Questions to Ask Your Baker

As easy as it is to overlook something as secondary as dessert, you should treat your wedding cake baker like you would treat any other wedding vendor. That means looking for a reputable baker or bakery, asking for references, and getting all of the pertinent details in before you put a deposit down on a wedding cake or dessert package.

When you're thinking of hiring a specific baker to create your wedding cake, have a list of questions handy so you aren't wowed by the flavors and pretty icings during your cake tasting. We've put together a short list of queries below, but it is by no means comprehensive. You can find more at SWP's guide to questions to ask your wedding baker.

• Do you use all fresh ingredients? Can you accommodate special dietary needs like gluten allergies or veganism?
• What flavors of cake, icings, and fillings do you offer?
• When can we come in for a tasting? Is there a fee for this?
• Can we see photographs of wedding cakes you have created in the past?
• Are there extra charges for decorative items like pillars or structural items like tier supports?
• If we are renting those things, when do they need to be returned?
• What are your delivery and set-up fees, if any? Is this included in the price of the cake?
• Who will be setting up the cake and at what time?
• Can you decorate the cake for us with fresh flowers or some other non-edible embellishments if we provide them?
• What is the price per serving? Does this depend on the number of tiers or the intricacy of design?
• Will you draw up a contract?
• When is the first deposit due and when must we pay the balance?

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The History of the Wedding Cake

Why white? Why tiered? Why do the bride and groom feed each other?! We hear these questions A LOT, especially from brides- and grooms-to-be who aren't so keen on the idea of white cake with pudding or fruit filling. It's true that wedding cake can be pretty boring, but the history of the wedding cake is anything but!

The first "cakes" were actually just loaves of bread that guests brought to break over the bride's head, thus ensuring that the newlyweds would have plenty of babies. That tradition evolved until guests were stacking actual cakes...and the happily married couple had to kiss over the pile without knocking it over.

It was only in the 1600s that an enterprising French chef transformed that pile of pastries into the tiered cakes we typically see at modern weddings. After that, cakes became standard wedding fare. Its only competition was the bride's pie, a savory dish filled with mutton and a glass ring, of all things. The lady who found the ring would be the next to marry...and in need of a dentist!

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Choosing Your Wedding Cake

Choosing Your Wedding Cake

You've completed many of the wedding planning details, dress, wedding reception venue, and invitations. Your done right? No, you mustn't forget one of the biggest attractions in any wedding (besides the bride), the wedding cake. Today there is such a wide selection that one has to pick from, choosing that perfect wedding cake is definitely no walk in the park. Try double-checking with the choosing your wedding cake checklist to ensure you have picked the right cake for your wedding day.