Wedding cake questions to ask the professional bakery when searching for just the right cake.
Your first order of business in researching wedding cake designers or bakeries is to call and see if they have your date available. If so, then you should make an appointment to visit and review their work and this is a big AND… taste test their various flavors and fillings. Remember taste is most important. You can have an absolutely gorgeous cake that tastes like cardboard, and I assure your guests won’t be thrilled.
1. Your first question to the baker is do they have your date available?
2. Next, ask how many wedding cakes do they do on a weekend?
3. You must ask to see pictures of their products.
4. Make sure you ask about the ingredients in the cake. Are they pre-mixed or from scratch. Also ask about ingredients in frostings and fillings, are they too pre-mixed or from scratch.
5. Inquire about doing a unique design and if they have anything similar, for instance if you want a cake that appears to be a castle, see if they have pictures of such and have done this or something similar before.
6. Inquire if they only have certain designs that you can choose from. If they do and one strikes you fine, but if you have a particular design in mind for your theme, then find another baker.
7. Find out what they charge. This is typically a per serving charge and can range in rural areas for approximately $2.00 per slice and upwards in the urban areas to $10.00.
8. Find out about delivery charges. Some may not charge and include delivery within the cost of the cake, while others may have a separate delivery fee based on the location of the reception.
9. Find out if they will setup the cake and decorate the table or will they simply drop off and the vendor is responsible.
10. Find out about rental charges on certain aspects that you may wish in the cake, fountains, pillars, pedestals, etc. In addition, find out about how these items are to be returned. Will the bakery pick up? Does the reception manager return?
11. Be sure to discuss the cake top that you wish to use, as this has bearing on cake structure. If you are using fresh flowers for the cake top your bakery will need to know this. This brings forth another question if using fresh flowers, who will be responsible for coordinating with a florist for the delivery of the flowers. Will the bakery utilize their own florist, or will you use your florist of choice? Be sure you establish this within the contract and get pricing for fresh flowers.
12. Pricing of course is the final area to pay attention to. Make sure there is a contract and that all special details are noted on the contract.
13. Ask about when a down payment is due and how much.
14. Find out when the final payment is due.
15. Find out if they have a backup baker incase of illness.
Wedding cake questions and more inreception planning