Hello Everyone

I have some very big news to share with you all – drum roll please….

I have been selected as a Regional Finalist for the South West Region in The Wedding Industry Awards.

Thank you to all the wonderful couples whose wedding cakes I created this year and for their votes.  It means so much, and I am so pleased and proud of myself.  I entered the awards with lots of hope, but this result has given me such a boost and I am excited for the November Regional Awards night.   I’m searching for a dress to wear !!

It’s been a few busy months preparing and delivering Wedding and Celebration cakes, along with creating new dummy cake designs for Wedding Fairs. We are now heading into my favourite time of year.  Autumn is such a picturesque time of year which provides great inspiration with lots of colour.

 

If you have seen me at a Wedding Fair over the last few months, then you will know how passionate I am about making sure your wedding cake reflects your style and theme of your day.

In September, I had the pleasure of creating a beautiful cake for Alex and Matt, at Grittleton House.

 

 

 

Top 5 questions to ask you Wedding Cake Maker

It goes without saying that your Wedding Cake will be the most expensive cake you will ever purchase, and the chances are you may not know where to begin! With this in mind I thought it would be useful to put together my Top 5 most frequently asked questions at Wedding Fayres and Cake Tasting Consultations, along with the answers to those questions.

1 – What size Cake will I need?

The size of your Wedding Cake is based on the number of guests you have invited and when you plan to serve it.

For example, if you are serving the cake for dessert then the slices will generally be cut slightly larger (2” x 1″).  If you are serving the cake during your evening reception, servings are cut smaller (1” x 1”) so the cake will go much further. I always recommend catering for approx. 85% of guests invited if you are serving during the evening as not everyone will necessarily eat cake during an evening reception. Also remember to include yourselves within this figure so that you don’t miss out on eating your own Wedding Cake!

2 – Can we have each tier a different flavour?

Absolutely!   My advice is to decide on what you feel would be the most popular flavour with the majority of your guests and have that as your largest tier, then work your way up to the smallest. It’s also a good idea to consider the time of year of your wedding when choosing your flavours. Fresh flavours such as Zesty Lemon are perfect for Spring and Summer Weddings, but you may prefer richer flavours such as Chocolate & Salted Caramel for Autumn and Winter Weddings.

3 – Do you deliver the cake to the venue and is there an additional charge for this?

I will always deliver your Wedding Cake to the venue. They are heavy  and delicate depending on the number of tiers  and the decoration or florals you choose.  I will set up you cake as we have discussed and designed so it looks perfect when you and your guests see it for the first time.   I will personally liaise with your Wedding Coordinator to arrange timings.  There will be a charge for this based on mileage and time, but this cost will be included within the overall cost of your wedding cake.

4 – How much notice do you need?

My advice is as soon as you have booked the Venue, one of the next steps should be to book your Wedding Cake.  Cake Makers can get booked up well in advance, so if you would love me to make your Wedding Cake and you like the styles I create, book in as soon as you can to avoid disappointment, especially if your wedding date is in peak season between April and September.   I recommend at leas 9-12 months prior to the wedding date but i have bookings over a year in advance.

5 – How long does it take to make a Wedding Cake?

This depends on the size and complexity of the design. Most wedding cakes are a 4-5 day process from baking to completion. The first day will be spent baking the cakes and making all of the fillings and chocolate ganache. Day 2 will be spent cutting, filling, levelling, ganaching.  Day 3 will be covering the cakes ready for decoration.  Day 4 and 5 will be adding all the finishing touches and decoration such as  stencilling and sugar flowers.  Most of my cakes are taken separately to the venue and stacked there.  Depending on the complexity of the design, some may be stacked before travelling to the venue and adding the finishing touches.

I hope that you found this information helpful, but remember, the most important thing when starting out on your Wedding Cake journey is to have fun and enjoy it! If you would like to discuss your Wedding Cake with me please get in touch, I would love to hear from you.

Gillian