The wedding cake is a traditional, and often elaborate, dessert that accompanies most, if not all wedding ceremonies (and some wedding breakfasts). Because the cake is intended to be as much a work of art as it is a treat, the betrothed should take care to select a baker or team of bakers that are concerned not only with the taste of their work but the presentation of it.

How should you approach a baker to make a wedding cake?

Weddings commonly have a theme, and the cake is no less a part of the overall wedding theme. Accordingly, you should interview multiple prospective bakers of your wedding cake to make sure that they fully understand the theme of your wedding and would be able to create a cake that fits well with it.

You should also know the number of guests planning to attend before commissioning a cake so it will be properly sized.

What are indications that a baker will be able to create a themed cake?

A good baker will be able to produce their portfolio of cakes prepared for past weddings. Examining their work, you can evaluate for yourself whether the baker is capable not only of crafting an exquisite cake.

Cakes prepared for similar themes may give you an idea of if the baker is qualified to bake your cake, but it should not necessarily exclude a talented baker from your list of potential candidates.

What about the taste of the wedding cake?

Even if you have a specific taste for the cake in mind, ask your potential bakers what flavours of cake they can make. Even if the cakes shown in their portfolios look good, it is obviously not possible to evaluate how good they taste, so don't hesitate to ask bakers for samples of their work so you can make sure your cake not only looks, but tastes great.

What about price?

Price is something that is highly variable with something so personal as a wedding cake, and depends in large part on your ideas and specifications for your cake. After interviewing a baker and making sure that he understands your vision and requirements, you can request a quote.

Be sure to get quotes from multiple bakers to ascertain what one you think will do the best job for what you're willing to pay. Don't be afraid to haggle over a price for a baker and cake that you think would be excellent for the wedding but may be slightly over what you originally intended to pay.

Once you've commissioned a cake, how often should you contact your baker?

You should contact your baker with increasing frequency leading up to the wedding, making sure that the cake production is on schedule and that there are arrangements for how it will be transported and displayed at the wedding.

Make sure the baker knows the address of your wedding if they are responsible for delivering it, which they should be since delivering a cake is delicate work that is best left to someone with experience. Frequent, but not badgering, calls will ensure that your baker doesn't forget about your cake. A good baker will understand that check-up calls are to be expected.