Your wedding cake is the centerpiece of your reception, so choose wisely! Following are some questions
that often come up with clients. Please keep in mind that everyone does things differently, so you may hear
slightly different answers to these questions from different bakers.

Remember that you should take the same care in choosing your cake that you would in choosing the other
food at your reception, and that while appearance is important, flavor is just as crucial. You shouldn't settle
for an "okay" cake any more than you'd settle for food that was just okay but not what you really liked.
One amusing remark that I heard recently was that you don't see people posing with a half-eaten plate of
food at wedding receptions, but you do see them taking pictures of the cake. They'll remember (and talk
about) a bad cake just as much as a good one!

My general advice these days is to take everything in wedding magazines with a grain of salt. I don't know
how other types of vendors feel about the information that's given about their fields, but the advice they
give about wedding cakes is usually laughable. It's obvious that these articles aren't written by people who
have ever made a cake in their lives, let alone a wedding cake. There's a lot of misinformation out there, so
please check with your baker if you have questions.

HIRING A BAKER:

Q: Who should I hire to make my wedding cake?

A: There are advantages and disadvantages to each type of bakery that you can hire, so it depends on
your priorities. You should shop around in your area to compare costs if that is your priority. Some
commercial bakeries and supermarkets make cakes that are somewhat less expensive than independent
bakers, but they will also be making more cakes per day than an independent. They also may not offer
delivery service to the reception site, they will generally be using cake mixes, and will usually freeze cakes
to accommodate the larger volume of cakes being baked.

If you prefer to hire someone based on the attention that your cake will receive, an independent or
home-based baker might be a better choice than a larger commercial bakery. My prices are about even
with many of the larger bakeries in the Richmond area, and are lower than some. Even so, I am able to
provide a much more personalized service because I do far fewer cakes a week so that I am able to treat
each wedding cake with the attention that it deserves. I also deliver each cake myself so that I know that it
gets to the reception site in the right condition.

Q: What should I be looking for when I interview bakers?

A: When interviewing your baker, you should ask a few basic questions. I think that the "scratch vs. mix"
issue is the main consideration because I personally don't like the taste and gummier texture of cake mixes.
The majority of bakeries that do a large number of cakes per week use a purchased mix to start, and may
or may not add other ingredients to the mix to create different flavors. (This is generally because the mixes
contain chemicals that make it easier to maintain a consistent batter if you have a large number of people
who do the baking, and it's faster to use mixes for larger production kitchens.) Some people claim that
adding things to a cake mix counts as "baking from scratch," but I disagree. I can taste the chemicals and
gums in the mixes, and I personally don't like them, so I don't ever use mixes in the wedding cakes that I
sell. The taste may or may not bother you, so ask if mixes are used and try samples of the baker's cakes
before you hire him or her.

You should ask about the baker's experience with the type of decoration that you are thinking of for your
cake, and if the person you talk to is the one who will actually decorate it. No one is familiar with every
decorating technique, so make sure that the baker you hire is able to do what you want for your cake. Ask
how many cakes per week the bakery produces, to make sure that your wedding cake won't be lost in the
shuffle of a large production line. You should also ask about delivery. Who will be delivering your cake, and
what experience do they have? You want to be sure that the delivery will go smoothly, and that the delivery
person has the skills needed to fix the cake if something happens while it's being delivered.

Ask specifically if the wedding cakes that you're being shown are cakes that the baker has made, or if
they're photos of cakes that someone else has made. I've seen photos of cakes in some bakers' portfolios
and advertising that I know were from other sources, such as books and magazines. I've also had people
take pictures from my website, put them on theirs, and claim that they made my cakes! It's unusual for
people to do that, but it has been done, so make sure to ask.

Schedule a tasting appointment so that you can sample a few different flavors before committing to one.
Bring photos of wedding cakes that you like to the appointment so that the baker can see what you like and
work with you to design a cake that you will love. I prefer to design cakes individually for each client, but if
you see a wedding cake that you love, I can make it for you.

If you're not dealing with a larger, established business, ask if the baker is licensed, inspected by the
Health Department, and insured. Some reception venues don't allow you to bring in outside food from
unlicensed vendors, so if you plan on having an unlicensed vendor make your cake, check with the venue
first. Their insurance may prevent them from taking the responsibility for the cake.

Finally, make sure that you feel comfortable with the baker, and that they seem eager to help you make the
perfect cake for your big day.

Q: How far in advance should I hire a baker?

A: Many wedding magazines suggest 3 to 4 months in advance, but it depends on who you're planning to
hire. If you decide to use a larger bakery that does more cakes per weekend, that timetable might be fine
since they'll have more availability. However, if you decide to hire someone who does fewer cakes per
week, like myself, I would book your date at least 5 or 6 months in advance, if not more. Also, if you are
planning a wedding in a popular month (May, for example,) you might want to start booking vendors farther
out. Never feel that you're calling too far ahead!

Q: There's a friend of a friend who says that she will do my wedding cake, but she doesn't have a cake
business. What should I watch out for?

A: I would advise brides to stay away from relying too much on family and friends to do jobs at your
wedding. There are some details that you might get people who'd like to help with do, such as make
wedding favors, address invitations, etc., but for large jobs such as photography, flowers, and cakes you
should get someone experienced. If that's a friend, great, but be aware that you should still sit down with
them and get a contract spelling out the specifics. I've received many calls from people in a panic because
the friend who was going to make their cake backed out the week before the wedding because she was
suddenly too busy to do it. If you have a contract, then you at least have some assurance that the person
will be responsible for your cake. It might also make someone who isn't really taking your cake seriously
see that they'd better think about it before promising to do the work for you.

If you haven't seen the cakewrecks blog yet, and you haven't experienced the entries for "what the bride
wanted/what the bride got" then look at this. Yet another reason to hire a professional!

Q: Do you do cupcakes?
I don't, because you can't quality-control them (that would require taking the wrappers off, which defeats
the purpose.) I'm not a big fan of cupcakes for weddings, personally,  but if you do want them I have
referrals for people who do them.

Q: Can I buy only a groom's cake from you, but not the wedding cake?

A: I will only do groom's cakes at receptions if I'm also doing the wedding cake. This is because my
reputation is dependent on the quality of the cake, and if a cake that's not up to my standards is served
alongside one that I made, your guests have no way of knowing that and it could reflect badly on my work.
Also, if multiple bakers are being used and there's something physically wrong with one of the cakes, I
could be blamed for something that I wasn't involved with. I might be able to do groom's cakes for rehearsal
dinners if I'm not doing the wedding cake, but I would need to deliver them to the site, and it would depend
on my schedule.

BUDGET CONCERNS:

Q: How can I cut the my costs for the wedding?

A: For me, and for every other wedding vendor in the world, here's the trick to cutting your costs: Get the
guest list under control! The price of everything is based on the number of guests that you have. There
have been a lot of articles in magazines, newspapers and online recently dedicated to cutting wedding
costs, but I haven't seen one that suggested cutting the guest list. It's common sense...A cake (or dinner,
or invitations, etc.) for 100 people will cost less than a cake for 300. A cake for 50 people will cost less than
a cake for 100. If you can rein in the guest list you will cut your costs across the board. Remember when
you're pricing out ANY wedding service that the vendor's numbers are based on your numbers. If you have
only X amount for your wedding budget, it's easier to decide how many people that will cover, rather than
inviting everyone and their cousin and then trying to fit your budget around that number.

Q: Why are wedding cakes so much more expensive than cakes that you buy at the bakery?

A: There are a couple of reasons for this, mainly quality and quantity. In the first place, wedding cakes are
just bigger than a sheet cake! The more servings, the more anything will cost. Taking 50 people out to a
restaurant for dessert will be more than taking 5 people. In addition, bakery sheet cakes are usually baked
in bulk, often frozen and shipped in from a separate location, sometimes pre-decorated as well, then pulled
out of the freezer and decorated as needed. This will cut down on cost, but certainly doesn't enhance the
quality of the cake.

Wedding cakes are also much more labor-intensive than a basic birthday cake. The difference lies in the
fact that many of the decorations on a wedding cake have to be made ahead of time, and the cake itself
takes much longer to assemble due to the fact that they're larger. They're built with a system of supports
and separators that prevent them from collapsing, and it takes time to put it all together.  I will generally
bake the cakes two days before the wedding, frost and get them ready for assembly the day before, and
finish decorating the day of the wedding, often assembling them at the reception site. For wedding cakes
with perishable fillings and icing, I will sometimes wait until the morning of the wedding to frost and decorate
the cake. The cost of the ingredients, while more for some types of cake than others, is usually not the
deciding factor in the cost of a wedding cake. Rather, the type of decoration and the time involved in
assembling the cake itself is what determines the final cost. You are also paying for the expertise of
the baker/decorator, and this is one time that you often "get what you pay for." In addition, the
planning process for a wedding cake involves tasting appointments, multiple client contacts, etc., so that
also adds to the total time required to produce a cake.

People often ask me how long it takes to do one cake. That's hard to say, because there's time included in
shopping for ingredients, prepping, making decorations in advance, baking, decorating, and cleaning up. In
a normal week I'll work 30-40 hours total, and during the busy "wedding season" months I'll often work
60-70 hours a week once everything is said and done.

Q: How are wedding cakes priced?

A: It depends on the baker. These days, most people charge by the serving, although some people still
charge by the pound. Keep in mind, however, that you won't know the true cost of a cake until all the fees
are added up, including delivery fees, "art fees" (which is another way of saying decorations for the cake,)
extra fees for different flavors on each tier, etc. Everyone calculates the cost of their cakes differently, so
one person's seemingly lower beginning price may not end up being any lower once all of the other factors
are added in. People can say that prices start at $2 a serving, then add all kinds of decorating fees, extra
charges for fillings and flavors, cake shapes, etc., and end up at more than $5 or $6 a serving.

I calculate my prices based on a flat per-cake price plus a delivery fee. The per-cake price is based entirely
on the size of the cake plus the cake design itself, so I can't really give a firm price until I work out a design
for your wedding cake with you. A general range for an average-sized, basically-decorated cake if there will
be 120 guests attending your reception would be somewhere between $350 and $450 including tax and
delivery, depending on cake design, whether you want buttercream or fondant, etc. More guests will
obviously increase the final cost, as will more detailed decorations.  Feel free to email with questions about
pricing on specific cakes designs, and I'll try to give you a ballpark estimate.

Q: Do you charge more for different shapes, such as squares?

A: No I set my pricing by the size of the cake, not by the shape. Square cakes will give you more servings
per tier than round ones, but that just affects the number of tiers on the cake, not the overall number of
servings that you have to buy. The only limiting factor with the non-round cakes is the sizes of pans
available, but most bakers should have a good selection of cake pan sizes, and shouldn't have to carve
different shapes out of larger cakes.

Q: I've heard about renting fake cakes as a cost-effective way to have a cake made.

A: Wedding magazines and talk shows have recently been pushing this as a great money-saving
technique, but all I can think is that they haven't been doing any real research about it. I think that any
savings you might see by doing this would only materialize if you're in an area where cakes generally sell
for a LOT of money. Remember that on top of the cost of the cake you'd have to pay for shipping to and
from the rental shop if it's out of your area, plus you'd have to buy sheet cakes to serve your guests. I've
priced this out compared to the average cost of one of my cakes, and even if you buy sheet cakes from a
grocery store it ends up being more to rent a fake cake. Personally, I see no point in doing that, since it just
adds something else to your to-do list for after the wedding. If you're in an area where you can't get custom
designs, or the prices for cakes are very high, it might make financial sense, but for the Richmond area it
really doesn't.

Look at it this way: It takes the same amount of time and materials to decorate a styrofoam cake as it does
to decorate a real cake. It takes the same amount of gas and time to deliver it, and after you pay for the
fake one you still have to buy sheet cakes to serve your guests. I personally wouldn't make a fake cake
that I put the time into designing and decorating where the actual cake being served was coming from a
warehouse store that doesn't use butter in their icing and prepares everything from pre-made, frozen
sheets. Call me crazy, but I don't think that would reflect well on me! Why not just buy a cake that's
beautiful, decorated the way that you want it to be done, baked just for you and not frozen ahead of time,
and actually tastes good?

Q: What about having fake tiers to make a small cake larger?

A: You can add a styrofoam tier to a smaller cake , but you'll still need to buy enough cake to serve your
guests, so it won't be a money-saving move. Styrofoam cake dummies aren't really cheap, and often cost
as much or more as the ingredients for the cake, depending on how big they are. Your baker can add one
to a smaller cake to make it look bigger, but since the main cost of a wedding cake is the time to decorate
it, you'll need to budget for paying your baker to decorate the dummy as well. Renting a cake stand might
be a better option to elevate the cake off of the table if you're worried about the height looking too small.

Q: I have a limited budget, and I'm not sure if I can get the cake I want for what I can afford to spend.

A: Don't be afraid to bring up your budget with your baker or other vendors. I would rather have someone
tell me how much they've been planning on spending up front rather than finding out after we've gone
through the design process that the cake we've worked out is beyond their means. I find that most people
who come to talk to me have a reasonable idea of how much a cake will be, but the cost of some types of
decorations can add up. It's better to talk about your budget right away if it's a big issue, so that we can
work with it while designing the cake. In addition, please keep in mind that when dividing up your budget
into categories, you should put the most money into areas that are important to you. If you really want a
certain cake, it will be worth it to pay a little more to get it and spend less on something that isn't as
important to you.

Q: Do you offer a "budget" cake option?

A: Some bakers have started offering a cake "special offer" or a budget option, but I've chosen not to do
this for a few reasons. I prefer to work with each client individually so that I can do a cake that will really fit
you and your event. Most budget options that I've seen restrict you to no tasting appointment, the top tier
isn't included for free so you have no anniversary cake, and there are restrictions on design and flavors.
As soon as you want any type of changes to the design, you're back to the regular pricing. If that's what
you're looking for, I'd go ahead and get it, but I prefer to work one-on-one with each client as opposed to
selling cakes from a catalog. If you have a firm budget that you need to stay within, by all means let me
know right away. I'll tell you honestly what we can and can't do, and you'll still get a custom cake that fits
your budget.


Q: I'm trying to figure out ways to cut the budget down. Is there a good way to cut the amount I'll spend on
the cake?

A: There are ways to keep your costs down (the main one being the above-mentioned controlling your
guest list). I have talked to many people who want to pay less for the cake in an effort to make up for
overages in other areas of their costs, but there are a couple of things to keep in mind. First, as I mention
above, the wedding cake is the centerpiece of your reception. Your guests will be looking at it before you
arrive, all through the reception until it's cut, and it will figure prominently in the photos of your cake cutting
ceremony. I once spent a very amusing wedding reception watching a poorly built wedding cake tilt slowly
as the night went on, and while it made for interesting conversation with the other guests, that probably
isn't the kind of attention you want your cake to get. Second, most bakers can give you a lower price, but to
do this you'll be limiting the types of designs that you can choose. Talk to your baker, but people need to
realize that certain cake designs just cost more than others due to the labor involved and the skill of the
baker.

CAKE DESIGN/ORDERING SPECIFICS:

Q: What types of decorations are available?

A: The possibilities are almost endless these days, but you have to know the difference between the
various types of icings and what you can do with them.

--Buttercreams come in a number of formulations, some being sweeter than others. If you're having an
outdoor reception on a hot day, this might not be your best bet, since it could melt off the cake.

--Rolled fondant is a sugar-clay type of icing, and it gives the cake a smooth, porcelain-like look. It holds up
in heat well, but it shouldn't be refrigerated, so you might not be able to put fillings that need refrigeration in
cakes covered with fondant unless you'll be covering them the day of the wedding. Some people don't like
the taste of rolled fondant because it can be very sweet, but it's fine for covering wedding cakes, since the
amount that you'll get in a serving is relatively small. (I also make my own fondant, so I'm able to add
extracts to flavor it to a certain extent...but it will still end up being sweet regardless of how you flavor it.) It's
more expensive than buttercreams, but you can do more with it in terms of modelling decorations.

-- Chocolate clay is like tootsie rolls, and can be used with certain decorating techniques. You can also use
it to make flowers and other decorations. It has a higher fat content than fondant does, so you can't use it
for exactly the same things, and it is more ivory-colored than fondant, but the trade-off for those decorating
options is a better flavor. Chocolates should only be used during cooler months, since the heat will make it
sag and give it a sticky finish. You can also add chocolate clay to rolled fondant to give the fondant a better
taste.

--Gumpaste is another type of sugar clay that is used to make flowers and other modelled items. It dries to
a very hard finish and breaks easily. It's edible, technically, but not very appetizing. It's used for
decorations such as flowers, and can be used on cakes made with buttercreams or rolled fondant.

--Marzipan, fondant and other types of edible sugar clays can also be used to make flowers, modelled
items, and other shapes. Marzipan can also be used as a filling layer if you like almond.

Q: What about using fresh flowers on the cake instead of sugar ones?

A: Different bakers have different responses to this question. Some won't use anything on a cake that isn't
edible, so won't put fresh flowers on their cakes at all. Others prefer fresh flowers, often because they're
doing a lot of cakes per day so the decorating is less labor-intensive that way. Because I don't like the idea
of having flowers that have been treated with floral preservatives and pesticides touching the icing, I prefer
to do sugar flowers for my cakes. However, I will put fresh flowers on the cake if I can get in touch with the
florist beforehand to work out the details. I will place the flowers on the cake myself if the florist leaves them
at the reception site for me...I actually prefer to do that to make sure that stems aren't inserted into the
cake itself. (Keep in mind that some flowers are poisonous, so shouldn't be used on a cake at all. In that
case, the sugar version is a better option.)

Q: I want to have an outdoor reception. How will this affect my cake choices?

A: Since heat is the natural enemy of buttercream, an outdoor reception will limit your choices, sometimes
severely. Depending on the weather, you may have to go with fondant as a covering for your cake, since
buttercreams will melt and slide off the cake if it's too hot. (Some types of buttercream will hold up better
than others, but they're all subject to being damaged by the heat.) You may also have to avoid fillings that
are perishable, depending on how long the cake will be sitting out in the heat. If it's at all possible, you
could arrange to keep the cake in an air-conditioned area until it's time to cut it, and this might open up
your options a little. Depending on the month, I won't do buttercream for outdoor weddings at all.

Q: My baker said that they can adjust the recipe of the buttercream, and that it will hold up in the heat so
that I don't have to use fondant.

A: When bakers talk about "adjusting the formula" for buttercream, they're talking about making a
confectioner's sugar-based icing that has more crisco than butter in it. Sometimes, there ends up being no
butter at all. There are techniques to get buttercream to look like rolled fondant, but they involve large
amounts of thick crisco icing and very little real butter. If you like that it's fine (some people like the
super-sweet icings) but I wouldn't put crisco on my toast, so I don't want it to be the only shortening in my
icing.  I use both confectioner's sugar icing, which has equal amounts of butter and shortening, and Italian
buttercreams, which are true European buttercreams with no shortening at all. Food preferences really are
personal, so I will use either or both of those types of icings depending on what the bride and groom like. I
just think that a buttercream should have butter in it, so unless there's a really compelling reason I don't
change the formulas of my icings to eliminate the butter.

Q: How much cake should I order?

A: In general, you should see how many guests will be at the reception and order a cake for about 80% of
that number. However, there are many other factors that might affect how many servings you'll need,
including how many flavors of cake you choose to have, whether you'll be serving alcohol at the reception,
whether your friends and family are big cake-eaters or not, and whether the wedding cake will be the only
dessert. You should discuss these factors with your baker to decide on a final figure. See my page about
cake serving sizes for more information.

Q: I would like to have a cheesecake wedding cake instead of a regular cake. How does that change my
options?

A: Cheesecakes can be a delicious and interesting alternative to traditional butter cakes. I make my
cheesecakes in two layers, with a layer of filling, just like a "regular" wedding cake. They're iced with a
meringue buttercream, and can be decorated the same way as butter cakes. However, if you're having an
outdoor reception in the summer months, you should forget about a cheesecake for the main wedding
cake. The heat and the perishability of the cheesecake will not work well together. I generally won't do
cheesecakes during the summer months at all.

Q: Do you ship cakes? And do you deliver?

A: I don't ship cakes at all because it's just too dicey a proposition. I deliver in the Greater Richmond area,  
but outside of that it depends on my schedule for the day in question. There are added delivery fees for
locations outside of Richmond. If you're feeling adventurous, and if the cake in question is small and will
travel well (depending on its design, etc.) I am willing to allow you to pick the cake up and transport it
yourself. If you choose to do that, though, you have to be willing to take responsibility for the cake when
you drive off, and your choices of fillings, etc., may be more limited due to lack of refrigeration options.

Q: Can I get more than one flavor of cake, or does it all have to be the same?

A: I can do different flavors of cake on separate tiers with no extra charge. If you do choose to have more
than two flavors you may want to order a larger cake than you would normally, because people tend to go
back for seconds if there are more than two flavors.

Q: I have concerns about food allergies/special diet requirements (vegetarian, etc).

A: I can do vegan cakes and since I bake from scratch I can tailor my recipes around certain food allergies.
For nut allergies I can keep nuts out of the baking process, but you need to be aware that I do bake with
nuts at certain times, so the appropriate warning would be that the cakes are processed in a facility that
also processes nut products. For more information, see the link on the flavors and pricing page that
addresses special-diet cakes.

Q: I saw a cake in a wedding magazine that I love. Would it be possible for a baker to copy it?

A: It's possible, but be aware that many of the cakes that are shown in magazines are very labor-intensive.
When you get a price quote from a baker for the design that you want, it may be substantially more than
you were planning on budgeting for the cake. If that's the case, you should work with your baker to imitate
the elements of your cake that you love, but eliminate some of the other details. Also remember that cakes
in magazine shoots are generally "dummies," which means that they are styrofoam forms that have been
decorated like a real cake. Because of this, some designs that are shown in magazines are impractical for
real cakes, and are done mainly for artistic purposes.

Also, keep in mind that since cakes are decorated by hand, each person's style will be slightly different. I
can mimic designs pretty well, but there will always be the imprint of my style on the cake. For example, I
tend to make flowers in a "soft" style, so if you brought a picture of a cake with very precise, "angular" style
flowers, I won't be able to make them look EXACTLY the same. I'm detail-oriented, but I'm not an extremely
fussy person, so my cake designs tend to reflect that!

Q: I'm going crazy trying to narrow down my cake options. Any suggestions?

A: If you're confused by all the design options out there you're not alone. I often tell people that one way to
narrow down what you want if you're totally lost is to look at your wedding dress. If there's a specific design
element in the lace or the embroidery that you love, it can often be recreated on the cake. Have your baker
look at your dress with you, and you might be surprised at how easily you decide on a cake design. You
should also think about the overall tone of your wedding. For example, a casual outdoor reception might
call for a different cake design than a sit-down dinner for 200 at a formal club. You can also go to the cake
design ideas page on this website to get started.

Q: One baker I spoke to told me that the bottom tier had to be pound cake. Is that right?

A: I've heard things like this before, but I have no idea where the idea came from! It might be traditional in
some areas to use a pound cake for the bottom tier, and perhaps some bakers were just taught that and
have always done it that way. There's no reason that a cake has to be any specific flavor. Wedding cakes
are constructed in such a way that the tiers aren't resting on each other, they're resting on supports that
are placed inside the tiers below them. You could do an angel food cake for the bottom tier if you wanted
to, and as long as the cake is constructed and assembled correctly it should make no difference.

Q: I have a family recipe that I'd like to use. Is that something that can be done?

A: As long as I can try the recipe out first, and I know that it will work, I will do that.

Q: I have a family member who has offered to make the wedding cake for me, but she doesn't want to
decorate it. Will a baker decorate it for me?

A: I won't do this because of liability insurance and the requirement of many venues that the baker have a
licensed business. My kitchen is inspected by state health inspectors, and all of my recipes have been
approved by the department of agriculture, so if I'm bringing food in to decorate I'd probably be violating
some restriction somewhere! I will use a family member's recipe if that's the issue, but I won't use cakes that
someone else has baked.

Q: Do you have a blog?

A: I didn't until recently, but I have a blog now... I also have a facebook group called "A Cake To
Remember, LLC Richmond VA" that's open to the public to join, and you can follow acaketoremember on
Twitter.
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