Hi all, sorry I've been gone, like... all SUMMER, but it was busy here.

I'm curious what you're all seeing for color and flavor choices for next year. I have a bridal event (not a festival, something slightly different) requiring 4-5 dummies this January. What I'm seeing in the bride mags seems like they're pushing BROWN a lot.

Any trends you're seeing? Styles, flavors, colors?

I dont' believe in trends ... right on my FAQ page on my website, I tell brides that "trends" are whatever the wedding industry is pushing based on whatever it is they are wanting to sell this year. It's like bathing suits in February and Christmas decorations in October .... a media blitz to get you to buy what THEY want you to buy, instead of getting what YOU want for your wedding.

As stated on my website, one decorator told me to take my square cakes off my website because they are not "in" right now. I sell more square wedding cakes than round .... so much for "expert" opinions.

Saw a magazine article where some hoity toity bakery around here said square cakes were coming back. Coming back? You mean they were out? huh. Glad someone didn 't tell my brides that, because they've been ordering them way more squares than round cakes.

I say just make up cakes that are beautiful and showcase your best work. As a consumer, I dont' want what everyone else is having ... I want my (event, home, clothes) to be unique and special to me. As a bride, I would want a decorator who can create something just for me .... and not just have a "I'll have what SHE'S having" selection.

If the current trend is "brown" .... do you really think you'll stand out from the other cakers in the show if you ALL have brown cakes?

I agree with Indy on this...I do have some brides who want trendier cakes, but most of them end up buying something that's more traditional, with maybe a tweak or two of trendier colors or something like that. If you do a beautiful display cake that's different from what's being shown in magazines it will get more attention than if you just do another clone of the colors and trends that everyone is seeing.

Really? No trends?

Y'all are doing a lot of staircases and fountains and lambeth?

As a matter of fact ...... I did a cake on a fountain stand just a couple of weeks ago, and did a cake on a fountain about 4-6 weeks ago.

txkat, too bad we're not closer! I'd take all your basketweaves off your hands for ya! I prefer basketweave over any other kind of design!

Indydebi - I LOVE BASKETWEAVE! I haven't had a chance to do one but I just love the look! I take that back, I did a practice one, but haven't had an order for one.

I'm doing a basketweave tonight and have another for next Sunday. I think the basketweave is classic and never really goes out of style.

I'm with you Kat.. I hate doing basketweave and don't mention it to anyone. Not that I can't do it, but I'd rather not. I will also never do a cake with a fountain and/or staircases. No one up here has ever asked for any of the above and I am definitely okay with that.

I see a trend towards clean lines and simple elegance.. I have yet to have someone ask for tons-o-swags and buttercream roses. They are looking for simple cakes that make a statement about their personal style.

I like basketweave too...I love the fruit anniversary "baskets" tiered cake I did in my photos...

I see alot of brown actually, and squares yes.... and "simple" seems "in" as well.

Also though it almost seems trendy to be "different" as well...which in a way is a "trend" but in a way not at all.

Everyone that I have had come for next year thus far always says I want something simple , they almost always pick those swiss dots and the quilted look. I'm so tired of the same ole same ole, but it's money. They are tending to go square over round still and lots of cupcakes. I think that's due to the fact they are cheaper and the economy isn't helping matters. Colors seem to be white on white and greens and browns. That's it for me so far, Oh and they love the fruit flavors, strawberry and orange are big sellers for me and banana.

For bridal shows I like to showcase different designs. For example - I wil do one really "trendy" modern colors, one dramatic, one ultra traditonal, one or two showcasing my gumpaste florals, one princessy, etc! I pick themes and cakes. I want each of my dummies to be different. I want my brides to know that I am capable of a variety of designs and to show them that they aren't locked into the square, fondant covered with ribbon border (as has been my most commonly ordered cake for the last 18 months). I also do this because I know that brides are drawn to different cakes. Last year I had 7 diffrent cake designs and I thought one would be the highlight of the show. What I noticed was that each cake got attention -- It just depended on which one fit with the vision the bride has.

for me it has been pale pink and silver, black and white and chocolate with aqua or lime... I have had more requests recently for cream cheese compatible cakes...

I like doing the basketweave also and I vowed I would not do the swags and the fountain but I do not like to keep up with trends all the time it really should be up to the client and make it personal. I do like the sleek and clean lines also. But isn't it great where we have such a wide variety of styles to choose from and we have the power to influence out customers also.

Yaknow, I'm two hours south of indy and I haven't sold a basketweave in 8 years. You see them around here. (1, 9 years ago. That's the only basketweave.)

However, I'm selling the heck out of Damask.

I agree with cakerygirl- your display cakes need to show off your skills and the variety of themes you are capable of producing..as well as do a bit of homage to the trendy chocolate and pink/sage green/Tiffany Blue!

as for basketweave....yeah, love it. But again-haven't done it in years.

Ah, there's the discussion I was hoping for...

I've planned my 4-5 dummies for this upcoming event, which is sort of like a custom wedding seminar by a group of us (one of each photog, cake, dress shop, florist etc) so we're kind of a one-stop-shop wedding team, because we all work together so often-- focusing on high-end weddings. Our event planner works with brides in the $100K budget range, so our target is 30-50K+ budgets, not the average bargain bride; it's just something new we're doing this year so we'll see how it goes.

So far I've got 5 that show as much variety of shapes, colors and decorating techniques as I can include. I'm leaving whimsical out because I don't like doing them, and I'm not doing anything super modern/funky because so far I have never had anyone ask for one, and I haven't seen a single one in any competitor's photos either...well, maybe we're still backwoods, haha.

We'll see how it goes. I'll be very interested to see what the response is to this "Event".

I like to think about coming at it from a bride's perspective. Gather a collage of things that inspire you - a beautiful dress, necklace, tablecloth pattern, invitation, much like a real bride would bring to you to inspire her cake.

Make a nice display of that 'collage' and display with two cakes. One more traditional and one a little trendier. I designed my own cake but what I would be looking for in a cake decorator (besides being yummy!) is how can they interpret my ideas and taste into a unique cake. I think this is especially true if you are going after a higher end - they don't want what everyone else has.

If you think you might have some budget questions you could make a dummy with 3 looks. A square cake would work best - one side ultra simple, the second with a little more detail and the third and fourth all done up the same. Make sure the cake is on a turntable and you can discuss the different price points as you turn. (if you charge for extra decorating or based on the number of flowers)

You're so funny! I was just lying in bed before getting up this morning thinking this exact thing..."Why not decorate a square cake with different sides, put it on a turntable, and rotate it to show them while I'm up there" (Agh I have to TALK For 15 minutes into a mike! I hate hate hate public speaking.)

*sigh* I WISH someone around here would want 'something different'. The biggest wedding ($100K budget) I worked on last summer was one of the strangest. She was so picky and finally ended up asking me to use cake mix filled with rum-flavored vanilla pudding and covered in Bettercream so it would taste just like a cake from some bakery in Nevada that they used to frequent. It made my tongue burn and the wedding planner and florist hated it, but the bride loved it! And she went with the most off-the-rack scrollwork and flowers design, too.

Oh how great minds think alike. Practice, practice practice your speaking but don't try to memorize. Write down a few keys points to discuss and give them some basic advice like 'how to come to your baker prepared'. and remember you are the expert!

Quote:

Originally Posted by homecook



*sigh* I WISH someone around here would want 'something different'. The biggest wedding ($100K budget) I worked on last summer was one of the strangest. She was so picky and finally ended up asking me to use cake mix filled with rum-flavored vanilla pudding and covered in Bettercream so it would taste just like a cake from some bakery in Nevada that they used to frequent. It made my tongue burn and the wedding planner and florist hated it, but the bride loved it! And she went with the most off-the-rack scrollwork and flowers design, too.

and then there is just no accounting for taste, obviously money doesn't buy it

I hope the cake industry does not go the way of home dec. In Fortunoff's last night, EVERY room display featured neutrals--tans, browns, dull golds. Boring. Every display looked the same. NO COLORS. I like colors. A funeral home is more cheerful.

I agree with everyone that's posted about being yourself...If you don't showcase what YOU can do, then you're only pulling the wool over the bride's eyes...Now, from your perspective, if she doesn't like YOUR style, then you really don't want to work with her anyway...

As far as basketweaving goes, has anyone done it with wedding cakes? I've only seen pictures of it in like a spring floral basket (like the way they teach it in the classes when you first learn basketweaving). I'd really love to see some other usese of it. If you have it on your own websites, please let me know.

Thanks!

Paul (& Peter)

For the bridal shows I do, my cakes are fun and full of colour to attract business. When the brides come to order, they all start out with the same line..."I want something different", and end up ordering a square, simple, white on white with swiss dots!! They think that the square shape is the "different" part, I guess!

As for the basketweave, I've only done it once for a wedding cake about six years ago (I love the technique and the final effect!)...people always stop at that page in my portfolio and say wow!!, but it's just not the design that they are looking for.