Happy Monday!!
Today we are taking a look behind the scenes with Our Favorite Cake Designer, Jenny’s Wedding Cakes. Jenny does some of the most gorgeous work you’ll ever see… Read on below to see Jenny’s take on hiring a cake designer, how to develop the design for your cake, and, my favorite – what her dream cake would look like!
Boston Hearts Weddings: What is the process behind creating a cake design for a client?
Jenny’s Wedding Cakes: When I meet with my clients the first thing I do is ask about the whole wedding including all the details of the reception to get a feel for their style. From there I ask if they have any ideas for cake styles. At this point sometimes they have pictures to show me of certain colors, fabrics, dresses, flowers,plates, etc. We then go through lots of my pictures to get some ideas together. I draw sketches while they are looking at my portfolio, to create a cake all their own based on what we have just talked about and what they point out to me from my pictures. Once we have a few sketches we can alter the design as the rest of the planning process comes together.
BHW: What are the most important things for a bride to look for in their cake designer?
JWC: I think that trust is crutial in finding a cake designer, as well as all their other wedding professionals. You want to make sure your designer has come highly recommended, and you want to feel comfortable with whom you have chosen. I think the industry is large enough so that no one has to work with anyone who is not friendly!! Make sure you are working with a contract, I can’t tell you how many phone calls I’ve gotten from frantic brides weeks before thier wedding because their baker has backed out!!!
BHW: What are some trends you’re seeing in the cake world for 2010?
JWC: There are some really exciting trends coming out this year! Colors are bold, like teals, more oranges like last year, and blues. I am seeing lots of peacock feathers, along with all the colors of the feathers themselves. We are also seeing lots of metallic (gold and silver especially) and sparkles, gems, and glitter. On the opposite side of the spectrum, romantic, highly textured cakes are still very popular. We also do a lot of very flowy, unstructured and natural looks with hand-made sugar flowers. We are doing a lot of cake table designs, meaning a wedding cake placed in the center of a buffet talbe with lots of antique pedestals and other interesting vintage cake plates filled with cupcakes, petit fours, and smaller cakes placed around to create a lavish and dramatic effect. Grooms cakes are getting more and more popular each year too!
BHW: If you could design your dream cake, what would it look like?
JWC: Ah! My dream cake, I’d have to have several I think! I do gravitate to more of the delicate designs, soft colors and very fluffy sugar flowers. One of my favorite cakes was just a light greenish-yellow fondant cake with a sugar bamboo border and large white magnolias all made out of sugar. I had designed the cake after seeing a Martin Johnson Heade exhibit at the MFA and came back inspired by his paintings of Brazilian plants, flowers and birds. I also love really highly textured cakes in white, maybe covered with sugar roses, stephanotis or dogwood.
BHW: What should a client do to prepare for a meeting with you to talk about cake design?
JWC: Some of my clients come with inspiration and some don’t, either way is fine with me! The most important thing is that they feel comfortable coming here and we try to make the whole process fun and stress free!! I never want anyone to feel like they are un-prepared. Some brides don’t really know what they like till they come here and see a cake in my portfolio. A wedding date and location is really all they need, oh, and an empty stomach for tasting our samples!
To see more of Jenny’s work, visit her website and blog!
XO
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