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Foreword
wedding planning can be stressful I know I have planned our own and was like ..." where the heck do I begin!!" first of all breathe! you're both getting Married!!! its Exiting! Congratulations!!!!!
Second grab a pen and paper and make a list, Even if you hate them..(if you're like me that is) you'll thank me later because trying to keep everything in your head can be soooo stressful.
"Yeaa, well what do I put on that list" I hear you!
Searching for the dreams
I know it sounds cliche but have a look on Google. Type in wedding theme ideas, wedding cake ideas, and wedding dress styles then jot down any that you like the look of. Think about the season your wedding will take place in.. do you want to reflect the colours of the season? or do something wild that reflects your relationship and personal tastes. I discovered that my working with the season not against it was cheaper (especially for the flowers in the middle of December!) in the long run but if your budget is no issue then that's not something you need to worry about.
Budget!
Ahh the B word! No not that one... Budget! Set your budget realistically, if you haven't already started saving for the big day. Work within your budget. Talk to different vendors, go to wedding fayres and ask for quotes. check out amazon for things like favour boxes photo stands, and sign books. Dream and try and picture what you would like your day to be like from start to finish. How do you want the church/reception to look?.. do you have a dress in mind? lace? satin?, delicately scattered with diamanté?...ruffles?, pleats?, shape? etc..
" yeah that's nice but what does this have to do with cake?".... ahh well,..EVERYTHING!
Many cake bakeries (ours included) ask you for colour themes, and or if you would like any details from wedding stationery to match with your cake.
Some brides want their flower posy, to match with the cake florals (p.s from a baker's point of view fresh flowers are a logistical nightmare, as many can be poisonous) so fake /silk or sugar are great options without the nightmare. (some bakers are happy to add fresh flowers, I'm not one of them lol) some brides want their cake to resemble the dress as closely as possible.. so in that situation, you would send images of the dress to the cake designer so they can set to work. your cake is just as much of a focal point in a wedding as the dress, the groom's suit and the venue. Especially if you're inviting 200-plus guests! so its good to give a decent portion of your budget for the cake. A bridal website I saw recently stated that wedding cake prices were averaging around the £450 -£750 mark and higher-end budget prices started from around £770 to upwards of £1150 plus. So it is something to bear in mind if you want a good Wedding cake. if your budget is a tighter one, then discuss it with your Cake artist they might have some suggestions to help stay within your price range.
Save the Date!
The all-important Date! and do you have one? is it booked with the venue? registrar? or church? whatever?.. Because your baker is going to need to know and may have policies or t's and c's that have an order by date, so you will absolutely need this info before you approach your cake artist.
How many people!?
Think about who you are inviting, and how many people will realistically attend. Or do your list before approaching your baker with the number of confirmed attendances (those who've RSVP-ed) and add a few on for contingencies (not everyone RSVPs lol) so you can discuss with your baker, exactly how much cake and what budget your cake will fall into. will it be a cake dummy with sheet cakes to cut? or are you having a 5-tiered masterpiece? or a small single-tier cutting cake and a stand filled with cupcakes?
You will undoubtedly, have people who won't want a piece of cake, and you might probably have some that will take multiple slices. So it usually works out (I made our cake to feed 200 and ended up bringing half of it home) also decide how big of a portion you want to serve. there are coffee slices and dessert slices which are bigger. it all depends on whether you're serving the cake as dessert at the reception or giving guests slices to take home. something to think about though.
Deliver me from stress!
Where is the venue? is it booked? and will my Cake Artist Deliver to the venue? will the venue be open the day before to receive my cake?, or shall I book my Cake artist to set it up on the day?
....so I don't have the stress of delivering the cake myself on one of the biggest days of my life!!!
(Yes is the answer to that one! haha) please, please, please! make sure you have the correct address for the correct venue and the correct date, (I know it does sound ludicrous, but if you only knew the miscommunications that bakers, have shared in some of the baker groups) as you definitely don't want your money sitting in the wrong venue hallway and yes it does happen very rarely but still. (or so I have heard in cake decorating circles) Also, most professional Cake Artists are insured, for products in transit. So it is worthwhile to let the professionals handle it. oooohh I nearly forgot! also, keep a list of all your vendor's contact details. Including phone numbers, you know just in case of emergencies! it also means you can pass on relevant phone numbers etc florists, cake makers, venues, etc so everyone is kept in the loop. As miscommunications are one of the most common stress factors in weddings and wedding planning, and that's where mistakes often happen.
And for the love of all things cheese! Don't let one person take over all that mentioned above and not keep you updated and in the loop, along with vendors ect as well meaning family members can also cause nightmares. you have been warned lol!
Failing to plan is Planning to fail!
Return me, please!
Also if you are thinking about stand hire or hiring extras, photo booths, balloon wreaths cake stands, polycake boxes, etc...please make sure you get them back to their vendors. And if you have paid money to lease them, when you return them in good condition, you have a good chance of getting that cash back, before you jet off to your honeymoon. and if you can't return the items yourselves, ask your family members' mom/dad/inlaws to do it on your behalf. just check with your vendors first they may have policies in place in regards to this, so it's always, always, wise to check first.
Enjoy your Day and make many memories!
Last but not least, once that list is all ticked off, and booked! Enjoy your countdown to the big day, relax after all that organising and planning and thoroughly enjoy your day making exquisite memories with the people you love the most. And get lots and lots and lots of pictures! Someone I know had their guests all take pictures, as well as the professional photographer. All the different photos from all the different relations were amazing! truly brought a unique and heartfelt angle to the pics (I wish I'd done that!)
As always With love and Cookies with sprinkles.
God bless and I hope this blog post helped in some small way.
Samantha Willetts Mrs. The SweetDreamsBakery owner of.
Cake Artist!
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