10 Most Common Wedding Cake Questions
Choosing the cake for your wedding goes beyond picking out a flavor or two. Todays' bakers are able to accommodate for allergies, incorporate stylish design and work with couples to ensure they receive the perfect cake to suit their wedding. Columbus Bride compiled a list of the 10 most common questions bakeries receive and sought answers from the pros.
"Most [couples] have a number in mind and know what they want to spend. I usually like customers to look at our website and get a ballpark feel to make sure we're not completely miles apart. I prefer to save budget talks until the end, because I like to know exactly what couples want first and then back into a budget. This way, instead of limiting their choices right off the bat, we can see exactly their heart's desire. From there, we work together to figure out if I can give them their ideal cake for what they want to pay." –Christina Jones, Bella Luna Cakes & Confections
"When they schedule their consultation, we ask couples for pictures found on Pinterest, any elements from the wedding dress and color swatches. We start there, and we also have pictures here of cakes we've done, which couples can look at for inspiration as well as a reference point. Then they'll pick elements from different cakes, and we create something unique for them." –Sue Baisden, Capital City Cakes
"I like to tell couples it's one of the more important days of their life, and it's one meal in the day of their guests' lives, so get what you like and trust your palate. If you like it, chances are good a lot of other people will like it, too. I'll have flavors that people try and love, but then they don't order them. When I ask them why, they say they don't think 200 people will like it. So I encourage people to think outside the chocolate-and-vanilla box." –Christina Jones
"People are going back to basics and classics. I used to do a lot of cakes in different shapes, but now the most requested cake is round. [Brides] are on Pinterest and are becoming much more informed about what styles are out there. Columbus used to be fairly behind the trends, but I don't find that to be true anymore." –Christina Jones
"We have your cake completed before it leaves us, and we deliver it to the venue on a cart. It's fully assembled and ready to go when it comes to the reception hall. Couples should make sure they understand this process before their wedding day." –Michelle Sauer, Sauer Cakes
"We always [make plans] so we're prepared. We don't like to drop the cake off any sooner than an hour before the wedding, and we don't want people to move things around in case the cake should get bumped. This gives us enough time to fix anything that may happen." –Sue Baisden
"If [a couple] is really tied to the tradition of having the anniversary cake, I offer them the top tier of their wedding cake and they can preserve it for a year. If they're not into that, I will offer them a complimentary anniversary cake in a year. For some people, it's a tradition and an emotional connection they want on their wedding day, and for other people it's about how good the cake tastes. " –Christina Jones
"We'll do special requests for couples or guests with allergies. We've recently received an influx of gluten-free requests, which is a special request as far as flavors are concerned. With allergies, we make sure we have menu cards available so guests know not to eat a particular flavor. And we'll change the knife during cutting, so there's no cross contamination." –Michelle Sauer
"We get the bride and groom's name, their guest count, venue information and contact information. Then, we take anywhere from three to five flavors of cake and different types of filling they'd like to try and prepare that for when they arrive. Sometimes couples like to bring their parents or friends. We give everyone a Champagne glass with water and bake each couple a 4-inch cake they can try at their leisure at home." –Sue Baisden
"Many couples ask what kind of toppers they should use. We make sure it's something that will work for the cake and that's not too heavy. It could be something that we purchase or they purchase, although it's typically something that comes from the bride and groom. People like to really personalize this aspect of their cake if they can." –Michelle Sauer
