Stay tuned to the blog this week as we'll be posting from NYC and including fun finds, party pics, and lots of cool goodies!
Today we thought it would be so fun to have a guest Monday Coffee post from the team at Fantasy Frostings in Pasadena. With decades in the business they offer up some superb insight and advice. Thanks, guys!
1. Are you seeing any new trends in wedding cakes (dessert buffets, mini cakes)?
The fun thing about wedding cakes is that yesterdays style becomes the hot new trend of today, if you can just wait long enough. I read a great tweet today from someone who asked if we could just PLEASE come back to soft, warm looks and colors. Enough with the stark, hard edge look of the last few years. Which does not bode well for the cake designers out there that only know fondant, and couldn’t pipe a cake to save their lives. I also read a blog about Mad Men style weddings with a early 60’s look. Our customers seem to reflect that also. The hot new thing seems to be the hand decorated, warm and affectionate look we all remember. Buttercream is back, hard edge, sharp contrasting colors seem to be out. For awhile anyway.
Dessert tables are a fun way to go, and adds variety, but takes away a little of the shared dessert moment that a cake provides. I like the mini cakes, and individual table cakes a lot. It’s fun for us to do, but not very cost effective for most brides. It’s fun for small weddings of 4-6 tables. People can get up and share all the different flavors.
2. What advice do you have when brides and grooms come in to chat about their wedding cake?
The first thing we ask regarding design is “what is your dream cake.” Forget cost, lets talk about your dreams. Then we try to find that cake within your budget. Cake design is all about converting that dream into reality. There are so many ways to make that happen when you have a bakery that is willing to spend the time with you.
We try to make your cake appointment the fun part of the wedding planning process. You get to sit down, sample some great cake, and design the cake together with us. Everything else is so stressful, this should be the fun part.
We also try to have plenty of referrals available if you need a trusted source to recommend a good Photographer, or Florist. We do a lot of weddings, and we know all the great vendors. If the Bride or Groom asks us, we try to help.
3. have there been any long-standing traditions you've seen over the years?
Being a sentimentalist two traditions are close to my heart. One is a bride and groom wanting to re-use their parents original cake topper. I think this is so sweet and such an honor to build a design around this tradition. The other one I love to see on the cake table is a framed photo of the bride and grooms parents from their wedding. It really states how wonderful it is to watch a family grow.
4. what is the most unique or off-the-wall wedding cake you've designed?
This would have to be the wedding cake we did in Saudi Arabia for King Fahd. We created a pagoda shaped cake standing over 5 feet high, decorated with hand piped snowflakes to create a winter wonderland. We partially created this here in the states and flew the cake and 3 of our crew to finish at the palace in Riyad. It was an amazing cake and quite an overall adventure.
Today we thought it would be so fun to have a guest Monday Coffee post from the team at Fantasy Frostings in Pasadena. With decades in the business they offer up some superb insight and advice. Thanks, guys!
1. Are you seeing any new trends in wedding cakes (dessert buffets, mini cakes)?
The fun thing about wedding cakes is that yesterdays style becomes the hot new trend of today, if you can just wait long enough. I read a great tweet today from someone who asked if we could just PLEASE come back to soft, warm looks and colors. Enough with the stark, hard edge look of the last few years. Which does not bode well for the cake designers out there that only know fondant, and couldn’t pipe a cake to save their lives. I also read a blog about Mad Men style weddings with a early 60’s look. Our customers seem to reflect that also. The hot new thing seems to be the hand decorated, warm and affectionate look we all remember. Buttercream is back, hard edge, sharp contrasting colors seem to be out. For awhile anyway.
Dessert tables are a fun way to go, and adds variety, but takes away a little of the shared dessert moment that a cake provides. I like the mini cakes, and individual table cakes a lot. It’s fun for us to do, but not very cost effective for most brides. It’s fun for small weddings of 4-6 tables. People can get up and share all the different flavors.
2. What advice do you have when brides and grooms come in to chat about their wedding cake?
The first thing we ask regarding design is “what is your dream cake.” Forget cost, lets talk about your dreams. Then we try to find that cake within your budget. Cake design is all about converting that dream into reality. There are so many ways to make that happen when you have a bakery that is willing to spend the time with you.
We try to make your cake appointment the fun part of the wedding planning process. You get to sit down, sample some great cake, and design the cake together with us. Everything else is so stressful, this should be the fun part.
We also try to have plenty of referrals available if you need a trusted source to recommend a good Photographer, or Florist. We do a lot of weddings, and we know all the great vendors. If the Bride or Groom asks us, we try to help.
3. have there been any long-standing traditions you've seen over the years?
Being a sentimentalist two traditions are close to my heart. One is a bride and groom wanting to re-use their parents original cake topper. I think this is so sweet and such an honor to build a design around this tradition. The other one I love to see on the cake table is a framed photo of the bride and grooms parents from their wedding. It really states how wonderful it is to watch a family grow.
4. what is the most unique or off-the-wall wedding cake you've designed?
This would have to be the wedding cake we did in Saudi Arabia for King Fahd. We created a pagoda shaped cake standing over 5 feet high, decorated with hand piped snowflakes to create a winter wonderland. We partially created this here in the states and flew the cake and 3 of our crew to finish at the palace in Riyad. It was an amazing cake and quite an overall adventure.
**Wow - how is that for a wedding cake?! Thanks so much for lending some ideas and expertise to our readers!
Aleah + Nick
Here are some lovely photos of their creations:
Kendra Wilkinson's beautiful wedding cake
3 comments:
Aleah & Nick!
Thanks so much for the interview! You guys managed to make me sound fairly informed. Not an easy trick there!
Mr.Frostings
http://www.fantasyfrostings.com
How fun and yummy! Thanks for sharing..I always enjoy your posts and fun things!
Thank you! Earl - it was our pleasure and we're so happy to have you lend your expertise to our readers!
Aleah + Nick
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