40 Questions To Ask Your Wedding Cake Maker

40 Questions To Ask Your Wedding Cake Maker

It’s probably the first and only, time you will order a wedding cake and I appreciate that it can be a confusing process. From knowing how many guests to serve, to what size of cake to order, there can be a lot of questions. I have come up with 40 useful questions to ask your wedding cake maker and I answer these personally below.

These 40 questions are broken into sections: General Questions About My Background, Questions about Wedding Cake Flavours, Questions About Wedding Cake Designs, Questions About Wedding Cake Size And Servings, Questions About Wedding Cake Display And Set-Up, Questions About Payment Pricing, and Questions About Logistics.

You can utilise these 40 questions to inquire with your wedding cake maker. This comprehensive list covers everything you need to know to design a bespoke wedding cake. It ensures that it aligns with your style and budget while catering for all of your guests’ needs.

I am always happy to provide more information and answer anything that may not be covered in this guide. Just get in touch. Or make a wedding cake enquiry:

*These answers are up to date as of January 2024 and may be subject to change.

General Questions about My Background

1. How long have you been in business? What is your culinary background?

I set up LFL in 2020 but have been running a cake business since 2016 and baking professionally for 12 years.

2. Are you licensed and insured?

Yes. I have a 5-star food hygiene rating, I am fully qualified with level 3 food hygiene training and I have Public Liability insurance coverage for up to 5 million.

*most venues require proof of insurance from any vendor working on the property (including delivering cakes), so your baker must be covered.

Questions about Wedding Cake Flavours

3. How many flavours should I choose for my wedding cake?

You can have a different flavour for each tier. However, if you have a three-tier cake for example I suggest that you have the larger, bottom tier, as one flavour and the top two tiers as a different flavour. This would roughly make a 50/50 split making it more likely that your guests get their first choice of flavour.

4. What flavours do you offer?

I have a list of current wedding cake flavours by visiting my wedding cake menus.

5. What flavours are your specialties?

Whilst my most requested flavours are Lemon and elderflower, chocolate fudge with salted caramel and raspberry with white chocolate, chai spiced carrot cake and vanilla and blackcurrant flavours are also extremely popular.

Do you have a set menu of flavour combinations, or can we mix and match cakes and fillings?

I can consider some off-menu flavour options and combinations upon request. But I do have tried and tested recipes that I use. Therefore, there may be limitations as I am unwilling to experiment with unfamiliar recipes for your important wedding cake. I highly recommend my menu options but we can discuss this in our consultation.

6. What kinds of ingredients do you use? Do you offer organic, vegan, or gluten-free options?

As a sustainable wedding cake maker I use the finest, organic ingredients wherever possible and cater for most dietary requirements. I do, however, use flour (gluten), dairy and nuts in our kitchen and, although every effort is made to avoid any contact with allergens when baking allergen-free products, we operate a small kitchen and zero cross-contamination cannot be guaranteed.

7. Is a tasting included in our fee? If not, how much will it cost?

The cost of the cake-tasting box is £25 (+ packaging and special delivery £20).

I make wedding cake taster boxes on specific dates throughout the year November – May. I send tasting boxes in the post with special next-day delivery, for you to try in the comfort of your own home so that you can take your time tasting your cakes over a cup of tea or glass of Champagne whilst making notes on the tasting notes card included.

We can then follow this up with a phone consultation or you can email me your selections for each tier of your wedding cake.

Questions About Wedding Cake Designs

8. Do you have a portfolio of past designs we can look at? Did you make all of the cakes in your portfolio?

Yes, all designs are my own. See my Lookbook & Inspirations for some of my previous wedding cake designs.

9. Do we need to choose from your previous designs, or do you create completely custom cakes?

I can create custom, bespoke designs or recreate one of my signature wedding cakes.

10. We have a few inspirational ideas. Can you recreate them?

Yes and no. As a cake artist, I have my own unique style and do not copy other artists’ work directly. However, in our consultation, I can determine which elements are most important by drawing inspiration from images that you provide and come up with a personal design that is bespoke to you.

Tip: Try to stick to having two or three photos that speak to your wedding cake desires. Too many inspiration photos may seem helpful but conversely, it may make it difficult to narrow things down into one harmonious design.

Note: I do not do novelty wedding cakes and instead take a more artistic interpretation of a theme. I suggest that you see my design portfolio to see if I am the right fit for you and if so I can come up with something unique and beautiful for your big day.

11. We have no idea what we’d like! Can you offer some design suggestions based on our budget and theme?

Absolutely. I suggest visiting our Lookbook and sending me more general ideas you have for your wedding day. This can be colour swatches, floral designs or even the wedding dress. Even works of art that inspire you. I will then take this to come up with a beautiful wedding cake design that I feel represents you as a couple.

12. Are your cakes finished in buttercream or with fondant?

I offer buttercream, ganache and fondant finishes for my wedding cakes.

13. Can you make sugar flowers?

Instead of sugar paste, I use more modern wafer paper to make realistic-looking flowers that are made from edible ingredients and can add drama and style to your cake design.

14. Why use wafer paper flowers to decorate my wedding cake?

Wafer paper flowers are far less fragile and transport so much more easily without the risk of breakages whilst still offering all the realistic beauty of sugar paste flowers. You can keep wafer flowers after your wedding and they will last a lifetime if stored properly.

15. We’d like to use fresh flowers on our cake. Can you work with our florist to do so?

Yes. I can provide fresh flowers for your wedding cake or work with our florist to do so. I clean, treat and wrap the stems of fresh flowers to make them cake-safe. However, please note, that there are new guidelines in 2024 on what flowers can be used for wedding cakes. Some commonly used foliage is no longer recommended if it will be near food and will always advise on this during our consultation.

I clean, treat, and wrap all fresh flowers and foliage intended to come into contact with (or even near) food. I wrap the stems of the flowers in floral tape, ensuring that you seal the stem, before inserting them into a (food-safe) posey pick. These precautions ensure that the flowers do not come into direct contact with the cake. I charge a £25 fee for the extra time and the special materials required for adding flowers to the wedding cake.

Please note: Florists are not trained in food safety so cannot advise on what flowers you should use on your wedding cake. Florists (or untrained persons) should not add flowers to your wedding cake directly without the proper qualifications and training.

Questions About Wedding Cake Size and Servings

16. What size wedding cake do I need to serve our guest list? How big should our wedding cake be?

There are a few factors that determine the size of wedding cake you require for your big day. I usually calculate wedding cake sizes based on the number of guests that you are inviting to your evening reception.

Our pricing guide shows different tiered cakes with both dessert and coffee portions. And I suggest using the guide as a starting point.

17. Can I serve my cake as dessert?

You can serve your wedding cake as the dessert after a two-course meal and go with larger portions. This may also help you to save on your catering budget. However, we recommend that you speak to caterers and venue before choosing this option as they may have restrictions in place or charge a fee to serve the wedding cake as dessert.

Things to consider if serving the wedding cake as dessert:

• Does your venue and/or caterer allow for this?
• You will require dessert servings = larger cake with dessert servings (see our guide).
• Will you add berries and/or ice cream to the plating so that it is more of a dessert course?
• We recommend going for one flavour so that all your guests get the same experience.
• You will have to schedule the cake-cutting ceremony earlier in the day, either before the wedding breakfast or between the main and desserts. This is worth thinking about logistically early on as the flow of the day is important.

18. I only have a small number of guests but I want more tiers on my wedding cake?

My smallest 3-tier cake has 60 wedding servings or 40, larger, dessert servings. If a three-tier cake has too many servings you can consider serving the wedding cake as dessert or giving slices of cake to your guests to take home as a wedding favour.

We provide a comprehensive serving guide with all tiered cake deliveries which has a section on leftover cake storage.

19. I have a large guest list but want a smaller wedding cake. Do you offer cutting cakes/sheet cakes?

If you have a large guest list, usually 90+ guests, and want to cater for all of your guests we can offer a cutting cake, or sheet cake, in your wedding cake flavour(s).
The caterers keep this cake behind the scenes and cut it along with your wedding cake to provide additional servings to a smaller, more intricate wedding cake. Since we decorate sheet cakes more simply, they offer a reduced price per serving.

Questions About Wedding Cake Display And Set-Up

20. Can you help us style and set up the wedding cake display?

Absolutely. The wedding cake delivery includes setting up the wedding cake, including the cake display.

I advise that you think about the cake display ahead of time, just like your table settings etc. If you are working with a prop hire company or wedding planner they can help you to choose hire items and create a show-stopping wedding cake display that will be worthy of your wedding cake cutting photos.

21. I am doing a DIY wedding can you help with the wedding cake display?

Of course. I have written a helpful blog post with tips on setting up a wedding cake display without breaking the bank. A simple tablecloth, linens and a cake stand can make the cake stand out even with the most simple of backgrounds. We can discuss this ahead of time and I will style any items that you provide for the cake table when setting up the wedding cake.

22. Do you offer cake stands for hire?

Yes. I have several stylish milk glass cake stands in white, black and clear. These can be hired out according to our Terms and Conditions.

Questions About Payment and Pricing

23. How do you price your wedding cakes?

The number of servings, and therefore the overall size and number of tiers that your wedding cake has, as well as the covering (buttercream, ganache, or fondant, for example), are the primary factors in determining the price of your wedding cake before the final cake design.

24. How do I stick to my wedding cake budget?

The best way to stick to your wedding cake budget is to reduce the overall number of servings (therefore the size of the wedding cake) and choose a less costly covering such as buttercream or ganache.

I suggest possibly catering for 90%, 80% or even as little as 70% of your overall guest numbers, if you have a strict budget and are looking to reduce the overall cost of your wedding cake. This is an option if you have a large guest list, usually of 90 plus, and would like a smaller cake for the cake-cutting ceremony but prefer not to cater for every one of your guests with a full slice of cake. This can reduce the base price of your wedding cake by as much as 30%.

25. Do you offer dummy cake tiers to reduce the cake cost?

As a general rule I tend not to offer dummy cake tiers. Most people think that fake tiers reduce the overall cost of the cake when in reality dummy tiers do not necessarily do this. This is because fake tiers are expensive. The cost of cake ingredients is not the main factor in determining the final cost of your wedding cake. Dummy tiers still need to be decorated and treated like any regular cake tier. So, although we may sometimes use dummy tiers for certain cake designs that require structural support, or as a non-edible base for decorations, we do not offer them as a way to reduce the cost of your wedding cake.

26. How do you work out the cost of the wedding cake design?

Your final design determine the rest of the cost. Fresh florals are the most budget-friendly design option and you can even opt to have these supplied by your florist as part of your floral package. Whereas fondant and wafer paper details are more costly as they take lots of time and skill to execute.

A three-tiered cake with a semi-naked buttercream design will cost significantly less than a detailed fondant design for 150 guests.

27. Why do different coverings have different prices?

• Buttercream is the most cost-effective finish for wedding cakes but may not be suitable for weddings during the hot summer months of May – September. This is especially true of tipi or marquee weddings without air conditioning or temperature-controlled rooms. The last thing we want is for your perfect wedding cake to end up melted before the cake-cutting ceremony.

• Ganache (our most recommended covering due to its stability in high-heat situations) is more costly than buttercream because of the high cost of ingredients used and the skill involved.

• Fondant cakes have a layer of ganache and then a luxurious fondant covering. There is higher material cost and more skill involved in fondant-decorated wedding cakes.

28. Do you have a minimum cost for a wedding cake?

There is no minimum order. Two-tiered wedding cakes start from £270 + design extras and delivery. You can get in touch for a personal quote.

29. Are there additional rental fees we should be aware of, such as for cake stands or cake toppers?

Cake topper: You can purchase personalized acrylic cake toppers starting from £28. These are yours to keep after the wedding and serve as a lovely keepsake or souvenir.

Cake stand hire: You can hire cake stands from me for an administration fee of £25, along with a refundable deposit of £80.

30. Is there a delivery fee for wedding cakes?

Yes. I personally and professionally deliver wedding cakes, ensuring that your cake receives care on the big day, offering you peace of mind. Before the day, I arrange delivery logistics and cake display details, and I contact venues and suppliers on your behalf to ensure a smooth delivery and set-up.

I charge a £35 wedding cake set-up fee for all wedding cakes and deliver locally for free. We calculate delivery to East Sussex locations at £1.20 per mile round trip, excluding the setup fee. So the closer you are to me (BN1) the cheaper delivery fees will be.

31. How much is the deposit? When is the final payment due?

I require a £150 deposit to secure your date. The deposit is due upon receipt of the cake contract and cake orders are not confirmed until this payment has been made. While we aim to keep your date free, failure to pay the cake deposit could result in other orders being confirmed and the date becoming unavailable.

The final payment due Six (6) weeks before delivery.

32. What is your refund policy if we need to cancel our order?

See our Terms and Conditions on our FAQ page for cancellation deadlines.

33. When should we expect to receive a contract?

You will receive a cake contract/order form after our initial phone consultation, provided that you are happy to go ahead and we have all the necessary information to start the ordering process. A booking is confirmed once the ‘save the date’ deposit has been paid.

Questions About Logistics

34. What delivery services do you offer?

We offer professional wedding cake delivery and cake display styling on the day. You can find all our wedding cake delivery information here.

35. Can I collect my wedding cake?

All wedding cakes above 2 tiers require professional delivery. Why? Because wedding tiered wedding cakes are delicate and require special transportation.

36. Can we freeze the top tier? Will you provide a box so we can save it?

Of course, this can be provided on request.

37. If we are renting items from you (like a cake stand), how and when should they be returned?

Hire items can be returned to my studio in Brighton by courier or in person (by appointment only) up to 7 days after the wedding date. Once returned according to our terms I will issue a refund of the deposit.

38. How far in advance do we need to order our cake?

To avoid disappointment 12 – 6 months is the ideal lead time for a wedding cake but if we have an available date in our diary then we are, of course, open to last-minute wedding cake orders.

39. When does our order need to be finalized?

Once the ‘save the date deposit’ of £150 has been paid I will block out the date in my diary and your order is confirmed. We can then continue to finalise the details over the coming weeks. I try to get all of the details finalised ASAP so that you can have the cake ticked off your to-do list. However, sometimes we may need to wait for RSVPs etc to finalise all of the details. I ask that all design changes be put to me (in writing) no later than 6 weeks before the delivery of the cake. We then make sure we have all of the delivery and set-up logistics confirmed before the final payment is due, 6 weeks before delivery.

40. How do you deliver the wedding cake? What do you do if it is damaged in transit?

With a special cake transportation cool box, I ensure my cakes stay safe and cool for up to 4 hours. Alongside that, I always bring my cake care and repair kit, stocked with spare buttercream or ganache and extra decorations. Although I’ve never needed to use it, it’s a precaution we take to guarantee your wedding cake remains flawless.

Ready to make your wedding cake enquiry?

You can fill out my wedding cake enquiry form to get the process started subsequently I will follow this up by suggesting a quick call for an initial wedding cake consultation. This way you can ask me any questions you still have for me and we can discuss your cake design and budget.

Need more wedding cake advice?

Brides magazine has written a helpful blog: How to Choose the Perfect Wedding Cake for Your Special Day from budget considerations to choosing the right cake maker for you so that you can choose a cake style that fits with your day.