Questions to ask your wedding cake maker

1. Can I see some of your work?

This is a key one! Have a plough through their work and their portfolio, ask them questions about the wedding and the clients behind the photos. It would be a great idea to ask how the couple and the guest enjoyed the wedding cake, and what was the bridal parties’ reactions to their flowers? I would suggest asking them for testimonials, this will give you official feedback from their clients which is always great. I always get my brides to leave testimonials, I really do value it and I know an element of trust is built after seeing what other people are saying!

2. Pricing

When I mentioned compatibility earlier on, pricing definitely came into that. You would to make sure you are both on the same wavelength, be bold and mention what your budget is early on, to see if you both can work with each other. After the years of being around weddings and being within the wedding industry, you get what you pay for. Please do consider the different components that go into making a wedding cake or arranging wedding flowers. The ingredients, the time, the skills, and expertise. You want to be ensured that you are in safe hands, so when your flowers are delivered to you the morning of the wedding you are super happy, and when you walk into your wedding reception you've got a massive smile on your face! You get what you pay for.

3. How is my cake prepared, and can I freeze the cake for a keepsake?

It is always a great idea to ask how they prepare your cake, how many days in advance is my cake baked and decorated? This is key as from the point above, you get what you pay for, and you want to ensure that when you cut into your wedding cake it will be a fresh yummy cake, nothing stale as that is just yucky!

Now it is a tradition that a lot of couples hold to that they freeze the top tier of the wedding cake and eat it on their first year wedding anniversary. If your cake has previously been baked and frozen you cannot refreeze your cake. The fresher the better.

4. Renting of equipment

Renting of equipment is one that is forgotten a lot until weeks before the wedding, to avoid that panic, simply ask this at your consultation. Are you going to cut into your wedding cake, will your caterer be providing the knife? Regarding the wedding stand, are you happy for it to go on a cake board, or would you like a stand? One thing to remember is that you have to ensure that there is a designated person assigned to return the rented items in one piece.

5. Allergies

I am so passionate about allergies as I am a person who personally suffers from them, I would hate to put someone else through that! Is there anyone who is allergic to anything one of the cake flavours you may have been looking to order? ask your cake designer to give you a list of the ingredients they use.

6. Payment of the wedding cake

How do I pay for my wedding cake? Do you prefer everything upfront or do you prefer that we pay in installments? At M+H Cake we ask that our couple pay 50% of the invoice and the remainder of the invoice has to be paid 2 months prior to the wedding.

7. How do you work with your clients?

Make sure to ask them about their payment procedures, mood board planning, and how they would go about planning your dream wedding cake or floral arrangement!

8. The legal stuff, are you insured, and local authority approved?

Are they covered? Most wedding venues, want to make sure they have public limited liability insurance of a minimum of £1 million, make sure they have that, as some venues would need to see all the documentation for you to work on their premises!

9. Delivery

How does delivery work, make sure there is parking on the premises for them. Ask them what time they can arrive at the venue or hotel. How long would it take them to set up?

@poppycarterportraits

10. Do you have any ideas for my wedding?

This is something that all of my brides ask me, and I love sharing my ideas with them!

Remember to trust them, once you have seen their work you know they have the skill set to make what you want!

And that's it!

Note these questions down, and make sure you ask them at your consultation!

See you on the next one!

Abigail

Photography by @poppycarterportraits