Wedding Cake Q&A
I completely understand that for many couples their wedding cake is the first time that they have looked to order a large bespoke cake and that this can be a little daunting. Please don't ever feel that you need to know exactly what you would like made when you make your enquiries with cake makers, we are here to help and advise you so that together we create a beautiful cake for your wedding day that also serves enough cake for your guests but not more than you need.
I have jotted down below some answers to the most common questions that I am asked during wedding cake consultations to give you some guidance to assist you in choosing the right cake for your special day.
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How much do you charge for a 3 tier wedding cake?
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This has to be the most common question that I am asked along with a picture of a cake with the question 'how much for this cake - same size'? These questions are near impossible to answer. As all wedding cakes are bespoke the price of your chosen design will be determined by the number of hours needed to create the design, the cake flavour that you would like and the number of cake slices that we will need to serve to your guests. With images of cakes I can perceive the size of the cake to be different to another cake maker and each cake maker will have their own portion guide. My wedding cake tiers are 6" tall serving slices of 1" x 1" x 6" proportions but many cake makers will serve tiers that are 4" or 5" tall, giving a different portion guide.
I have a pricing guide to give you starting prices for my cakes, these are for a light amount of decoration - a few handmade sugar flower posies. If you would like a large amount of decoration - delicate piping work, handmade sugar ruffles or a cascade of handmade sugar flowers this will increase the price for your cake.
In order to give you a price please let me know the following details:
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Your wedding date - to check availability in my diary
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Estimated number of guests - To determine the best size cake for you
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Any idea of cake style that you like - or don't like - I will be able to send some design ideas to you that is tailored to what you like
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The name of your venue - for delivery and set up of your cake on your wedding day
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When should we order our wedding cake?
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I would usually advise ordering your wedding cake 12 - 18 months prior to your wedding day but with many 2020 couples sadly having to postpone their wedding day to 2021 and taking their booked suppliers with them I would suggest booking as soon as possible for a 2021 wedding to avoid disappointment. I can only take on a certain number of orders per week.
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Do we need to cater for all of our guests with our wedding cake?
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You do not need to serve wedding cake to all of your guests. I usually recommend catering for around 70% of guests and to work to your budget more than working to supply cake for everyone. If you are choosing to serve your wedding cake as dessert then yes we do need to cater for all guests but the majority of wedding cakes are served with your evening buffet so I would suggest catering for around 70% of your expected number of guests.
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Do you offer consultations or post samples out to couples?
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Yes, I offer wedding cake consultations via telephone or zoom call and posted cake samples for couples.
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Most couples will choose to serve a different cake flavour per tier to give variety for their guests to choose from.
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We would love a 6 tier wedding cake but don't need to serve that much cake, can we have dummy cake tiers?
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Yes of course, dummy cakes are the perfect solution if you would like a large cake but do not need to serve platters and platters of wedding cake to your guests. There is a popular misconception that swapping out edible cake tiers for dummy cakes in your wedding cake will drastically reduce the price of your cake. Whist there will be a reduction in price this will not be a drastic reduction, this is mostly due to the price of wedding cakes being largely affected by the time that is taken to create them. With dummy cake tiers instead of baking the sponge cakes, we purchase a polystyrene cake dummy, we then ice the dummy and decorate it to exactly the same degree of decoration as we would if it were an edible cake tier - the work takes the same amount of time. That said, if you would like a larger cake on display at your wedding reception than you need then dummy cakes are a fantastic option and popular choice and they will reduce the price of your cake a little.
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Will you deliver our cake to our venue on our wedding day?
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Yes, I offer a complete delivery and set up service for your wedding cake. I will liaise with your venue during the days leading up to your wedding day to discuss the cake and any dietary or cake storage requirements and advise them of my arrival time for set up. I deliver to all wedding venues in Kent, Surrey, East Sussex, Essex & South London. If you have any decoration for the cake table just leave it with your venue and I will ensure that your wedding cake display is complete and looks fantastic before I leave.
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We would like natural flowers on our wedding cake, will you add them?
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Yes, natural flowers are usually supplied by your florist and added to your cake by me on arrival at your venue. Your florist will leave flowers for me by the cake table and I will liaise with them in the days leading up to your wedding day to check their expected arrival time at the venue. If you prefer for me to source natural flowers from my florist I am happy to do so and will be able to give you a quote for your requirements.
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Should we save a tier for a christening?
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Part of wedding cake tradition was to save the top tier for a christening. This tradition goes back to the days of tiered wedding cakes made up of rich fruit cakes. The vast majority of modern day couples prefer to offer sponge cake tiers and not fruit cake to their guests and do not save a tier for a future christening.
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Some couples like to save a tier to give to family after the wedding, but the majority will have all of their cake served at their wedding reception for their guests to enjoy. If you are concerned that with the busyness of your day you may not get to eat some of the cake then why not ask your venue to keep a few slices of each cake flavour back for you to enjoy the next day.
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How much deposit do we need to pay?
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For wedding cake prices up to £300 a deposit of £100 will secure your booking.
For wedding cake prices up to £500 a deposit of £150 will secure your booking.
For wedding cake prices over £500 a deposit of £200 will secure your booking,
Booking deposits are non refundable and your wedding date is not reserved until I receive a booking deposit for you, I am unable to hold any dates without being in receipt of a deposit. Your balance payment and confirmation of final order details is due 21 days prior to your wedding day. If you have any changes to your original order that is not a problem, just let me know and I will do all I can to accommodate you.
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If you have any questions at all at any time please do just ask, I will be happy to advise you and help you.
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