Wedding Cake Designers

You've set the date, and you're getting married. You've chosen a florist, a photographer, an officiant, and lots and lots of experts have given advice about picking a gown. It's equally important to choose a professional baker, pastry chef, or cake designer who will help you create the cake you have in mind. You're looking for the perfect cake to be the centerpiece of the reception and to illustrate who you are as a couple. It's an important task, and you need to feel assured that the expert you've chosen to create your masterpiece is creative, competent, and dedicated to your satisfaction.

Find someone who values the same things you do: if you want top quality organic ingredients, find someone who uses local producers and avoids junky stuff like shortening. Real, top quality ingredients are the starting point for a delicious, memorable cake. Don't be afraid to ask pointed, specific questions about distributors and suppliers. Even something as basic as flour can really vary in quality. Plus, some plant-based ingredients have been grown using lots of pesticides and contain preservatives. Unless you want your cake to taste like it's been sitting in the grocery store sale bin for a week, enquire about ingredients.

You want a designer with a can-do attitude who is, at the same time, grounded in reality. Nothing is more frustrating than to have an idea that may be slightly unconventional and to be told over and over that it's not do-able. Talk to lots of people who have recently been married or needed a cake for another function. Find out which designers will listen to your ideas, and tell you to what extent your vision is possible. If you want a funky, upside down cake that's smaller at the base and bigger on top, find a chef who will get to the heart of why that particular design is important to you. He or she may be able to suggest something that satisfies your vision but is actually physically possible. At the same time, you don't want a designer who will take on an impossible order then be unable to deliver.

Ask to see lots and lots of pictures of previous cakes the designer has made. If you want something elegant and traditional, and this designer specializes in the trendy, you may need to consider if he can meet your needs. On the other hand, if this chef has never broken out of the conventional white cake with colored flowers, and you have in mind a Dr. Seuss creation, your styles may not mesh. One style that drives me crazy is the cutesy, Precious Moments type look. Some bakers specialize in that look. I'd have to find a different baker.

Other questions you may want to ask include the following:

• What are cancellation policies?
• Are delivery and set-up fees included in the price? If not, what are they?
• Does the bakery supply fresh flowers or do they need to be provided by the florist?
• Are there any additional charges or deposits required for cake tops, pillars or other decorative elements?
• What constitutes a serving size? What is the price per serving?

Finally, before you even begin the interviewing process, ask initially if the baker offers cake tastings. While this might not be strictly necessary (maybe you already know you want alternating white and chocolate layers) it's really a fun way to spend time with the designer and other members of the wedding party to get to know each other and finalize a design that will be perfect for you and your wedding.