Planning a wedding can be a daunting and intense experience! Most couples will have never planned a wedding before so it can sometimes feel overwhelming and like you don’t know where to start.
So when it comes to your wedding cake, what sort of questions should you ask a wedding cake designer to help determine if they are right for you?
1. Do you have availability on our wedding date?
This question might seem obvious but once you have done your research and found cake designers in your area that you like, the first question to ask is if they have availability on your wedding date. There’s nothing worse than exchanging lots of messages and questions only to then find out that they’re fully booked!
2. What areas do you cover?
As with question 1, this is one of the first questions you should ask your cake designer as you don’t want to use up your precious planning time talking about the details of design and flavours, only to find out that they don’t deliver to the location of your venue.
3. Do you cater for allergies/intolerances?
This should be one of your initial questions too as if the answer is no, this may well rule out a particular cake designer for you. Find out which allergies and intolerances they cater for and whether this fulfils any dietary requirements for your wedding.
4. Do you have a price guide/minimum order value?
Most established cake designers are pretty transparent about their prices and will often offer a guide price or a ‘from’ price (see my pricing page for an example of this). Bear in mind that if you are looking for a bespoke design, you won’t get a fixed price until you have agreed on a design.
5. What flavours do you offer?
As with question 3, most cake designers will have a comprehensive list of flavours on their website (click here to view mine) but if you don’t see what you’re looking for or want a variation on a flavour they offer, it’s best to ask your cake designer if they can accommodate this.
6. Do you make and freeze cakes in advance?
Not an obvious question but an important one! Some cake designers make their sponges in advance (especially if they are catering for multiple orders on the same date) and freeze them. This isn’t necessarily a negative but it does mean that if you have cake leftover after your wedding, you won’t be able to freeze it and eat it at a later date. All of my wedding cakes are made fresh (normally 3 days prior to the wedding date) so any leftovers can be taken home and frozen to enjoy at a later date.
7. What ingredients do you use?
This is an important question if the quality of ingredients and where they come from are important to you. For example, I only use organic ingredients and source them locally where possible. Equally, the chocolate I use in my cakes and my ganache is the finest Belgium chocolate because it gives a luxury flavour.
8. Do you deliver and set up our wedding cake?
I’m always surprised when I get asked this question but it’s worth checking! I absolutely deliver and set up all of my wedding cakes (in fact I don’t offer a collection option, I insist on delivery and setting up all of my cakes). Not only because I have poured my heart and soul into them and want to make sure they are set up securely and beautifully but also because I want to take as much stress away from my couples as possible.
9. Do you specialise in a particular style?
Some cake designers will offer lots of different options in terms of design, whereas others will specialise in a particular style (check out my gallery for my signature modern, sugarpaste style of cake). If you are looking for a bespoke cake that has been custom designed for you, I would recommended choosing a cake designer who specialises in the particular style that you are drawn to. Being a specialist in a particular style means they will be extremely skilled at perfecting that style.
10. Can we taste your cake beforehand?
Most designers will offer some kind of tasting consultation or send a sample box to you to try a variety of their flavours. And if flavour and taste is as important to you as design, this is a must have!
11. Will we have to sign a contract?
The answer should be yes! This not only covers the cake designer if any unforeseen issues arise but also means that you are also covered if any issues occur.
12. Do we need to pay a deposit and when will we need to make full payment?
It’s standard practise for cake designers to ask for a booking fee to secure your date. Again, this not only secures the booking for them and shows commitment from the couple that they’d like to go ahead but also confirms the booking for the couple so that they know their wedding cake is booked!
Full payment will vary slightly between cake designers (normally between 1-2 months before) but it’s worth knowing so that you can budget accordingly.
13. Do you hire out cake stands?
If the styling of your wedding cake is important to you, this is a good question to ask your cake designer. Most veneues will include a cake stand in their package but these are often traditional stands and won’t always suit the style of wedding cake a couple has chosen.
14. Do you offer dessert tables / edible favours
If you’re really looking to elevate your wedding cake design with the addition of a dessert table or edible favours, it’s a really good idea to ask your wedding cake designer if this is something they offer. This means you have all of these items with one supplier, ensuring consistency in design and flavour (click here for my blog on dessert tables or head to my Favours and Dessert Tables page for more information on what I offer).
These questions will help you find the right wedding cake designer for you and give you the confidence to entrust your chosen cake designer with your beautiful wedding cake!
Image credits:
Mellissa Megan Photography
Meghan Claire Photography