A friend asked me to post this here. I'm hoping you all can help her out. Thanks!


"I recently mentioned a bride-to-be with the black, white and platinum wedding colors. Thanks to the responses I now have some cute ideas. Anyway, I spoke to her today and the consult is Sunday. She says she is thinking stairs with ribbon on it and a fountain and is expecting to get about 200 servings. Please give me set up ideas for that (that don't scream 80's)!!?? What type of fountain do you recommend/not recommend? I don't want to invest a lot in a fountain since it doesn't seem to be the "in" thing right now but, I don't want a cheap one either.

Is it rude to give other suggestions if this is what she has in mind?

I told her $50 to hold the date and a seperate deposit for the equipment. Do you also get a deposit down on the total cost? What do you deduct from the total? I told her I wouldn't charge for delivery and set up because the place is like 10 mins from my house and I'm not going to let anyone else set up. I was thinking that set up would be built into the price. What are your thoughts on this?

I'm going to her house for the consult. Should I do small decorated cakes or cupcakes or small plain cakes for them to mix and match? What should I take with me?

I have some books with ideas I would like her to see but I don't want to show the instructions and stuff. How do you all do that?"

Lenette: Here are a few cakes I found on different websites...it might give you and your friend a few ideas. Sometimes the stairs can make the cake look 80's, so I listed a few with just the fountain. I think its all in how you decorate the cake also. I've seen many cakes with the stairs and fountain that look very pretty and current.
I can't help on the questions about rental fees for fountains, etc because I've never used them, but I thought these might help

www.dianescakesandmore.com - 1st & 3rd picture

Wilton Cake - Last picture

withsugarontoop.tripod.com - 2nd picture

I don't think its rude to gently suggest other ideas to a bride...they might like them better than their own.

You might check ebay for cake fountains. I was looking for one last summer and they had the cheapest ones. I too wasn't excited about buying a fountain.

Lucky for me the bride went ahead and either bought or borrowed her own.

Lenette, I've got to agree with you on the stairs thing! THis is just my opinion, but but it's so 80s. I would try to avoid that at all cost! Some of the foundtain ones ge978 posted are pretty and look like they were made in this decade. If it were one of my friends I would just be honest about how I thought it would look, and then offer suggestions and pictures like the one posted here.

Hey no fair. Then I guess I am too 80's. I like the stairs and the fountain. I had it for my wedding and I have been married 8 years. To each their own I guess.

Wilton also did a very pretty cake where they had a set of two tiers on each side and then the stairs were connected to look like a connecting bridge betweent the two tiers.

Let me see if I can get a picture... but i think it was on one of their yearbooks.

Edit to correct statement above: No, not the yearbook. It was on their Wilton Weddings book. This cake is beautiful. I wish I could show it to you. But if you can see it at the Michaels store, you can either buy the book or just take a look at it to get the idea.