How to Order a Wedding Cake
Like most of my couples, you probably haven’t had to order a wedding cake before. You might not have ordered any bespoke cake before. So my aim is to walk you through your journey with me, from browsing my website to your wedding day.
Get to Know Me
Spend some time browsing my website and social media. Look at the cakes I make and the way that I work. There are lots of pages and blog posts to help you with your planning journey – from figuring out how much wedding cake to order to planning a beautiful wedding cake
Start the process – send me an enquiry to see if I’m available on your date. I’ll let you know if I’m free, how I can help, and provide some initial pricing. Your date is provisionally held in my diary from this point
Book Your Consultation
Book a consultation online, for a time that suits you. Order your cake samples to enjoy at home (optional) – you can do this before or after your consultation. We’ll talk about your wedding/celebration plans + dream cake, and afterwards, you’ll receive your personalised sketch and quote
Wedding cake samples are completely optional, but I thoroughly recommend them. My favourite way to do it is to book a consultation for the Saturday when cake samples are due to arrive. That way, you can eat the samples whilst we talk cake during the consultation. It’s also then easier to discuss different flavour combinations and details. You don’t even have to enquire before you order samples – you can order your wedding cake samples directly from my website anytime, meaning you can pre-vet me before enquiring!
Tell Me About Your Dream Cake
At your consultation, we’ll talk about your wedding plans – what kind of day are you planning, what flowers have you picked, what does your stationery look like? We’ll then talk about your cake design and flavours. And just generally discuss the process of booking a cake, what happens on the day, and I’ll answer all of your questions. You can find a blog post about (celebration and) wedding cake consultations here
Wait for Your Quote
Within a week or so of your consultation, I will send through a personalised quote (which I call a cake specification) for you. Within it will be all of the details about your event (venue, date, delivery time) and your cake – size, flavours, icing finish, including a custom sketch, as well as detailed notes about the design and inspiration/reference photos. The price is broken down in the quote, and you’ll find the Ts & Cs and how to pay here too
Pay a 20% Deposit
If you’re happy with your quote, tick cake off of your wedding/party to-do list. A 20% deposit paid upfront secures your booking. You then pay the remainder in 2 instalments of 40% and 40%, due 3 months then 6 weeks before the big day
Before Your Wedding
Over the months leading up to your wedding day, we’ll keep in touch as details are finalised. Around the time that your final instalment is due, I’ll also get in touch to confirm on-the-day details like who your wedding coordinator is at the venue. Typically, after our last email confirming details, we won’t speak until after your wedding day. During the week of your wedding, I will be working to create your cake. Everything is freshly made in the week leading up to your wedding, from sponges to fillings and in some cases, decorations too. There’s a little behind the scenes for semi-naked wedding cakes here if you’re curious about the details!
On Your Wedding Day
On the day, each of your wedding cake tiers is transported to the venue to be stacked and decorated. When it’s finished, I’ll ask your designated contact to sign for the cake and I’ll provide them with a handover pack. The handover pack contains details on storing and cutting the cake, as well as flavours and allergens. Finally, after what feels like forever, it will be time to cut your cake and share it with your guests. It’s one of the last moments in your day, and will be (as the saying goes), the icing on the cake
After Your Wedding
I always love to hear from you after your wedding day! Most of the time, my couples have positive feedback from their guests to pass on, as well as their own favourite memories of the wedding cake. Often, my couples have received their photos by this point too, so I get to see how beautiful your wedding cake looked when all set up on the day