© Joesph Prezioso Photography

You’re excited. Your fiancé has agreed to go on a wedding vendor appointment with you (it may have something to do with the fact food is in involved, or maybe not!) and you want it to go flawlessly. If this appointment goes well, who knows?  He may come along to some others, right?

It’s cake time.  And you’re the bride – so you CAN have your cake and eat it too! But where do you start? Whether you have a cake design and flavor already planned or you’re starting from scratch, here are five basic guidelines to follow when you are looking for a wedding cake baker.

Availability

Depending on how large the staff is at bakers you decide to meet with, they may or may not be able to accommodate your wedding cake. A bakery with a large staff may have no problem creating several cakes for one day while a one-baker shop may only have the time and resources to create a couple. First and foremost, ask their availability.

Timing

Ask bakers how far in advance you need to place your final order and when the cakes are actually baked and designed.  Contrary to popular belief, most cakes are actually made a couple days prior to a wedding date, but you don’t want it to sit around too long.

Design Capabilities

If you find a design you love online or in a magazine or if you only have rough idea of what you might like, ask your baker to see a sketch before you agree on anything.  Seeing a sketch will let you know if the baker understand your vision.  Chances are, you are only going to have one cake and you want it to be exactly how you envision. Bring photos of things you like (and don’t like) and ask to see their portfolio.

Reputation

Do your homework! Read reviews from local websites and publications. Ask for client referrals. Learn as much as you can before you decide to hire them or not.

How much was that slice?

That’s right – wedding cakes are often priced by the slice and the complexity of the design of the cake itself.  Know your budget before your meeting. Just like a wedding gown, you want to avoid falling in love with a cake design you can’t afford.

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