I often feel like this can sometimes seem unimportant – us cake designers aren’t like a photographer or planner, who spend most of your wedding day with you and a chunk of time beforehand. But nonetheless, each element of your wedding is important in its own right if it is to successfully come together and blend seamlessly with your chosen style. So here’s my top 5 tips for finding the right cake designer for you.
1. PORTFOLIO
Quite simply, do you love their work?! This is the most amount of money you’re ever likely to spend on a cake, so it’s super important that you love a cake designers style and the kind of cakes they create. It’s the one thing you won’t see until the day (you’ll just have a sketch to go on!) so you need to feel confident and have complete trust that your cake designer will deliver your vision. And if you’re looking for added extras like edible favours or a dessert table, check whether your cake designer offers this.
2. DO YOU GET A GOOD ‘VIBE’ FROM THEM?
Is their personality the kind that you would get along with? You’ll get a good feel for who your cake designer is and what they’re about through their website, their brand values but also by interacting with them on social media. What are they posting about? What kind of things do they like doing? What types of weddings do they work on?
3. PRICE / BUDGET:
It can sometimes feel uncomfortable talking about money but it’s important to understand at an early stage what kind of prices your cake designer is likely to charge. Most cake designers are pretty transparent about this and whilst they won’t be able to give you an exact figure (especially if you’re looking for a bespoke design), they should be able to give you a range or a guide.
4. FLAVOUR/TASTE/VARIETY:
Similar to their portfolio, does the cake designers flavours get your taste buds tingling and your mouth watering? Are you looking for particular flavours that have a specific meaning to you? Some cake designers are happy to take special requests for certain flavours if they’re not in their menu so don’t be too put off if you can’t see what you’re looking for straight away.
Most cake designers will offer tasting boxes either before making a booking so that you can ensure you like their cake before paying a deposit or during a consultation.
5. ARE YOU CATERING FOR ALLERGIES/INTOLERANCES?
This is a super important one, albeit only relevant to a minority. If you are catering for an allergy or intolerance and you want those guests to be able to enjoy a slice of wedding cake, you’ll need to understand from the outset what allergies and intolerances a cake designer caters for. It’s also important to consider how severe an allergy is. For example, I cater for gluten and nut intolerances but I always advise couples who are catering for a severe or life threatening allergy to book a cake designer who can guarantee there will be no traces of specific ingredients in their bakes.
6. Testimonials
Check for client testimonials, which should be easily accessible on a cake designers site. What are their past clients saying about them, their product and their service? Did they love their wedding cake, was it good value, would they recommend their cake designer to other couples?
The easiest way to cover all of these steps is to follow your chosen cake designer(s) on their social media platforms for a while and have a good look around their website. Do you like what they stand for, are you inspired by their work and do they sound like an authority in their field? If the answer to these questions is yes, you may well have found your wedding cake designer!
Happy planning!
Image Credits: Megan Claire photography, Hannah Argyle Photography