Today we’re starting a new series on our blog called ‘Stonelock Loves…’ featuring some of our very favourite wedding suppliers.
When planning a wedding it can become overwhelming when there are so many fantastic vendors to choose from; which baker’s cake is the yummiest, who does the prettiest flowers, which boutique has the most gorgeous gowns?
We want to take some of the guess work out of it by shouting about some of our favourite suppliers! These are businesses that we have had the pleasure of working with, businesses that offer a top service and a superior product, businesses that we know will give our clients the same high level of service that we pride ourselves on and businesses that we 100% recommend!
And whilst we’re here, a little bit of advise won’t go amiss so we’re going to ask all our featured suppliers a few questions about their field of expertise to help you as you plan your wedding!
First up is the lovely Cakes by Caroline
Caroline makes the most delicious cakes. We first met her at a wedding fair in January 2015 & yes, we have to admit that AJ probably ate about a quarter of her cake samples… They were that scrumptious!
Cakes by Caroline started baking in 2013 with the aim of creating cakes that are “gorgeous to look at and delicious to eat!”. She certainly does that! Using only the finest ingredients she specialises in affordable luxury, producing cakes that are individually designed to match your wedding’s style and theme
Caroline bakes all her cakes in her home kitchen & decorates each one by hand! Each sugar flower takes up to 4 hours to make!
Top five tips to a Scrumptious Wedding Cake…
Your Wedding Cake is a key part of your day…
You’ve spent hours (days even…) deciding on the right venue, choosing the perfect colour scheme, trying on dresses and picking flowers. Your wedding cake is a key part of your day and it’s important that it ties all these elements together.
Traditionally, the cutting of the wedding cake is the first task that the new husband and wife perform together, in front of their loved ones. Your cake symbolises the start of your joint adventure!
Your baker will want to know all about your wedding… What is the venue like? What is the colour scheme? What does your dress look like? What flowers are you having? So that they can create a cake for you that compliments your wedding.
Cakes by Caroline offer a free, no-obligation, consultation to talk you through the process of choosing and ordering your wedding cake. You also get to eat cake, which brings me nicely onto point number two…
Eat cake!
Like we need an excuse…! Similar to seeing your photographers portfolio and sample albums before you hired them, it’s really important to see and taste your bakers cakes before you commission them. What looks good in a photo on a website or at wedding fair may not be to your taste on the inside.
It’s no good having a beautifully decorated cake on the outside if the taste of the bake on the inside doesn’t match. And remember, you can have any flavour you want!
Cakes by Caroline invite you to an individual tasting session where by you can sample their delights, taste the different flavours and see their sample cakes whilst taking about your wedding and asking any cake questions you may have!
Pin
Set up a Pinterest board and pin your cake inspirations – no matter how wild and elaborate – your baker will want to see what inspires you! It can also be helpful to pin images of your colour scheme and decorations so that your baker can see the bigger picture.
Cakes by Caroline uses the your inspirational images on your Pinterest board to design your personalised wedding cake – every wedding cake they produce is unique to the couple!
She says; “Don’t panic if you can’t decide on your cake design – it’s rare for a couple to have a definite idea of the cake they want right from the start, your cake design will usually draw from your wedding theme and may not fall into place until later in the planning process!”
Cakes by Caroline aim is to create the wedding cake of your dreams!
Show off your cake!
Consider how you are going to display your cake. After spending time working with your baker to create a bespoke cake you don’t want it hidden the corner of your wedding reception!
Consider dressing the cake table to tie-in with your theme. You want to wow and amaze your guests with how your cake looks as well as how it tastes!
Cakes by Caroline can provide cake stands, cupcake towers, cake knives and table decorations to show off your cake! She will also liaise directly with your venue to arrange delivery on your wedding day and will set-up and dress your cake so it’s ready for your reception. How awesome is that!
Provide boxes for your guests to take cake away
Rather than letting any leftover cake dry out in the days after your wedding, talk to your cake designer about decorative boxes to leave next to your cut cake for guests to use to “takeaway”. Caroline says “I’ve found some great small businesses who are making gorgeous cake boxes, at really reasonable prices. Alongside a cute sign, they make a great display at your evening buffet”
Caroline doesn’t just make wedding cakes… Birthday, Christening, celebration or just fancy treating yourself to something sweet she bakes for any occasion! To find out more, check out her website here or her Facebook page for all the latest cake news!