Hi! Carly here from Away with the Mixer Cake Artistry, welcome to my first blog post. It’s taken someone else to ask me to do it for it to make it to the top of my To-Do list. Thank you Sinead for giving me the extra shove and for shining a light on my work!
I am a self-taught modern cake designer now specialising in weddings, working from my home studio based in Newry and Mourne. I have been creating wedding cakes for the most stylish and creative couples since 2016 and have been nominated 2 years running for Northern Ireland Wedding Cake Designer of the Year.
If you happen to have seen my recent wedding cake collection, which I showcased at an exclusive exhibition at Finegan & Son in Newry, you will know that I like to do things a little bit differently. From abstract hand painting, origami, geometric details, pops of colour, metallic accents, bas-relief, lots of texture and quirky toppers, to, naked cakes adorned with fruit and flowers and edible gold leaf, it’s safe to say this is my signature style.
For me, cutting the cake is one of the most important wedding traditions and so I take great pride in being able to create a truly beautiful centrepiece that radiates with your personality and style and tastes every bit as good as it looks.
My favourite part of my job (aside from setting up a finished wedding cake) is getting to know you as a couple and chatting about all of your carefully chosen details over freshly brewed tea and a wide selection of delicious cake flavours. I love this stage when anything is possible. The more information you can share with me regarding a colour scheme, theme, dress details, floral choices or décor hire, the more I’ll be able to guide you through the design process.
If you are feeling a little overwhelmed at the thought of planning all the details, I’m going to share with you my top tips for booking your wedding cake designer (and possibly any wedding vendor):
- Research, research, research! Look at a wide selection of previous work, if there’s a distinct difference in the quality or style of designs over a short time don’t be afraid to ask if the photo advertised is their own work; read at least 5 reviews, make an enquiry and make a judgement on the quality of service, you want someone who is genuinely interested in all the details of your wedding day and committed to creating the cake of your dreams.
- Save the date! As soon as you have booked your reception you should contact your cake maker to save your date; this can normally be done for a small booking fee even if you have not decided on design or size. Wedding vendors are being booked up to 2 years in advance and I’ve had cakes booked for 2020 since Jan 2018. If you are set on a particular date and would like to commission a specific cake designer to create your wedding cake then the more notice you can give, the better, so as to avoid disappointment.
- Create a wedding mood board. Pinterest is a great place to save all your ideas so that you can share it with all of your chosen vendors. This will give them a better indication of the overall look/feel and will be able to give you a more tailored service. The more of your vision you can share the more you will get back from your vendors in terms of bespoke styling.
- Try before you buy! Meet the designer and book in for a tasting and design consultation. You may recognise the flavours on the menu but every baker will have a different recipe with little tweaks or secret ingredients that may taste different to what you expect. Of course you want the cake to taste as amazing as it looks so this is an important part of the process and as one of my brides, Kathryn acknowledged, it was her husband’s favourite part of planning their wedding.
- Budget! If your cake is an important part of your day, and you want it to be created by a specialist wedding cake designer, be prepared to pay for the time and skill it takes to design and execute. If you get a quote and it looks too good to be true- it probably is. Cheap cake isn’t great and great cake isn’t cheap. If you have a budget in mind, let your designer know and they will only be too happy to make appropriate suggestions and show you what they can offer.
If you are intrigued to find out more about what I can offer for your wedding day, and want to see what else I get up to when I’m not creating dreamy wedding cakes, you can find me in all the usual places, online over at AwayWithTheMixerCakeArtistry.co.uk, Facebook or Instagram – let’s talk cake!
Happy wedding planning!
C x
