With the right cake artist, planning your dream cake can be one of the most enjoyable parts of your wedding. A cake artist can customize your cake to your specific wishes. Knowing your personal taste will help your designer considerably and assist you in choosing a cake artist who matches your style.
Portfolio
Experienced cake decorators have portfolios of wedding cakes to show you. This helps you see their areas of specialty and level of experience. Several factors need consideration when hiring your cake artist, including availability, experience, style, cake design, and budget.
Consultation
A consultation, virtual or in person, is an excellent way to connect with possible bakers. It allows an open forum for the couple to ask questions and provides an opportunity for both the artist and the couple to decide if they would like to work together. As with any successful relationship, good communication is key! The consultation is a great opportunity to view and discuss the artist's wedding cake portfolio.
Information Gathering
Before providing a quote or answering detailed questions, we require the couple to complete a wedding questionnaire. This allows us to have a more holistic and informed conversation with our couples.
Quote
Many decorators provide a pricing guide and a complimentary quote to allow couples to budget for their bakes. At The Countryside Cakery, we provide a ballpark pricing guide to allow couples to plan in advance for the costs associated with their wedding cakes. We provide detailed quotes in the calendar year of the event. Through experience, we refrain from providing detailed quotes further in advance due to the price fluctuation of ingredients and supplies.
Deposit
Once we have provided a quote, we request a non-refundable deposit to secure the date for the couple. The deposit ensures that your cake artist has reserved the date for you. Many cake artists only accept one wedding cake per weekend, so once your date is reserved, your decorator may decline any further cake orders for that date. The deposit compensates the cake artist for this opportunity cost.
Budgeting
A simple small one-tier cutting cake could start at $100, while a tall 4-tier detailed cake may cost over $1500. Having a budget in mind before beginning conversations with your cake artist is ideal. It is important to ensure that your budget and your vision of your wedding cake align. Couples dreaming of a 4-tier detailed wedding cake that is the focal point of their wedding should ensure that they have a budget to match.
Cost
Several factors go into the pricing of a wedding cake. You are paying for the skill of the baker, their time, and the cost of their supplies (which have been increasing with inflation). Other factors that may influence the cost of your wedding cake include setup and delivery, other bakes required, cake toppers, flavour signage, cake stand, and server rentals. These items should all be considered and could be included in your quote to assist with budgeting. Many couples are choosing to serve their wedding cake as dessert at the wedding instead of having a plated dessert provided by the venue. Knowing your approximate number of attendees and reviewing cake serving guides help in this part of the planning to ensure that there are sufficient sweet treats for each guest to savour. Click here to view our Cutting Guide!
Additional Services
As the wedding cake world expands, cake artists are offering several value-added services. Cake decorators will often offer cake tastings to allow couples to sample various flavours of sponge, fillings, and frostings to help them choose their favourite. This is also a fun way to connect with your partner for a date night! If cake isn't your thing, ask your cake artist about other options, such as cookies, cupcakes, cookie sandwiches, cake truffles, macarons, or setting up a dessert table!
In conclusion, selecting the right cake artist for your wedding is crucial to ensure that your cake dreams come to life. Collaborating with a skilled and experienced cake decorator can be a fun and enjoyable experience during the wedding planning process. With the right cake artist in Thunder Bay, you can have a beautiful and delicious wedding cake that matches your style and taste. So take the time to research and find a cake artist that suits you, and enjoy every step of the cake planning process!