Wedding Blog

I am a huge desert lover, so I have been thrilled at the revival of the Viennese dessert presentation at weddings. For those of you not familiar with the Viennese dessert presentation, it is essentially a buffet of different deserts — sometimes they are petite pastries like this photo from Karla Fountain Photography.

Sometimes they are full-sized cakes and pies. (Heaven!)

Some of my clients have elected to minimize their wedding cakes in favor of these desert presentations. As much as I love deserts, I think that the wedding cake is a traditional wedding symbol that shouldn’t be overlooked, especially since now there are so many varieties of flavors and styles. Wedding cakes are a true work of art and can even be used as a focal point in a room.

When choosing a wedding cake, it is important to consider two things first… How many people do you need to serve and where will the wedding cake be displayed? (Hint: If you are going to be in an area that is really hot and humid, stay away from chocolate shavings and spun sugar).

Other than that, make sure to go through a thorough interview process of your pastry chef. Don’t worry, this isn’t too much of a hardship, you get to look at beautiful cakes and taste some samples. Here are my recommendations on how to shop.

• As always, start with your budget. Make sure you know how much you want to spend.
   
• Look through magazines and on the Internet for styles that attract you. Keep in mind that some of those designs can be really expensive. The more intricate the design, the more expensive it will be. Don’t set yourself up to be disappointed.
   
• Set an appointment with a couple of pastry shops. Make sure they know you want to try samples of the cake.
   
• Take your handy Just Marry! Color Wheel, a swatch fabric from your bridesmaids dresses and some lace from your gown (lace can be a wonderful starting point for designing your cake).
   
• During the interview, make sure you have good communication with the pastry chef. He or she should be able to advise you on ways to spend your money wisely and still get a fabulous design.

On my recent trip to Jacksonville, I had the opportunity to visit Edgewood Bakery Sandy, the owner, is an amazing designer. The shop was filled with beautiful faux cakes that showed off her work. I asked her to send me some photos to share with you. I only wish you could taste the cake. It was amazing.

I hope you enjoy the photos and that they inspire you to find a creative design that reflects your style AND that you find a cake that tastes as good as it looks… Sandy’s sure do!