Answers to your wedding cake questions….

Once you are over the excitement; the romantic setting, the bended knee, the sparkle from the small box, the words “will you marry me?”, the small scream, “YES!” then the planning can start.

Knowing where to begin can be a little daunting so we have listed the top answers to your wedding cake questions

How to choose a wedding cake maker?

With lots of cake makers out there it’s very hard sometimes to make a decision about who to choose to create your wedding cake. At Joanna Evans Cake Design we like to get to know you first before any talk of cake and create a friendly atmosphere where you feel comfortable. You should feel relaxed in putting your ideas forward and also be able to say no to ideas you don’t like. Check out our reviews here and you can see what our other couples have said. Distance, availability and price are also things to consider in choosing your wedding cake maker

How much is a wedding cake?

This must be one of the questions we are asked the most by couples, it is almost like saying “how long is a piece of string”. Wedding cakes vary in size; 2 tiers right up to 8/9 tiers or more, and the degree of detail; elegantly simple with just a topper or handmade sugar flowers cascading down the cake, so we have a starting from price for a set number of tiers. Additional design features are then added on as extra. As our designs are all bespoke, once a wedding cake has been designed for you, we can give you an accurate price for your design. It is also worth keeping in mind how important certain aspects are within your wedding. The cake may be the most important and so a higher percentage of your budget may be apportioned to it.

How far in advance should I book my wedding cake?

Our diaries are open usually 3-4 years in advance, although many couples do not know what designs/colours/themes they require for their wedding yet. We only take on 2 cakes per date and then that date is closed, so if you have seen our work, (check out our gallery here) and would like to book, we always say earlier is better than later as we cannot hold any date without a deposit. To check availability please contact us here.

When will I have to pay for my wedding cake?

Once you have had your consultation and you are happy with the proposal for your wedding cake, paid the deposit and signed the contract, the only other payment dates are as follows: 50% of the remaining balance is due three months prior to your date and the remaining 50% one month prior to your date. This way we don’t hit you the month before with everything to pay, along with every other supplier! If you wanted to make payments before the official dates then this can be arranged.

How far in advance will my wedding cake be made?

To make a wedding cake this usually takes 4 days so for a Saturday wedding we would prepare fillings and bake on Tuesday, fill and ganache on Wednesday, cover on Thursday, and decorate & stack on Friday. For naked or semi naked cakes we leave the baking to the last minute so that the cakes remain as fresh as possible.

How many does a wedding cake feed?

This is one of the major factors we look at during your consultation as nobody wants cake left over for weeks to come, or even worse not have enough cake for your guests! Once your design has been finalised, we go through which flavours you would like and also what size the tiers will be. Each tier, whether round or square, has a calculated number of portions which we add together. If you wanted to have a large cake with large cake portions, then we would put this into your special instructions for your venue for them to cut. A cake portion is usually 1” x 1” and our cakes are approx. 5” tall per tier

Can I have different flavours of wedding cake?

Yes of course you can! This is your wedding cake for your special day. We have a list of current flavours here, and also have a bespoke range which is up to you.

Can I have a fruit tier on the top?

The fruit tier can sit at the top of your wedding cake as the tiers are properly dowelled. Some couples like to save this for a christening or have a small tier of fruit available. A lot of couples come to me and say Granny is coming to the wedding so we need the bottom tier as fruit! This is a lot of fruit cake especially when sponge is more popular. In this instance we can offer a kitchen cake where a small fruit cake is put in the kitchen, and slices can be offered.

Do you make naked and semi naked wedding cakes?

Yes, we can make naked and semi naked cakes in various flavours.

Can dummy tiers be used in our wedding cake?

Dummy tiers are a great way to create a tall cake using polystyrene cake dummies. Although no cake is used, they still have to be covered, decorated and incorporated into the final design. These are a great way of creating a show stopping cake and catering for just your number of guests.

Can I have real flowers on our wedding cake?

Flowers on a wedding cake can look stunning and be real, sugar or silk flowers. If you have decided to have real flowers on your cake, then we would liaise with your florist and share designs so we can make the flowers food safe to incorporate on your wedding cake. Depending upon the flowers chosen, you have to be aware of toxic flowers, pesticides used, & pollen. Posy picks are always used and in certain cases a very fine acetate to protect the cake. One advantage with real flowers is that they will match the rest of the flowers in the wedding if they are real. Sugar flowers can be made to match your colour scheme and are always made food safe before placing on the cake; however, these will increase the cost due to the time and skill in making. Silk flowers will match if having throughout the wedding and again we would make these food safe for your cake.

Do you hire cake stands/cake knives?

At Joanna Evans Cake Design we have several cake stands that we hire out. Along with the hire charge is a refundable deposit charge which is returned once the stand is brought back to us. We do not have any cake knives for hire but always recommend asking your venue if they have one.

How is my wedding cake delivered?

Your wedding cake is delivered by me on the day of your wedding confirming our arrival time with your venue. Your wedding cake is packaged up for safe delivery in a box or several boxes if the cake has to be stacked at the venue. Any decoration is packed separately for protection and we always allow extra time for slow driving, traffic, or any other occurrence. Once your cake arrives at the venue, it is set up, photographed and signed off to the venue with allergen and cake instructions.

When do you communicate with our venue?

With venues we have been to several times we have created relationships with the wedding coordinators and know a lot of them by name. With new venues, we ring and introduce ourselves and ask about the layout of the venue. This is done the week of your wedding, usually on the Monday. Any communication with the venue and us in additional to the above can be requested by you.

If you are getting married and would like to have a chat about your wedding cake then I would love to hear from you or if there are any questions that haven’t been answered, please get in touch x