The Top 8 Questions NOT to Ask Your Wedding Cake Bakery
When shopping for a wedding cake, it's important to ask the right questions to ensure that you get the best product and service possible.
The Knot and Wedding Wire provide a list of questions to ask your wedding cake baker, but there are also questions you should avoid asking.
Don’t Ask Your Wedding Baker These Questions
1. Don't ask who will be baking the cake.
INSTEAD ASK: who will be delivering it and what their experience is. This is important because you want someone who can handle every detail on your big day.Who will be baking our cake? Do you work with other bakers?
2. Don't ask how far in advance the cake will be made.
INSTEAD ASK: what type of cake they make (butter-based, sponge, or oil-based). The amount of time the cake is made prior to the wedding doesn't affect the flavor if it's a good recipe.
WHY ASK THIS QUESTION? I’m going to say something really unpopular here: Americans consider butter-based and sponge cakes to be dry. The amount of time your cake is made prior to your wedding doesn’t have an influence on the flavor IF it’s a good cake recipe.
3.Don't ask about cancellation fees.
INSTEAD ASK: to review the contract prior to placing your deposit and ask questions about any clauses you don't understand. A non-refundable deposit shows that the vendor values your wedding day, and each clause in the contract is based on experience.
INSTEAD ASK: I have a questions about XYZ clause in the contract.
WHY ASK THIS QUESTION? As wedding vendors, we are putting your wedding date and time aside for you. You WANT a wedding vendor to have a non-refundable deposit because them YOU KNOW that they value your wedding day.
Also, each and every wedding vendor has a contract that is based on experience. If you need clarification on a certain clause, ask why they have that clause. Most of the time, there is a story behind the clause.
4. Don't ask what happens if they can't bake the cake before the wedding date.
INSTEAD ASK: what the biggest obstacle is when delivering wedding cakes. This will give you an idea of whether the bakery is a good fit for you.
WHY ASK THIS QUESTION? The answer to this question will answer whether or not the bakery you are inquiring with is a good fit.
MY ANSWER WOULD BE: Timing. It’s very frustrating when our couples don’t communicate changes to their ceremony timing, cocktail hour timing and reception timing with us after we have confirmed the timing multiple times.
5. Don't ask if they deliver multiple cakes on the same day.
INSTEAD ASK: how you will know that your cake will be delivered on time. Communication is key, and the bakery needs to know the ceremony start time, cocktail hour start time, and reception start time.
WHY ASK THIS QUESTION? Your baker will communicate how important communicating your wedding day timing is. We need to know: the ceremony start time + address. The cocktail hour start time + address. The reception start time + address. If your wedding is tented: we will have a longer list of questions.
Delivering multiple cakes in a day is typical for a professional and trained wedding baker but arriving to your cocktail hour 2 hours earlier than the start time because you forgot to tell your baker that you changed the time is frustrating for us and often throws off our whole day.
6. Don't ask what happens if the cake is damaged during transit.
INSTEAD ASK: if a cake has ever been damaged and if the couple knew. This will give you an idea of how the bakery handles unexpected situations.
WHY ASK THIS QUESTION? Our biggest fear is the cake being damaged. When it happens, we go into MacGyver mode to make sure you never know.
One time, I was rear-ended at a stop sign 1 mile from the venue: the cake was fine. It was so scary.
Another time, I placed the cake on the cake table, went back to my van. The tent company hadn’t secured the tent side and the entire side of the tent blew onto the cake and knocked it onto the ground. The cake was in good shape. I immediately called the bakery and my staff got everything ready for me to fix it. I brought the cake back to the bakery, fixed it, brought it back. The couple never knew. Their caterer spilled the beans to the Mother-of-the-Bride the next day and everyone was shocked that it happened and that they had NO IDEA the cake had been damaged!
7. Don't ask if there will be additional fees added later.
INSTEAD: trust your gut feeling when you receive a quote. A thorough and clear quote is legally binding, and a professional bakery will have a thorough contract with clauses.
WHY? Quotes are legally binding documents. A business that is well-versed in their craft will have a thorough contract and clauses that are written to protect you!
8. Instead of asking if they are licensed and insured, ask if they have worked at your venue before and if there are any specific challenges with delivering the cake there.
WHY? This will give you an idea of whether they will fulfill the licensure needs of the venue and whether they are familiar with any potential challenges.
Many venues have particular challenges. A professional wedding cake vendor will remember each and every challenge with each and every venue.
