Today, I thought it would be really useful to talk about these 5 questions that every couple booking their wedding cake should be asking their cake makers. These 5 questions might not all be things you think of to ask, but I assure you, they are the most important in understanding whether you truly have found the right cake maker for your special day.
Quick, grab a cuppa and let's have a look through...
1. Can I see your previous work?
This might be an obvious one but it's always worth a double check. Stock imagery is easy to come by these days. You want to make sure you are seeing cakes that the baker has made recently. Do they fit with the aesthetic you are going for? Are they in line with what you had started to image for your big day.
If you love buttercream, but nearly all their cakes are finished in fondant or ganache, you should be wondering if they are comfortable and confident working with your preference. Equally, if you are seeing lots of finishes that are lighting up all the inspiration in you- this is a great sign that you are in alignment! Check their Instagram pages, their created images on Pinterest, maybe they have a brochure too. If they have delivered cakes at your venue previously, ask to see images of these too. How well do they work with the decor and styling that previous couples have gone for?
2 Can we book a cake consultation to try flavours?
This is SO important and I talk about it more here.
Every baker has their own style -just like you have your own unique flavour favourites and tastes. Line up 5 bakers and they would all be able to bake you a delicious lemon cake quite easily, but I bet you there would be a stand out favourite for you if you tried them.
The cake can be quite a big investment for your wedding day. You don't want to wait until the day to realise that you actually don't love the way they make their viccy sponge!
3 What is included in your pricing?
Make sure you get a breakdown of what is included in any and all payment that you are planning on making. For example, does the cost of the cake include delivery on the day? Does the price include setting it up at the venue and styling it too? If you are planning on having extra styling elements, is this included with the cost and will the baker source these direct and bring them? Or should they be onsite ready for the bakers arrival? Is the cake consultation included or is it additional? When is the full balance expected?
(and most importantly will this fit in with your budgeting plans?!)
4 Do you have the relevant Insurances and Health & Safety certificates?
This is a very straight forward one. Whether you request to see it or not, you should be asking what insurances they have in place to offer your cake service. This is key because it can invalidate your wedding insurance if (let's hope not!) you are ever in the position you need to claim on it. What you should expect your baker to have in place as a minimum:
An up to date Level 2 Food Hygiene & Safety Certificate
Public Liability Insurance that will be in date over the duration of your wedding date
Registered with their Local Authority as a food business and have a Food Hygiene rating (5* rating for Bitesize Bakehouse btw. Woop!)
*NB: This is for UK based food businesses, requirements may vary in other areas! Don't comprise on this one!
5 How many other weddings do you have booked on my date?
Ok, this is a really interesting one, and every baker will have a different view point. Either way, you want to know that your wedding cake will be at your venue when you want it to be.
If it's just yours they have on the day... do they book in any other work? Do they have flexibility over delivery time with regards to run time changes or adverse weather (think heatwave!)?
If they have more than one cake booked on that day - how do they plan deliveries and set ups? What contingencies are in place for being behind schedule? Who gets priority?
There you have it, my top 5 "must ask" questions for when you are looking to book your wedding baker.
Has this been helpful?
If you have any other questions I can help with, just let me know. Always happy to help :-)
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