You’ve booked your wedding venue, hired the perfect wedding planner, are in love with the bouquet designs your event designer has put together…  Now comes the cake!  Sure, it’s fun to spend hours upon hours looking at Pinterest or flipping through bridal magazines for inspiration.  But selecting your cake is ultimately about forming a relationship with a skilled cake designer who will be a good fit for your needs.  This takes some very targeted research and a strong sense of your own design aesthetic. Like any creative process, ensuring that you get the cake of your dreams breaks down into simple steps:

1.)  Decide What You Want:

What do you envision?  A dessert picnic table with homemade pies and cupcakes made from old family recipes?  An elegant tiered cake covered with sugar flowers perched on a pedestal cake stand?  The cake is an extension of the overall design for the reception and should integrate seamlessly with the other decor.

2.)  Find Your Designer:

Now that you’ve thought about what you’d love to see on your cake table, it’s time to find that Perfect Fit.  The key to a fabulous cake is a designer who is comfortable with the execution of the design you love.

You don’t want to be their Big Experiment!  Likewise, cake is ultimately food and the taste should be tender, moist, and delicious.  There’s no excuse for dry, dense wedding cake!  Your wedding planner will help guide you toward a designer in your area that suits your needs and your budget.  Top cake designers are accustomed to travelling all over the world, if finances are not an obstacle.

3.)  Working with the Designer:

During the initial cake consultation, the designer should gather as much information as possible about design elements you’ve already chosen for your wedding: colors, linens, floral arrangements, flower types and invitations all play a big role in defining the cake process.  You’ll discuss elements you love, whether they be delicate frills or intricate hand-painting.  The more information you bring to the table about what appeals to you, the better.  That being said, avoid asking for a duplicate of another designer’s cake.  Inspiration images are great, but your designer’s job is use their individual artistry to create a custom design just for you and your event.

4.)  Tying Up Loose Ends:

Other elements to consider include the cake display itself and the anniversary tier.  At Maggie Austin Cake, our designs are displayed on pedestal cake stands because I love their elegant proportions as they relate back to my designs.  But it’s important to discuss how your wedding cake will be displayed in great detail with your planner, florist and cake designer well in advance of the wedding day.  A last-minute choice for presentation is rarely the best option!  Likewise, the tradition of saving and freezing the top tier of the cake should also be discussed to avoid confusion for the caterer.  Most of our clients order a fresh anniversary cake to celebrate their marriage, rather than setting aside the top tier, which we feel is a much better way to remember your Big Day!

Maggie Austin | Wedding Cake Designer

Whether your wedding is a lavish affair or an intimate celebration, the cake is a powerful symbol of who you are as a couple.  The tender act of sharing your first bite with one another is not only a lovely tradition but will be a moment treasured.  When I photograph the cakes before delivery, I do so knowing that they are about to become part of a family’s history.  I cannot think of a higher honor!

Love, Maggie

For more information about Maggie Austin CAKE, we invite you visit her website by clicking here.