Okay... I launched my cake shop in November. I'm thrilled with how things have been going. I've got a little more business than I'd like which is NOTHING to complain about.

But... I take very few wedding cakes. It's not that I'm turning them away, but I'm not really targeting them and since I'm a new little shop, I don't have an "in" with the planners, caterers, venues... etc.

An opportunity has come up for me to get more wedding business. I'd like to hear from those of you who have done both. Wedding cakes and party cakes.

What do you prefer and WHY?

Right now I'm in kind of a happy place enjoying the lack of bridezillas. Especially after reading all the horror stories on here. I know that nice brides are more the norm, but I am nervous about how much more important a wedding cake is and the stress level.

I have a licensed home kitchen so the biggest cake pan I can get in my oven is a 16". I would likely have to turn away cakes that require a bigger bottom tier.

Also... do you think I'm ready to take on wedding business based on the quality of my work?

I'm also new to the business side of cakes (launched in December) and I've had a few weddings. To me, it's more of the pressure that I put on myself because it is such an important event and you want your work to be perfect. I want them all to be perfect but, there's extra pressure for weddings IMO.
Also, your cakes are great, good job. Never doubt yourself, stay positive and you'll reap the rewards.

1. Your skill level more than qualifies you to do wedding cakes.

2. I didn't have a cake business for very long, but I loved wedding cakes. I never had a bad bride, and I loved being a part of their special day. I would just advise you to look into a support system like SPS so you never have to worry about your cakes making it to the venue intact! The peace of mind of that system is priceless.

3. I don't think your oven size will be a problem. If you need to buy 18" pans, the round ones come in half-pans. And cakes requiring more than a 16" bottom tier are (IMO) not that common.

I think your work is very lovely. I personally find wedding cakes too stressful and stopped doing them. I found the delivery much too traumatizing. I would hate to ruin someones wedding day by dropping their cake or it flipping over in the car. I just do party cakes now, much less time consuming and doesn't burn me out physically and mentally like the wedding cakes do. Some people only do and like doing wedding cakes.
Your work is very nice so I'd imagine you'd have no problem getting and doing wedding orders so it's really up to you of course and how much you want to increase business. If you do wedding cakes, you will get more orders for other cakes through that like when that person needs a baby shower cake, husband's bday cake, kid's bday cakes, etc....

I love your web site, very well thought out and professional! Good luck!

I completely agree. Your work is clean and tasteful. Go for it!


Also, check around your specialty stores. I was able to "rent" a 18 inch round pan that was cut in half and a wall was soldered onto it so that I could bake 1/2 of the round at a time. Kind of a pain, but it worked!

Your cakes are gorgeous! Give it a try!

Your cakes are really cute - I'm sure you could do some great looking cakes! I've never made a wedding cake but my mom made tons of them - she was kind of the "go to" cake lady in our town. She was always pretty stressed when doing them - but I imagine those are what brought in the money.

If you decide not to take the wedding orders, you can send 'em to me! You just know how to work the marketing magic, girl, I'm tellin' ya!

I'd much rather do one 3-tier wedding cake for $500 than ten $50 birthday cakes. Way less work ... much more profit.

I am in love with wedding cakes. I rather do a wedding cake any day of the week than doing a party cake. Yes it can be stressfull, but you learn to
deal with it. The payment for a wedding cake is a lot better than a party cake. That alone says all to me.

Thanks Ladies... I think I might try it...

Your cakes a fantastic! Clearly you are extremely creative because it is reflected in your designs. I say GO FOR IT!

Are you ready? Your cakes are gorgeous!!!!

Thanks so much! I better be ready! Launched my wedding advertising campaign today AND was contacted by a caterer that wants to offer my cakes exclusively to their brides. We met yesterday and I brought some cake and filling samples. He said everything was so good, the box was emptied 30 seconds after they opened it.

They are an off site caterer that is working on renovating a building so they will have 2 ballrooms, a showroom, etc. and he'll want my cakes on display there to so I'll have to get some dummies together.

So much is happening so fast! I'm a little nervous but excited at the possibilities.

Thanks for all the support and encouragement.

I took a peek at your site and there wasn't a tab for wedding cakes. By loong a your other work IMO the skill is there. Maybe you could do a few simple dummy cakes (white or ivory fondant with some simple quilting and dragees or satin ribbon with a great sparkly monogram topper) and start one. If you build it they will come!

That's a really good point. I was planning on putting together some dummies and hiring my brother to break down my portfolio into categories.

You just encouraged me to get that job off my to-do list.

Thanks!