What You Need To Know When Wedding Cake Shopping

Your wedding cake isn’t just a dessert for you guests. It’s the grand finale piece of the night! It’s one of the last special ways to incorporate your theme, tastes, and personal style into your day. A classic white cake is safe..but don’t feel pressured to stay traditional. From the color, shape, flavor, and cake topper, there are so many ways to make it your own! With all the available options, it can be easy to feel overwhelmed, so we put together these wedding cake guidelines to help you get started.

Tastings.

Research local wedding cake baker's style before you meet them. If you have a specific style in mind, make sure you choose a baker who knows how to create your desired aesthetic. It's best if you have an idea of what you want before you go in. But, keep in mind that the cake style should be one of the last things on your list. You don't want to be stuck in between a rock and a hard place trying to find dresses or reception decor to match your cake. It's easiest to let the cake be the cherry on top of the night.

Compare Prices.

Did you know the average cost of a wedding cake SLICE can vary from $1.50-$15?  When comparing prices, make sure you ask the baker to give you a breakdown by cost per slice. This makes it much easier to compare prices while shopping. 

Order Wisely. 

Not everyone will want a slice of cake so it's usually safe to order about 10-15% less slices than your actual guest count. For example, If you have 100 guests, then you can order cake for 85.

Watch for Hidden Costs. 

The first price you are quoted will most likely only be the cake cost. There are also fees regarding transporting and tax, and maybe even specific design or material costs. Ask for a complete breakdown and what the expectations for a deposit are. This is not the time for any surprises in your budget.

Get Everything in Writing.

This is a habit you should practice with every service you pay for. But as a helpful reminder, your contract should include all details of your wedding day- date, time, location, delivery fees and set up, total amount due, cake design specifications, and the cancellation policy. The vendor's contact information should also be included and easily findable. Make sure every possible detail is accounted for so there are no miscommunications. 

Choose the Right Colors.

Did you know some food coloring tastes better than others? That's right, an all blue wedding cake may sound incredible, but colors that have more saturation usually don't taste as nice as paler shades or white would. Of course, ask your baker and do a taste test. But, if you want to bring more color into the cake, you cannot go wrong with accents and fun cake toppers. 

Avoid Meltdowns.

Are you having an outdoor summer wedding? It may be best to stay away from Buttercream frosting which easily melts. Let your baker know the climate and ask about warmer weather options. Fondant will probably be the route to go considering it doesn't even need to be refrigerated. (If it is, it could form “sweat” beads of condensation.)

Dummy Cakes?

A Dummy cake is a popular way to try and keep the costs down. It is a fake cake made out of styrofoam and decorated to look like a real cake. You can choose to have one real layer for cake cutting photos and have the top layering pieces be styrofoam. Or you can just have a complete styrofoam cake and use a cupcake to cut into for the photo op. There are a few pros and cons to this. Pros include being able to have a more customizable aesthetic, since styrofoam is very light and easy to manipulate. But a con is, there may not be too much of a price different here. You are still paying for the decorating. The ingredients and bake time don't make too much of a cost difference. These are important things to keep in mind when deciding what is the best option for you.

Another popular way to cut costs is to have a small cake baked for the couple's cake cutting ceremony, and then offer a dessert table with sheet cake for the guests.  

Questions to ask your Cake Baker.

How far in advance are wedding cakes prepared?

Bakers will usually have more than one cake to create for the weekend. Your cake might be made a few days in advance. Make sure to ask so there are no surprises.

Who will bake my wedding cake?

Different bakeries could have one baker and one designer, OR one person doing it all. Make sure you know who exactly is creating your cake and ask to see their portfolio so you know what to expect.

What is the delivery process?

There may be an added fee for the baker to deliver or serve the wedding cake to your reception.

Are you licensed by the state?

It is good practice to know if your baker is verified by the health department. 

What happens if the cake gets damaged?

Accidents happen. Ensure you and the baker are on the same page when it comes to a backup plan.

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