By, Cherry Tree Cakerie.

I know, I get it. Even for the laid-back among us, wedding planning can leave you a little tense can’t it? I was fortunate that being a PA with a penchant for spreadsheets had its benefits when planning my own big day, but one thing I definitely wasn’t prepared for was the budgeting. I mean, how did we know how much all these things should cost?

So off I went online to search for budget advice but there sure is a difference between a high-end luxury affair and a DIY ‘do’ so reading about average costs didn’t really help. At the end of the day, only you can place value on what’s really important for your big day. Where you place your budget is your prerogative and you will be happy to forgo things that aren’t on your must-have list to make way for those most meaningful to you and if that means spending thousands on a designer wedding dress but hand making your own table decorations to balance the budget then that’s all good!

This brings me conveniently to wedding cakes. As a bespoke cake designer, I’m one of those annoying people who just can’t give you a final price straight away. Yes, I know how irritating it is but, as my product is designed uniquely for you, it will completely depend on the size, finish and level of detail required to create your dream cake. What I can do however is give an insight into what goes into making a wedding cake so that when you do come to planning, you will have a better understanding of what it entails and realise that a professionally made wedding cake is more than just the ingredients it’s made from…

Take your store cupboard essentials

I’m not talking flour and eggs here, I’m going back to the business basics. Quite a few bakers are small businesses who are home-based but there are still the monthly outgoings such as insurance, utilities, website hosting, accountant fees (aka the boring stuff), and wedding fairs, styled shoots and marketing costs etc., all of which exit the bank account whether we’re baking or not, low season or high season.

Weigh up the ingredients

When it comes to responding to your initial enquiry, it’s not just me firing back a generic email. My service to you starts here and it’s my job to guide you with the options available and make you feel as informed and confident in your decision as you can be.

The enquiry, consultation and tasting stage is just as an important part of the process as actually making your cake and I take time and effort to make it an easy and enjoyable experience for my couples. Let’s add in the baking and preparation of your tasters (which can take a whole day!), not to mention the clean and tidy-up of the house before you arrive for your consultation, and it’s quite an investment of time dedicated to your wedding cake experience from the word go.

Preheat the oven

So this is where it starts to heat up (boom tish!). You loved the tasters, we got on like a house on fire and most importantly, my work speaks to you and you’re confident that I can create your cake of dreams. Hurrah! 

Now I get down to the exciting stage of researching and designing your cake. A colour sketch of the design wings its way to you along with a quotation; cue excitement and a resounding yes and we’re on to the practicalities of your contract and invoice. You pay your deposit to secure your date and off you go, another fab supplier under your belt. All this and I’ve not even lined a cake tin yet!

Prepare the ingredients

A wafer paper or sugar rose can take around an hour to make with each petal hand cut, coloured, veined and shaped into a spectacular lifelike bloom. Eight roses later and you’ve done a day’s work so preparing in advance is a must and you can appreciate just how much time goes into making beautiful decorations and, as such, the investment required is going to be reflective of that. Along with sourcing and procuring equipment and supplies, being prepared means I’ll have everything ready to go when it comes to adding the final flourishes to your cake.

Bake!

To give you an idea, making a simple 3-tier wedding cake will take a minimum of three full days, which includes baking (using quality ingredients, free range eggs and real butter), torting (that’s cutting each cake into layers), filling them with Swiss meringue buttercream, trimming, crumb coating each tier with a layer of Belgian chocolate ganache, covering with top quality Swiss fondant and finally, stacking and decorating. Let’s not forget to mention the washing up element of this whole process…it’s perpetual!

And serve…

If you’ve ever seen Driving Miss Daisy then you’ll appreciate how slow I actually drive with a wedding cake on board. The delivery stage of the process is possibly the most stressful part and not a worry I’d wish to impose on anyone who isn’t well-versed in carrying delicate cargo. Also, for some cakes, I will actually transport them in separate tiers so they will require time to stack and decorate at your venue. 

The secret ingredients

No, I’m not talking about a top-secret blend of herbs and spices, I’m referring to the magic ingredients. The ‘je ne sais quoi’ that makes your wedding cake special. If you’re looking for a cake from me then it will be because you like my style, creativity and ability to turn your ideas into reality with skills that I have spent years developing and perfecting. Add in a huge glug of passion for creating beautiful works of edible art, a kilo of patience and a warm, personalised service and you’ve got a recipe for a showstopping wedding cake.

The last crumb…

Hopefully this blog has given you a better understanding of the process and skills that go into making a wedding cake and that you’re not just paying for ingredients but a huge amount of time and skill. If your wedding cake is important to you then investing in a quality, professional cake designer should probably make it on to the must-have list too!

Photography by Nicola Dawson Photography

If you would like a chat with Charlene from Cherry Tree Cakerie, please visit her website for more details.

By, Made by Wood and Wood.

Digital wedding invitations are becoming increasingly commonplace for engaged couples. There are more services than ever before which offer digital design and distribution services. Some of these incorporate reminders to guests and all of which allow you to send your invitations to multiple people at a lower cost than printing and posting physical invitations.

In this guide we look at the pros, cons and secrets of digital-only invitations.

What is a digital wedding invitation?

Ultimately, this is pretty straightforward, but it’s an invitation (and/or save the date) to your wedding which is sent digitally. This is, more often than not, sent over email as it’s easier to store and find when it’s needed, unlike other methods, such as social media messaging.

What are the key advantages of digital wedding invitations?

• Cost saving
• They are easy to mass send and track
• You can include direct links to phone numbers, addresses and navigation apps which can help avoid long descriptions of how to find venues
• Animation can be included more easily
• You can include video elements
• There are an increasing range of designs and capabilities

What are the key disadvantages of digital wedding invitations?

• They are likely to feel less personal
• Compatibility might be an issue across email providers
• Your guests don’t get the excitement of receiving your invitation through the post, opening it and displaying it in their homes. This may mean they don’t get so much excitement in the build-up to your big day
• You don’t get the beauty or specialness of printed finishes and details
• Due to high email volumes, the invite could be missed (or even fall into junk)
• They can be easily deleted
• If your wedding is in a low signal area, advantageous elements like clickable navigation links become redundant
• Compatibility across devices can mean that animations on opening don’t work as successfully as hoped
• Less ‘stick on fridge moments’ so you may find some guests ‘misplace’ the invite and may even forget about your big day

Will printed wedding invitations become obsolete?

We certainly hope not! Even though digital-only invitations are becoming increasingly popular, we don’t think this will mean the end of printed wedding invitations altogether. For many, the advantages of going digital-only will be a big driver in following this route, but for others, the personal feel will be too important and as such, will still want to send printed versions to their guests.

How do digital invitations arrive?

It’s normally over email, and in lots of cases, when the email is opened up, there is a simple animation of an envelope opening and the invite sliding out and displaying. This can feel REALLY old school, which is mainly down to email servers and often compatibility issues with mobile phone users too; whereby compatibility reduces the flexibility and quality of what can be achieved, as most providers adhere to the lowest common denominator. However, it does allow the invitee to RSVP directly via the email or a link within the email pretty quickly. But there is, of course, the risk that it’s opened and then forgotten about soon after, unlike a printed invitation which is likely to be seen again and again around the invitee’s house.

Is there a sweet spot?

Yes! Digital invitations which can also be printed, are ideal for those guests who you think might miss the invitation or the older generation who might not be on email or regular users of it. If you’re looking to keep costs down then avoiding gold foil finishes, embossing or other special production techniques on the printed versions will help to keep the printing costs down, but it does give you the flexibility to invite people to your wedding in the way you think its most appropriate for them. It’s worth noting though that if you want both your print and digital invitations to look the same, this will limit the number of the designs available.

So what’s right for me?

For many, a mixture of digital and print will be best. There is a big cost saving advantage with digital invitations, and these can be especially useful when inviting people who are abroad, who may travel regularly without a permanent address or if you’re currently living abroad and returning to a home nation where most of your guests still reside. If you can find a design which has both a digital option you can send over email and a printed option too, you’re in luck!

How do I know if something I’ve seen is printed or digital, or both?

Most good designers of invitations will be explicit in their description that the design is intended for printing or digital output. However, in the case of many, it will be possible to do both. So whilst some designers might not give an option for both, it’s always worth asking if they would be able to make a digital version too.

All good stationery companies will be open and friendly when it comes to enquiries about their designs, and we always welcome anyone who’d like to take our printed invitations and have a digital version, and vice versa.

We hope this guide helps you understand some of the pros and cons of digital invitations, but if you’ve got any questions, let us know by sending us an email!

Best wishes,
Chloe & Tom

By, Dimblebee Catering.

A Spring wedding provides the opportunity for a creative, seasonal and beautifully curated menu, with all the amazing and fresh produce this season has to offer. We believe that choosing the right food and drink options are essential to pulling together your vision for your perfect wedding day. Getting married in Spring, you have an opportunity to play around with bright flowers, pastel colours and the light flavours for which the season is known for. Some of the ingredients that feature in our Spring dishes include asparagus, watercress, melon, apricots, lavender and mint. A particularly popular choice for canapés at this time of year tend to be our salmon options, which are not only deliciously light and seasonal but are beautifully presented with colourful garnishing to match the time of year.

Here at Dimblebee Catering our chefs work closely with you to create a bespoke menu especially for your wedding day. Some of our most popular menu choices for this season tend to centre around a lighter starter option, for example our gorgeous cured salmon dish accompanied by gin and dill, pink grapefruit, caper berry and orange brioche from our plated menu, is always a popular choice for this time of year. Another particular favourite is our mixed heritage tomato, buffalo mozzarella and caprese salad. For Spring, our chefs and couples particularly love to pair a starter such as those above, with a delicious seasonal main, such as our rump of lamb option or our pan fried medallion of beef with wild mushrooms and leek and potato rosti.  Some of our lighter mains can also be served as sharing options, including our stunning salmon fillet accompanied by Israeli couscous and a herb pesto.

For dessert, our Dimblebee’s Eton Messy, is always a winner. A large Eton Mess is served alongside Pimms soaked fresh strawberries and mint cream, a delightful dessert choice for the season and a definite nod to the summer to come! It is one of our most popular dessert choices and is a fun and creative way to round up your beautiful spring menu. To finish the evening, we absolutely love our famous Dimblebee Catering Porkpie and Cheese Table for our couples, we think it is the perfect way to conclude a gorgeous Spring menu!