Budget...ewww...that dirty word that nobody wants to think about.  Especially when planning the most beautiful day of your life!  Most brides want all the bells and whistles and extravagant details...but unfortunately, those come with a price.

One of the first questions asked at our consultations is "what is your cake budget?"  I would say a solid 90% of the time I'm met with a deer in the headlight look followed by, "we just want something nice, but not break the bank."  Ok...great...what does that mean?  Most couples do not talk about a budget in advance and let me say this...you are sabotaging your consultations. 

A itemized budget should be the very first thing you and groom-to-be do prior to sending one email or calling a single vendor.  Why?  Because they can't help you otherwise.  When couples visit us without a budget we have no way to gauge or direct them as far at their expectations for their wedding.  Rather we go through the motions.  We find out exactly what they want...their dream wedding cake.  Go over their dream flavor and size...which may or may not be realistic for their needs or pocketbook.  Then comes the quote.  Dun dun dun.  Sticker shock overwhelms the couple to which they "need to think about it" go home disappointed and I never hear from them again. 

Let's back up now.  Same couple walks in and gives me their realistic budget.  I say realistic because, of course we would love to pay $200 for an elegant Peach Chiffon cake that serves 150 guests, but well...our ingredients cost more than that.  So, the couples comes in with their budget.  We discuss their dream flavors, dream design, and size.  We match it with their budget.  If it all fits...excellent!  If we are a bit over budget, we can talk and discuss and I can give the couple ways to change their cake and still make it beautiful and something they would love without spending more then they have allotted to spend.  Now...we are working together to get the couple what they want for what they can afford!  It's a win win for everybody!

And if I may give one more suggestion; when making your budget add an "overage" item.  Make it small, just a few hundred dollars give or take.  This is an item in your budget for something that you just love, but underestimated the cost.  This way if you really really love something, but it is over your budget a little you have an extra cushion in your budget to afford that extra special thing (or two or three if they are smaller items).  This also allows money in your budget for those last minute, "oops...forgot I needed that!"

I love lace on a wedding cake!  It's soft and elegant and very versatile.  Not to mention timeless!  Lace fits many wedding themes from traditional to vintage to shabby chic.  The lace is made from a thin strip of sugar and can be customized.  And it's quite tasty too!  There are many different patterns and colors and the sugar strip can even be cut down to cover as much or as little of the cake as you would like.  You can even adorn cupcakes with cake lace if you are choosing cupcakes over a traditional stacked cake.  Cake lace can be put on both fondant and buttercream, although I personally love a buttercream cake!  Just another way you can create a wedding cake unique and personal to you!

Oftentimes I hear brides confused about a cake delivery.  We have all seen Buddy and his crew waltz in with a grand 5 tier cake at the beginning of a reception and the guests cheer, ooh and aah over the big entrance.  Unfortunately, that's tv.  While that's grand and quite the display, it's not reality.  So, what is reality.  Well, that varies based on your baker.  But let's talk about what we have found to work best with cake deliveries.

First things first.  We do not deliver our cakes pre-stacked.  That's just a disaster waiting to happen.  What we do is deliver each tier in a separate, padded box.  The padding in the box helps the cake not to slide during travel.  It also helps absorb the shock from the road, which makes sure your icing is still firmly in place and your design is not disturbed.

We like to arrive 1.5 to 2 hours prior to your ceremony to begin the cake stacking process.  We allow an hour to assemble the cake, however usually it only takes 30 to 45 minutes.  During this time we stack the cake, pipe a lovely border around each tier to cover the board, and place any adornments on the cake such as flowers or cake toppers.  We also allow a small buffer in case we are a few minutes late, Austin traffic can be a little unpredictable, or if the cake table isn't skirted or the venue isn't quite ready.  It's important to allow a few extra minutes for minor setbacks...better to finish a few minutes early then to arrive late and have someone rushing to stack a cake.  That's how mistakes get made.

So, now we are finished!  Your cake is stacked and standing beautifully with all adornments ready to be devoured!  But, there is still a little time before your ceremony.  Yes...and there is a reason for that.  Your photographer will need some time prior to the ceremony to get some nice detail shots of your cake.  Once the ceremony starts there is little for those kinds of photos.  Additionally, some people have other decorations they wish to place on the cake table.  This needs to be done post cake set-up to allow the room needed to work with your cake. 

We've all seen gender reveal cakes, right?  The ones that are decorated modestly on the outside while holding a special surprise on the inside! Guests gather around the cake to find out the big secret: pink or blue!  

Well, who says that cakes can only be colorful when you are expecting?  This weekend I had the pleasure of making a cake a for a very sweet couple.  Their colors were red and turquoise, a very unique and pretty combination.  The cake was draped with a turquoise satin ribbon border and deep red flowers cascaded down the side.  

However, guests were in for another surprise when they cut into their 3 tier dessert only to find that the bold colors continued!  The French Vanilla cake had been dyed to match the turquoise color scheme and the Raspberry filling tied in the red!  

While this is a great idea for some, it won't work for everybody.  Dyes change in heat.  So, if your colors are not standard colors (ie: salmon vs. orange) then it's best to avoid a mis-shaded cake.  Also, if your colors are elegant (ie: black or gold) then keep the cake elegant as well...not to mention, who wants to eat a black cake!  But for the fun, casual wedding with bold beautiful colors this a great idea to add something a little different to your wedding!

The tradition of a wedding cake can be dated back to the Roman times, when a loaf was broken over the bride's head. It signified the beginning of a new life as husband and wife. It still does. Therefore, it becomes rather important to choose the right cake for your wedding.

Brides usually spend a lot of time on it and then get easily stressed out. So, dear men why not take this burden off her shoulders and impress your wife with an amazing wedding cake? We promise, you will not regret it.

The Barn Wedding

No matter what part of the country you live in, the rustic themed wedding tops the list of all themed weddings. The old world charm of the barns and the green pastures capture every single heart. Therefore, it needs an elegant yet rough wedding cake to complement the theme. You can always choose a cake decorated with elegant flowers, flowing down to the base. But, let's take the risk of finding something even better.

A three tier cake roughly frosted with a layer of strawberry buttercream along with the bittersweet chocolate decorated with fresh olive branches and a big beautiful golden succulent offset on the middle tier will look stunning. Not just only your wife, but also the guests won't be able to resist it.

If you want to go for a classic looking cake, then go for the timeless naked rustic cake. Choose a dark one, let the buttercream naturally seep out of it, to give it an unfinished and rustic look. Later on, garnish it with your favorite berries and other fruits. This one may be called a classic, but it is something so unique and so beyond one's approach that your wife will be left mesmerized by it.

The Beach Wedding

A beach wedding is so dreamy and truly romantic whether it's on the beautiful sea shores of Texas or the exotic seaside wedding locations of Long Island. They are all just perfect in each and every way imaginable. If you have planned out your wedding for a beach, you're so damn lucky! In that case, you and especially your wife absolutely deserve a dreamlike wedding cake.
Most of the couples usually go for a blue or a white wedding cake. It's not like something is wrong with it. They are one of the most relatable and trending options to go with. Such as, a two tire vanilla cake layered with raspberry flavored Swiss meringue buttercream. To resemble the waves, imagine the first tier beautifully ruffled up in different shades of blue. And, the top tier with a finish of sand along with a starfish on the border line. Tempting, isn’t it?

But, what looks unusual for a beach wedding cake are the different shades of brown. With intricate details such as corals, seahorses, seashells, pearls and the waves on the bottom tier all work together to make this cake super stunning. It is a bold and a brave move that will definitely pay you off, making your wife not want to cut it.

The Big Ballroom Wedding

A big ballroom wedding is all what a woman has dreamt of, all her life. Apart from the beach, what else will be more dreamier than starting a new life together in a grand ballroom. Living all those fairytale moments on the biggest day of your life is far amazing than anything else in the world. You being her dream prince and she, the most beautiful princess ever. This truly deserves a grand wedding cake.
However, going for a fairytale wedding cake sounds quite interesting. Like a beautiful robin's blue egg colored, 5 tier cake. Decorated with two whimsical flying birds, different flowers added around the base along with trees spreading to the top with pretty little flowers and leaves springing out. But, what looks even better is a vintage cake inspired by The Great Gatsby.

The long island weddings location inspired by it still depicts the same glitz and glamor as described by the author. To add all that lavishness to your wedding cake, it turns out to be one of the most awed options. Go for a three to four tier lavish silver leaf finish cake, embossed with lace and a single string of pearls on the non silver leaf tiers. Top this long island wedding inspired cake with big off-white flowers.

If the extra glamor makes you and your wife uncomfortable, don't worry. The other options inspired by the locations of Long Island wedding cake are endless. However, opt for the classic lace cake with small intricate details with little pastel flowers to make it timeless. She won't be disappointed! And, you'll be a happy husband.

So, dear men do not be afraid to take the step forward to surprise your wife with the cake of her dreams. We hope you'll return to this post for future reference. And, if you've got better ideas we'll love to know all about it. Happy you, makes us happy!