Planning a wedding can be exciting yet stressful. Here are 5 tips to ensure that booking your wedding cake is a breeze.

1. Book Early. Popular cake designers typically fill their calendars quickly. Waiting until 3 weeks before your wedding to start inquiring about your cake could create major headaches. It’s a good idea to contact them as soon as you’ve booked your venue and determined your guest count. 6 months to a year before your wedding date is not too early to start planning your cake.

2. Inspiration. Find inspiration for your cake. It doesn’t have to be another wedding cake. You can find inspiration in your invitations, bouquet, dress, or other design elements planned for your big day. Gather as much as you can to help guide your cake designer in the right direction. Your vision may be different from theirs, so it’s important to have some idea of what you’d like to see. Have this information with you for your consultation.

3.  Tasting. Schedule a tasting with at least two cake makers. Different bakers have different baking styles. It’s ok to taste around to make sure you find what you want. We suggest at least two bakers because too many options can be overwhelming. Keep in mind that some bakers may charge a fee for tastings. This is a normal practice and that fee might be credited toward the balance of your cake. It’s simply their way to ensure they’re making samples for clients that are truly interested in using their services.

4. Portfolio. Be sure to ask to see a portfolio of their work. Most cake designers now have their portfolio on their websites and social media accounts. This is the perfect way to see what they can do before you schedule a tasting. If you want that huge grande cake but they only have cupcakes in their portfolio you may want to ask lots of questions. If their portfolio is full of images from other cake designers you should be alarmed. A professional cake designer won’t use someone else’s images to show you what they might be able to do. They will take the time to create the cake for their own portfolio.

5. Price. Be prepared for the final price tag. Cake prices typically range from $6-$10+ per serving. This depends on many factors like buttercream vs. fondant, number of servings, and the design. Sculpted cakes are going to cost you more than a single tiered cake. Cakes adorned with handmade sugar flowers will be more expensive than a simple buttercream cake with no embellishments. This is because the extras take so much more time to create. You may find someone offering sculpted cakes or elaborate cakes for $3 per serving. It can be tempting to save money and go with a cheaper baker or a friend that bakes for fun. But be forewarned…the quality may not be the same as your skilled cake professionals. Avoid disappointment and a potential cake disaster.