Of all the decisions you have to make for your wedding, choosing the wedding cake, by far, is the sweetest decision of all!

When my daughter, her fiance, his parents, her brother and myself started our wedding cake search we visited Simple Elegance in Cake Design. Laura, like most brides, has very particular tastes and her theme is “asian”.  Furthermore, being an art education major at NAU, she is very creative.  So before even arriving for her appointed cake tasting, she had drawn up a very intricate design for her cake.  Dane, was very gracious and encouraging that he could create whatever cake she wanted, but at the same time very helpful in letting her know what might not be a good idea.  For example, Laura liked the red velvet cake, but did not like creme cheese icing.  He carefully explained to her that her guests would expect the creme cheese icing, but he could make her a bridal layer that did not have it just for her and the groom.

Dane was also helpful in explaining costs and how to keep them down.  We asked the typical questions like “what about a dummy layer…..will that save money?”  Again, Dane patiently explained the dummy layers still take time to decorate and that simply having less layers would be the best way to save money. You can also build the height of the cake by putting it on a pedestal.

As the producer of The Bridal Spectacular, Las Vegas’ longest running bridal show.  I have attended plenty of weddings, and visually it was always a shame  seeing a cake that was too small on the cake table with the bride and groom towering over it.  So we made the decision to invest a little more in the cake to have it at least 4 layers so it would be taller in the pictures.  The bride and groom are both quite tall, so a two layer cake just won’t cut it!

We eventually modified the original drawing Laura had done but kept her idea of accenting the cake with bamboo and cherry blossoms.  Dane’s final advice was that she would probably change her mind many times before the actual day next April, and that she could make her final decisions a couple of weeks before the wedding.

Of course, the best part of the visit was actually getting to taste all the options in fillings and icings!  For the style of cake Laura wants, fondant icing would be best, but she was afraid it would lack in flavor.  She was pleasantly surprised that it tasted quite good! Laura and Charles are still trying to decide whether they want a groom’s cake too. Having a groom’s cake that reflects the grooms personality is very popular right now and a great way to have another flavor option for your guests.

You can find all the best in bakers and cake designers on our website at the wedding services page and also at the next bridal show for Las Vegas brides, The Bridal Spectacular.

Here are some of the questions and topics you should discuss when meeting with your cake company.

 

  • What is the price per serving?
  • Different size cakes can affect the number of servings. How many servings you will get from each different size cake you choose?
  • What shape do you want? Take photos that reflect your preferences.
  • How much will custom features and decorations effect the cost of the cake?
  • What type of cake top do you want? Will you be providing it to the bakery?
  • Can they provide fresh flowers for the cake?
  • Do they have cake pedestals and how much do they charge to add them?
  • Discuss all deposits required as well as delivery procedures. Do they personally deliver the cake and set it up?
  • While you can start the process of interviewing bakeries any time, generally you would do your cake tasting at least a month before the wedding.
  • Does your baker have a business license and a commercial kitchen?
  • Sample different icings, icing flavors and cake fillings to choose your favorite.
  • Ask about delivery and set up costs.
  • Find out who will be cutting your cake and is there a per slice cutting fee.  This may be done by your catering company.