, and your exquisite wedding cake. Spend as much time selecting your baker and designing your wedding cake as you did selecting your wedding gown. Here are just a few things to remember when deciding on your wedding cake design and your baker.

First thing to consider is the style of the cake. Today there are so many choices. Do you want a round traditional cake, a modern square cake, or something totally out of the box. You have to decide on the icing, favor, and cake budget. A wedding cake can run anywhere from $3.50 up to $20.00 a slice. Naturally the more complicated the design, the more you will pay.

Once you have a vision for your cake, start to look for the perfect baker. Begin your search with reading reviews and doing some research on local bakers. See what others are saying. Check out their website, Facebook page, and Instagram account to see some of their designs. Ask friends and family for their recommendations. Set up an appointment to meet face to face and ask if they have a portfolio. Be ready to discuss your wedding and reception. A good baker will want to know all the details of your wedding day. Some things the baker might want to know;

1) Your color scheme,

2) The design of your wedding gown,

3) The formality,

4) The Venue,

5) How many guests.

Bring pictures. Show the baker samples of what you envision for your wedding cake. Beware of a baker that is not interested in the details of your wedding day. If you live in or getting married in Virginia, Inda Blackwell of Suffolk, Virginia is a good place to start your search for a baker . Inda is the owner of Sweet Gypsy Dessert Design. She is a self taught baker who loves to come up with unique flavor combinations and baked goods that looks as good as they taste. As you see from the pictures below, Inda incorporated the style of the wedding with the style for the cake. The broach on the wedding cake is a perfect compliment to the bride's headpiece. The gold and white layers in the cake was a splendid fit with the tablescape. Everything about Inda's cake design fits the style and theme of the wedding. That is exactly what you want from your baker.

Don't forget to have fun and the cake taste testing is the perfect opportunity. It also gives you a great excuse to cheat on your diet. . You not only want your guests to remember the look and style of your cake, your want them to be blown away by the taste. Try different flavors or combinations of flavors. Try something new. Inda says "Cake tastings are the best part of wedding cake planning". Sweet Gypsy Dessert Design offers “Tasting Boxes To Go” for their prospective clients. This allows the couple time to try their cake in the privacy of their home without pressure and it is ideal for a busy couple. For a small fee, the couple will get a box of six assorted cake flavors, and a custom cookie favor sample. If you book with Inda, the fee will go toward your wedding cake.

Next it is time to book your baker. Once you have your ideal baker, book them. Popular bakers are booked months in advance. Be prepare to leave a deposit and sign a contract. Read your contact carefully before signing. A few final questions to consider, before signing:

1) How far in advance will the cake be baked and decorated for your wedding.

2) What is the delivery process, and delivery fee,

3) Are there any set up and cake cutting fees.

4) Does the wedding cake price include the top tier,

5) Make sure everything you agreed to is in the contact.

Finally, decide where and how you want your cake displayed at your reception. And how you want your cake table decorated. Most importantly, double-check that your photographer has your cake on her shot list so that you get a few photos of the cake (and of you cutting it) for your wedding album. #weddingcake #bakery #tastetesting #wedding #weddingday #weddingreception #cake #reception #cakecutting #virginiabakery #Richmond #Virginiawwedding