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Cakes for Occasions |
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Wedding Cake Questions |
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| Your wedding cake is the centerpiece of your reception, so of course it should be perfect. Though it may seem to be a daunting task here are some suggestions to help make the process easier, and to explain a bit more about my business. | |
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| What is a wedding cake? A wedding cake usually consists of one or more cake tiers to serve your guests--usually of different diameters--and a top, or Anniversary Tier that is a gift for the couple. A tier of cake typically consists of two layers, a filling or frosting in between, and frosting and decoration on the outside. The number of tiers is determined by the number of guests. For example, a cake for 150 guests would consist of four tiers-- three tiers for serving plus the Anniversary tier. |
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| Where do we start? There are several important things I need to know even before we schedule a consultation. The most important of these are: Your Date Your Reception Site Your Reception Time (when the first guest will arrive at the site), and the approximate Number of Guests you are inviting. I can then let you know if I’m available to do your cake and what the delivery fee will be if your reception is outside the State College area. I can also answer any questions you might have, and we can discuss scheduling a consultation. Note: Please understand that since most weddings are on Saturdays, I’m generally not available to meet then, although Sundays will often work. On very busy Saturdays I can’t even answer the phone because I want to do the best possible job. I promise to do the same for your cake. |
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| How far in advance? Since I do only custom order cakes, please contact me as soon as you decide to consider Cakes for Occasions for your cake. I can rarely accept more than three weddings on any weekend and would hate to disappoint you. Six months or more is preferable, but please feel free to check with me any time as I occasionally have openings only a few weeks away. |
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| Tell me about the consultation. This will be our most important contact and should last about an hour. We’ll go through my portfolio of several hundred photographs, and I’ll be happy to share a sample of whatever cake(s) I’m baking that week. During this time we’ll design your cake and discuss flavors, colors, flowers, and set up. If you have pictures of cakes you like, color swatches, or especially a cake topper, please bring them along. But don’t worry if you have no idea what you want; most couples don’t and helping plan a design is an important part of my service to you. |
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| Can you give me an estimate? With the many different types of cakes and fillings, and the countless design options available it is almost impossible for me to give a clear estimate of pricing without first designing the cake. For the 2013 wedding season, prices will normally average between $3.50 and $4.00 per serving for the most popular flavors. The Anniversary Tier is a gift and is not included in the serving number. This covers most of the popular flavors and basic designs. It does not cover either fresh or hand-made sugar flowers, cakes covered with rolled fondant, or complicated or unusual designs. These are best done by quote. |
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| Do I need to make a Deposit? I do require a deposit of at least $75.00 to secure the date, but don’t require a certain percentage of the total balance. If the date of the wedding changes I’ll do my best to accommodate the new date. Please note that this deposit is not refundable and not transferable. |
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| How do I choose a cake? There are several things to consider when designing a cake: Shape: Do you prefer the traditional round, contemporary square, romantic heart, unique hex, or even a topsy-turvey combination? Most patterns are lovely on any shape cake. |
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Pattern: This refers to the piped design, appliqué, lace, ribbon, or any other decoration on the cake sides. They help to create a unique style, match a wedding theme or even echo the lace on a bridal gown. |
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Separation: This is the amount of space between each tier. Stacked cakes appear to rest directly on top of one another. A short separation of 1½ to 2” can be filled with flowers. A full separation of 3 to 4” gives extra height and allows for a variety of flower arrangements. |
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Ornaments: Fresh or hand-made sugar flowers, fruit, bows, cake toppers and other ornaments can be simple or lavish but will help make a cake uniquely yours. For local weddings, you can order cake flowers from your florist, and I’ll pick them up and arrange them on the cake. For out- of town weddings, flowers may either be delivered to me or I will speak to your florist and do my best to get the same flowers from local florists. The charge is only what I pay for them. |
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Flavors: This is definitely an important decision—wedding cake doesn’t have to be white any more, unless of course white is your favorite flavor. There are dozens of wonderful combinations of cake, filling and frosting and I’d be pleased to help with your selection! |
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Please see our Galleries for more ideas of the almost endless options available. If you see a cake that you particularly like, please contact me with both the gallery name or number and the cake name or description so I can discuss customizing it for you. |
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| Will you do individual cakes? I am happy to do individual cakes for your guests, either single or multi-tiered, but because they require much more time and are so labor intensive, the price per guest is at least three to four times that of traditional wedding cakes. An order for individual cakes must also be placed much earlier so enough time can be scheduled and fewer other orders accepted. |
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| Do you do cupcakes? I’m sorry but I’m unable to accommodate cupcake wedding orders. |
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| When do I make the final
arrangements? I’ll need a final guest count at least ten days to two weeks before the wedding. At that time we’ll go over all the details of the cake and reception. In a few days I’ll get back to you with a final balance and we can make arrangements for payment. I don’t accept credit cards, but most often suggest that a check be sent. |
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| What about delivery? Delivery and set up are included for weddings in the State College and Bellefonte areas. We normally deliver the cake approximately one hour before your guests arrive in the reception room. This is to ensure that the cake, flowers, and other ornaments are fresh and undisturbed by the reception set-up. Though outdoor receptions are a bit different, we have done hundreds without any difficulty. We often deliver these cakes as close as possible to the time guests arrive—especially if the weather is very hot—or even during the cocktail hour if it is not located in the same area as the dinner. Placement is the most important thing to consider when having a cake outdoors. It is critical to have the cake placed where it will get no direct sunlight to prevent the frosting from melting. Either way, set-up generally takes no more than 20 minutes, so we’ll be gone well before your guests arrive. In almost every case I prefer to deliver the wedding cake myself. There are rare occasions when it can be boxed for pickup, but these are by special arrangement only, and some limitations may be placed on the cake. There is a $25.00 fee for boxing a cake. |
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| And if I have any
other questions? Please feel free to call or e-mail with any other questions, to check availability, or to schedule a consultation. Thanks, Kim |
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Cakes for Occasions by Kim Morrison P.O. Box 151, Spring Mills, PA 16875 814-422-8779 email us at cakes @ kmcakes.com All content © KMCAKES.COM 2010 |
