Perfect Baker For Your Beach Wedding Cake

To have that perfect cake for your beach wedding, you're going to need to find that perfect baker. That perfect baker is going to be the one who can create the most gorgeous and tasty cake that you can afford.

Time is always of the essence, because really good bakers are always very busy. So, don't delay.

Now is not too soon to start looking. Bakers think it reasonable to have conversations with you six to twelve months before the beach wedding. If you plan this far ahead, chances are you'll be able to obtain a lower price than if you delay. Indeed, you may face a "late" fee if you finalize your order only a month or two before The Big Day.

I've found that brides are more satisfied with their wedding cakes when they have taken the opportunity to check out three or four bakers during the early planning for the wedding.

They'll find that some bakers can't be relied on to produce anything more elaborate than a very basic style, but others are legendary for their extravagant artistry.

At the same time, they will have an opportunity to taste samples that the baker will prepare just for them and rate the cakes on taste, texture, moistness as well as beauty. And price.

It is a great time saver for busy brides if they can obtain before the face-to-face visit the names and telephone numbers from the baker of couples whose wedding cake the shop produced. In that way, bakers who disappointed previous couples can be placed much farther down the list of candidates, or dropped altogether.

Here are some of the important questions to consider when you interview bakers:

• Are you impressed with their cake designs?
• How do the samples taste?
• What do other couples say when you ask them for references for the baker?
• Can the baker's work fit into your budget and theme?
• Is the baker's schedule open for the date you need your cake so that it can be prepared and delivered on time?
• If the baker's first price estimate is too far out of reach, what can the baker suggest that would lower the cost to you?

Even though you are probably thinking that you are arranging for the purchase of a cake, the baker is thinking in terms of the number of servings you will need, and pricing accordingly. In today's world, it will be difficult to find a baker who would be able to prepare and decorate a basic wedding cake for much less than $1.50 per serving. A cake with several tiers but relatively simple decorations will run closer to $5.00 per guest. Fancy cakes with fondant icing, a gourmet filing, and loads of details may cost $15.00 per serving-or more.

All is not lost if even the most basic beach wedding cake seems out of reach. After all, following these suggestions can cut that cost to the bone:

· Grocery store bakeries can make and decorate sheet cakes at the most attractive prices around. You can keep the sheet cake in the kitchen and have a small "show" cake for public view. Or you could even "borrow" a beautifully decorated Styrofoam cake from an agency such as Rent-A-Cake.com that has a secret compartment for you to place a slice of angel food cake to grab at the right moment to feed your groom.
· Cake toppers provide a wonderful finishing touch, but they are generally inedible and end up for a short time after the wedding in someone's curio cabinet. If funds are really tight, consider asking a relative or friend to purchase your wedding cake topper as your wedding gift.
· Fresh flowers, ideally edible ones, make a splendid low-cost alternative to hand made flowers that bakers make from icings or marzipan.
· Be alert to the possibility that you may be asked to pay a cutting fee at your reception site. That fee can run to $1.50 per guest or more. Abandoning a cake that must be sliced and served to your guests in favor of a buffet table with assorted decorated cupcakes and mini tarts, cheesecakes, éclairs, brownies and so forth can make that service fee go "poof".
· As a last resort, some brides will ask a friend or relative to prepare their wedding cake in lieu of some other gift. Keep in mind, however, that this could be a very costly proposition for the gifting baker, especially if the cake must accommodate many guests. And most important of all, it is critical that the reception site be consulted to ensure that they will permit the serving of a cake prepared by someone who doesn't necessarily have a food license.