An engagement is an exciting time in a young couples life!  Many times we want to get the planning started and meet vendors, taste cake, and do all the fun things.  But let's not rush.  Let's make sure we take the proper steps.  Otherwise, our time together is counterproductive without direction.  So, here are 5 things you need to have down before you are ready to meet with cake bakers.

1. Have your date set and venue secured - Most bakers can only take a certain number of cakes per weekend.  So, it's best to have your date set before you meet with your baker to make sure they are available on your wedding date.  And you need to have your venue secured so the baker knows where to deliver the cake and how much to charge for their delivery fee.  It's also good because some venues have different rules for delivering, times, where to unload, etc.  It's good to know all that information for your consultation so we can discuss everything at one time.
2. Know your guest count - There is no way to know an exact guest count months before your wedding, but it's a good idea to have an idea.  Have your guest list already written.  A good rule of thumb is that 75-80% of your invited guests will attend.  This gives your baker an idea of what size cake you will need.  You can always adjust the size later if you need too.
   
3. Know your colors and the feel for your wedding - Knowing the colors and style of your wedding will help us as we design your cake.  Some cakes are more formal, some are more casual, some are more eclectic, rustic etc.  Knowing the style of your wedding will help your baker guide you as we design your cake.
   
4. Have an idea of the food you will be serving - You don't have to have every detail of the meal planned out, but it's good to have an idea.  Are you wanting Italian, maybe chicken and veggies, or BBQ, or maybe a nice steak dinner?  Knowing what you are serving your guests will help your baker direct you when choosing your flavors.  Some cake flavors pair really well with certain dinners.  And sometimes if you are eating a heavy dinner, like BBQ, a nice lighter flavored dessert will be more appetizing to your guests.
   
5. Have design ideas - Have a little fun looking at pictures of cakes.  Maybe pin some cake designs on pinterest, even if you only like a certain element of the cake.  Find out what styles or concepts of cakes you like and don't like.  This will give your baker a direction to go when you begin discussing the design elements of your cake.
   

So, is all of that already done on your to do list?  Then why wait...call or email me and let's begin designing your wedding cake! 

A cake in and of itself can be beautiful!  But, there are some tiny little touches that you can add to the cake to give it that extra touch, elegance, or ambiance to your wedding.  And one way is through cake stands!  Cake stands create more of a statement piece for your cake.  They also add height, making your cake more grand in show!  You can also choose a slightly larger stand and place fresh flowers, candles, or other adornments around your cake too! 

Perhaps my very favorite cake stand is the Pedestal Stand.  This elegant stand gives your cake a little extra height, while resting on a single pedestal.  It's a more dainty stand, but is strong in character.  The come as simple or as ornate as you wish. One word of caution, I recommend placing no larger than 3 stacked tiers on a pedestal stand.  While, I've stacked 4 tier cakes on them...it makes me nervous since the weight is not as centrally located.  

The most popular stand is the more traditional Footed Cake Stand.  This cake stand has 4 legs around the base of the stand.  Typically they are not quite as tall as the Pedestal stand, but are larger and thicker.  These are great for 4 and 5 tier cakes as they are sturdy and heavy.  The stand is also more dominant, making the stand itself more of a show piece.

Popular with more rustic or shabby chic weddings is the Wooden Stand.  These stands are large wooden blocks, often stained or decorated with lace or other adornments used in the wedding.  Couples can event paint their last name, Mr. & Mrs, or some other cute wording on the cake.  These customizable stands can be used in their home as decoration or for parties and other entertaining events.  They make a lovely keep sake of their wedding day that can be enjoyed for years to come.  

We have been a little silent about our new kitchen expansion, so I thought I would fill y'all in on the progress!  Right now, it's slow.  When we opened our custom cake shop 10 years ago, one thing we decided on was to run our business debt free!  The drawback is that things take a little longer because we have to save up for them first.  New ideas aren't flashy or instantaneous.  But, the good thing is that the business is 100% stable.  No bride has to worry about finding out our bake shop closed down because we couldn't pay our debt or got behind on our rent...because there is none!  Since we announced our plans for our new kitchen last May we have been saving and saving!  

And now we are slowly ready to begin!  Yesterday we met with our electrician.  We walked through our space and drew out the plans...where would my oven go, my fridge, storage...and the fun one...my consultation room!  I don't know why but I am so excited to begin designing my consultation room!!  All the beautiful cake masterpieces that will be created in that room!  We mapped out every plug and wattage, as well as additional electricity for growth in the years to come!  Since our building was not created to be a commercial kitchen we are needing to bring in more electricity to our space.  So the electricity will be probably (hopefully) our biggest hurdle.  But, we are working through all the details and they will begin digging trenches and putting in the new wires, boxes, and all things electrical within the next few weeks!  

This is our biggest step.  Once this is completed our second to biggest step is our plumbing.  After that it should a fairly quick and easy process.  Fingers crossed our goal is to have our new kitchen completed and ready to go by the fall!