I sometimes read articles and online chat about why a couple should choose to have their wedding cake made by a bespoke wedding cake designer over an off the shelf cake, we are mainly talking Marks & Spencer and Waitrose collections, as well as others retailers.
This a valid question and one that has many points to consider when choosing your big day cake.
Not all, but most couples have the following considerations when choosing their wedding cake (these are not in any particular order of priority).
A style and design that compliments the wedding.
The perfect size to suit
I’ve talked about this before, but a good sponge and selection of flavours.
The cost, whether on a budget or not.
And the personal service, both during the design stage and on the day.
As a designer of bespoke cakes and desserts, every design I make is individually created to perfectly compliment the style and personality of each couple for that perfect wedding day. You have already spent months, possibly years planning your wedding day, choosing the style, venue, flowers, the perfect colour palate, dress etc. You want your day to say something about you, so that your guests and family will feel part of the celebration.
Bespoke says it all, its where you get the exact wedding cake you want but even better, where the cake becomes a wonderful part of your overall day. And this brings me on to size.
Whether you’re looking for a 6 tier show stopper, or 2 tier intimate wedding cake, again, bespoke gives you the flexibility to have the exact size and arrangement of tiers, tall and elegant, petite and charming. And we are here to advice on portion sizes, how you can change the look of your cake by having very tall tiers, or even introducing dummy tiers. Something to bear in mind is that most off the shelf cakes are much smaller in size, with very ungenerous portions!
I’ve already talked about how important it is that your cake tastes as good as it looks. A bespoke wedding service will always give you many more flavour combinations as well as help in catering for those in your party with particular dietary needs.
The cost. For some this is a hugely important consideration when budgeting for not only the cake but for the day as a whole. A bespoke service also means tailoring the price to suit your budget and needs. It’s a widely held misconception that a bespoke wedding cake is more expense than an off the shelf but this isn’t necessarily the case when you factor in additional costs and time that comes with an off the shelf cake, as I’ll explain.
Firstly, you definitely wouldn’t get the same quality of design, attention to detail, even the perfect colour match.
Secondly, if you wanted impact, even in a beautifully proportioned 2 tier, an off the shelf won’t give you flexibility to alter the tiers, is always smaller than you imagine (just take a look at the feedback comments) and will of course have smaller portions sizes.
And thirdly, any cake you buy would need to be transported to the venue and setup by you (this normally falls to the mother or sister, or even the bride). If you went for individual off the shelf tiers the cake would also need to be dowelled, (an additional cost) stacked, then you have to decide on the decoration, another cost to be factored in, which would also need to be arranged by you as well.
This leads me nicely on to my final point which is the personal bespoke service.
We will be there all the way through the planning and design stage. During the discussion on flavours and dietary requirements at your tasting and consultation. Include all those personal touches, the perfect colours and decoration and how to incorporate your table decorations and fresh flowers.
And for those who just don’t know what cake they want, we will help you find the perfect one.
Finally, we will be there on the day to deliver and setup your wedding cake. No one in your wedding party would need to worry about fitting this extra job into an already busy morning. You also have the peace of mind that your cake will be perfectly arranged and displayed exactly how you wanted.
So why choose a bespoke wedding cake over a Marks and Spencer or Waitrose option?
Well more than anything, you want your wedding cake to compliment your individual style and personality; that perfectly matches the detail and consideration you’ve already taken planning and organising your day. A wedding cake at the right price, perfect size and above all that is beautifully designed and created especially for you.