lexi29 Posted July 21, 2008 Share Posted July 21, 2008 Still planning the wedding but I am getting frustrated over the littlest things. My fiance and I decided to have our cake made by this local bakery. Got some good references (my friend had a mini cake (not her main cake) for her wedding made there and also talked to two people (who I am just aquaintances with) who had their wedding cakes made by this bakery who said they did a good job. So we went there two months ago and put down a deposit to hold our date. On saturday I had made an appointment to meet with the cake decorator. Before we put down our deposit they showed us this book of cakes they have done in the past. There were some beautiful cakes in there. They also showed us a price list and the types of cake, filling etc we could choose from. So on Saturday we met with the cake decorator and I brought pictures of cakes that I liked. We ended up choosing a cake that was in their book (one they've done in the past). I was a little hesitant because we had my fiance's son's birthday cake made by this bakery in June and I personally thought the cake tasted like crap. It was a white cake and the cake was very dry! Also they were to decorate it with a 4th of July theme and it was kind of tacky looking. I've seen and tasted better cakes from Wal-Mart for half the price. I was thinking they would use a different cake mix and different type of icing for a wedding cake though. Anyway, we chose the cake we liked (a simple 3 tier) and I asked about the different types of icing to choose from and the woman told me they only use one type and that it is not a sweet icing. I asked if it was rolled fondant and she said no it is their own creation. Then she advised us that the cake we liked, they actually don't decorate it (the picture showed either live or artificial flowers on it she wasnt sure which ) She said we would have to get our florist to add any flowers to it. So basically they are making us a white cake with white icing with a few simple designs in the icing and charging us $400 to do so. I could make the damn thing myself!!! Maybe I am naive when it comes to wedding cakes but I was under the impression that if they had a picture of it and were advertising it as their work they could do the whole thing!! If they only do a basic white cake (with no decorating) then they should only have pictures of the white cake with their simple designs in the icing. She showed me pictures of the only decorating they do- these ugly looking roses that my fiance's 9 yr old son could probably make! Now the cake decorator didn't offer to let us taste any of the icing or cake flavors and even though we had specifically made an appointment with her she really didnt' hang around to discuss any of our ideas or anything. I was pretty irritated afterward. Is this a normal experience for selecting your wedding cake? Link to post Share on other sites
sb129 Posted July 21, 2008 Share Posted July 21, 2008 In my experience the minute you say "wedding cake" they start adding zeros onto the end. Some wedding cake specialists here charge up to and over £800 ($1400) for a fancy bespoke cake, which I think is RIDICULOUS. I don't know about the US, but here in the UK you can buy pre-made white iced cakes with white ribbons around them in different sizes at Marks & Spencer (supermarket) and you can buy the pillars separately to make your own plain tiered cake, and then decorate it yourself with a few flowers or whatever you want. I am pretty sure the whole thing would cost the equivalent of about $200. There must be somewhere you can buy cake components like that in the US. Link to post Share on other sites
sb129 Posted July 21, 2008 Share Posted July 21, 2008 PS your cake decorator should have let you taste stuff etc AND I agree with you that if they are showing pictures of their "work" but not reproducing it they are falsely advertising their service. I think they are ripping you off. Link to post Share on other sites
quankanne Posted July 21, 2008 Share Posted July 21, 2008 the cake decorator didn't offer to let us taste any of the icing or cake flavors and even though we had specifically made an appointment with her she really didnt' hang around to discuss any of our ideas or anything. I would think that someone hawking a product would have samples available – be it the outfit catering the reception or the bakery/co doing the cake. Something sounds fishy, Lexi, and I'd seriously reconsider using this vendor. Esp. if you weren't satisfied with the product you purchased for SS's birthday. this is going to sound tacky, but if you're looking for a bargain that's really tasty, think about some of the grocery stores or even Sam's Club. I know the Albertsons in my town makes some awesome cakes, and the other day, the girls from the head office came by with slices from a birthday cake they got at Sam's and I swear the stuff just melted in your mouth. The nice part was that while their cake was rich, it wasn't sickenly so, it went down smooth. I don't know if these kinds of places make wedding cakes, but you might get lucky and find that one of their employees does that kind of work on the side, using the same ingredients as the cakes made at the store. the place you booked for a showing/tasting just doesn't sound like a winner, from what you've shared! Link to post Share on other sites
Mary3 Posted August 3, 2008 Share Posted August 3, 2008 Still planning the wedding but I am getting frustrated over the littlest things. My fiance and I decided to have our cake made by this local bakery. Got some good references (my friend had a mini cake (not her main cake) for her wedding made there and also talked to two people (who I am just aquaintances with) who had their wedding cakes made by this bakery who said they did a good job. So we went there two months ago and put down a deposit to hold our date. On saturday I had made an appointment to meet with the cake decorator. Before we put down our deposit they showed us this book of cakes they have done in the past. There were some beautiful cakes in there. They also showed us a price list and the types of cake, filling etc we could choose from. So on Saturday we met with the cake decorator and I brought pictures of cakes that I liked. We ended up choosing a cake that was in their book (one they've done in the past). I was a little hesitant because we had my fiance's son's birthday cake made by this bakery in June and I personally thought the cake tasted like crap. It was a white cake and the cake was very dry! Also they were to decorate it with a 4th of July theme and it was kind of tacky looking. I've seen and tasted better cakes from Wal-Mart for half the price. I was thinking they would use a different cake mix and different type of icing for a wedding cake though. Anyway, we chose the cake we liked (a simple 3 tier) and I asked about the different types of icing to choose from and the woman told me they only use one type and that it is not a sweet icing. I asked if it was rolled fondant and she said no it is their own creation. Then she advised us that the cake we liked, they actually don't decorate it (the picture showed either live or artificial flowers on it she wasnt sure which ) She said we would have to get our florist to add any flowers to it. So basically they are making us a white cake with white icing with a few simple designs in the icing and charging us $400 to do so. I could make the damn thing myself!!! Maybe I am naive when it comes to wedding cakes but I was under the impression that if they had a picture of it and were advertising it as their work they could do the whole thing!! If they only do a basic white cake (with no decorating) then they should only have pictures of the white cake with their simple designs in the icing. She showed me pictures of the only decorating they do- these ugly looking roses that my fiance's 9 yr old son could probably make! Now the cake decorator didn't offer to let us taste any of the icing or cake flavors and even though we had specifically made an appointment with her she really didnt' hang around to discuss any of our ideas or anything. I was pretty irritated afterward. Is this a normal experience for selecting your wedding cake? Part of what I do for a living is cake decorator. The price list : Does not include filling except for buttercream icing. Any fruit or special fillings are additional. We charge $ 15.00 for fruit filling . Thats per layer. $ 400.00 is a normal uninflated price and cakes can run up to $ 800.00 for rolled fondant. The cake was likely dry for 2 reasons : The mix did not have enough eggs or liquid. The layers themselves should use a simple syrup on the surface to keep the cake moist and sweet. Likely they use a boiled type of icing similar to a merginue base. They do not appear to use buttercream icing which is Butter , shortening and powerdered suger _ vanilla. it is TRUE the bride pays seperately for her own flowers if they are REAL. But if we pipe make our own roses then that is part of the cake price. Perhaps you misunderstood about the icing flowers. There is no way they will charge you $ 400.00 for a cake that is not decorated at all with just cake and outer icing. Please check with your decorator and clarify that ICING flowers that they make are included in price. If the roses are UGLY then you do NOT want your big day , your WEDDING day to have an ugly cake for your guests Check OTHER bakeries The shop should have let you taste the icing ,.and the fillings. If they do NOT ...then RUN to another bakery. Link to post Share on other sites
Walk Posted August 3, 2008 Share Posted August 3, 2008 I wouldn't use that bakery. If you didn't like the cake they made before, you probably won't like the one they'll do in the future. Just my experience. My first wedding I went to about 4 different bakeries before deciding on the one to use. Each one let us try samples when I asked. One even gave us a "mini" cake to take home and eat! The one I went with did say the same about the flowers arrangement in the pictures I saw. The difference was the decoration in the cake was good (regardless of the flowers). Focus on what you feel is most important. Mine was ensuring the cake person delivered the cake on time and to the correct location, second was taste of the cake, third was decorations. So that's what I looked for in a bakery. Could they get the cake where it needed to be on the correct date, and did the cake taste good enough that I would actually feel good about serving it to guests? The one I choose matched those two criteria. As a bonus, the cake looked good too. Nothing fancy with flowers all over and cascading down the tiers, but it was still pretty. Heck... I don't even remember cutting the cake or eating it at the wedding. I remember running around like my head was cut off trying to make time for everyone who came, and making sure I spent a few minutes with everyone. I didn't even have time to drink any of the free alcohol we purchased for the event. It was a crazy day. Point of the story.. don't get too caught up in the cake. Its not THAT important. And don't be afraid to demand a sample. Link to post Share on other sites
Lyssa Posted August 3, 2008 Share Posted August 3, 2008 I like Sb129's idea - so simple and at least you get to decorate it yourself! Link to post Share on other sites
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