I just got a call from a bride who has been telling me for awhile that she wants me to do her cake. I gave her my number and she just called for an appointment. I asked what cake pics I needed to bring, you know, what she had in mind. You guessed it, the dreaded stairs. What makes it even worse is that her colors are ivory, sage and gold. My darned stairs are white. I don't want another set!! I am slowly trying to change the standards of wedding cakes in my small town. How can I gently change her mind while still giving her a dream? I have no problem doing as I am asked, but I know she will be thrilled with a more modern cake.

You could show her pictures of cakes that you think she would like that are in her price range. Maybe she doesn't think she can afford the more modern ones or just hasn't been exposed to them.

Ugh!! LOL!


Maybe try showing her all of these new & modern cakes??

Good Luck!

oh girl, same thing here--that cake i was telling you about, i've got to buy pilllars if i do it--grrrrr

i'm sorry but i guess i just like a stacked cake--to each their owe, huh?

lol, thanks to each of you for sharing my pain. Tara, I knew you'd understand!! I just don't want to buy any more stinking stairs, lol. Even though I'd charge for them, I don't want anymore!! I guess maybe I could just leave them there, but I'm sure the bride won't want them either. Sheesh!!

I saw a stacked cake (don't know if it was here) that had stairs cut into the layers that led up to bride and groom topper. I was really pretty. Maybe you could convince her to do something like that. Wish I had the picture it really was a beautiful cake.

Gosh, I wish you could find it too!!

Well it wasn't in my favorites, I am thinking it was from a site I got from one of the forum threads but lord knows which one. I had them all saved on my computer BUT it recently crashed and of course I didn't have it backed up on disk. The stairs were like the kind you see in old Fred Astair movies (yes I am that old). I will keep looking and if I find it I will post for you.

Well I found one from Mikes Amazing cakes, its not the one but I thought you might like it. I will keep looking.

Stairs are tacky and definitely out. I'm with you, but did you mention that you could do it with the white stairs?

everyone, as my mom told me, when i was complaining about the pillars---

it's "traditional"

I just don't get the stairs myself!

Somewhere I saw them wrapped with organza in a coordinating color. Less stair effect, more like some sort of decorative addition....? That could fix the color problem.

If she doesn't want those plastic people on them, maybe you could make something stair-like out of royal? Maybe a bunch of connected swirls or something to go with the cake?

i like the version that dolfin posted. but i DON'T like the older versions. i agree - you should show her some modern stuff and see what she thinks but then again that might her feelings.

I can relate to you also. I personally don't like the wedding cakes with the the stairs either. I did my daughter in laws cake for their wedding, and she wanted the stairs also. I showed her the pictures of some other more modern wedding cakes, but she had her heart set on the stairs. She said that she had wanted that sort of cake ever since she was little. She loved the cake, and in the end, that is what really matters.

I hate stairs...they are soooooo out. BUT, if she insists, you don't have to buy a new set to make them match...just paint them with thinned royal icing in the desired color and let dry. Voila! A "new" set of stairs that match. (just be sure to take some extra icing to fix any spots that might get knocked loose)