Wedding Cakes - Finding the Right Baker

Wedding Cakes are the grand finale to a reception - so shouldn't they be breathtaking? Here is advice on how to find a wedding cake baker and questions you should ask.

Cupcakes vs. Wedding Cakes: The Showdown!

Wedding cupcakes keep popping up again and again in the media as a way to save money on your wedding or adding a bit of whimsy to the reception. But what's the truth? Are they really a good alternative to a wedding cake? I decided to have a showdown and see who could be quicker on the draw when it came to cost, style, and tradition. Which one do you think will win?

COST - This is the big question, isn't it? When wedding cupcakes first became a trend, they were touted as a great way to save money: spend a buck or two for a cupcake rather than $4 or $5 per slice for cake. But bakers soon caught on that doing wedding cupcakes are just as much work – if not more – than a traditional cake. Every single one of those suckers has to be baked and iced. If you're doing specialty decorations, you'll need one for each cupcake. And, most bakeries will rent you a cake stand, but you might have to purchase a cupcake stand.   In the end, it all comes down to choices.

Questions to ask your Wedding Cake Designer

Before you visit a potential wedding cake baker or designer, print out this list of questions to ask. You'll make sure to cover all the bases, avoid disasters, and get the wedding cake of your dreams.

Do you have a portfolio of previous wedding cakes you've made that we can look at?

·         Will you be having a tasting soon that we can attend and try various kinds of wedding cake and cake fillings??

·         Can you supply references?

·         Will you do a custom wedding cake, or are there a set number of designs for us to choose from?

·         How adaptable are wedding cake designs, especially due to budget concerns?

·         Do you have or can you rent items like cake toppers, stands, tiers, fountains, and cutters? Will we be billed extra?

·         If I want to use fresh flowers on my cake, will you coordinate with my florist, or will I have to manage getting the flowers to you?

·         What ingredients do you typically use? What kind of icing do you use?
(Better ingredients will cost more, but will make the cake taste better)

·         How long before our wedding are the cakes prepared? How long does it take to make a cake?
(The closer to your wedding that the cake is prepared, the better it will taste. BUT, anyone who tells you that they can bake a wedding cake in a day is not telling you the truth, or isn't being realistic. Due to the complicated nature of wedding cakes, they usually take between three and five days. )

·         Are your wedding cakes priced by the slice? Is there an extra cost for special fillings or details? Will you charge extra for my design? Is there a price list I can take home with me to study?

·         Can you give me a written proposal I can take home?

·         Do you do deliver? How much does it cost? Will the delivery person be able to make emergency frosting or decoration repairs and arrange the cake table?  (For anything even slightly complicated, getting them to deliver is best. You won't want to be stuck with 150 ruined pieces of wedding cake at $8 per slice, much less on the morning of your wedding.)

In our opinion, your best choice for this very special center piece of your wedding day is Flour Power Bakery.  Cindy Olivarez, owner, is fabulous to work with & takes great pride in her work to make sure you will be happy and truly LOVES what she does...that makes all the difference when it comes to price over service as she can deliver on both, meeting if not exceeding your expectations.

Complimentary (& so yummy) tasting are done here at Aly Am Paperie, 1919 Lockhill Selma, as we wait (with lots of anticipation) for her to move in & share our area with us...thus giving you one-stop-shopping with invitations, cake & floral all in one location.

Contact Flour Power at (210) 694-9288 - Website at http://flourpowercafesa.com/

Email at flourpowercafe@att.net

Check out these cake ideas from the Knot and when you find one you love just share it with Flour Power and she will make it the center piece of your very special day!

http://weddings.theknot.com/Real-Weddings/cake/results.aspx?type=3&wedding+details=cake

This newsletter was copied from http://www.localharvest.org/ and i found it such a good read and reference...I know of a couple of our brides & clients hosting special events wanted to give their event an extra special touch while saving some money opted to prepare the foods themselves giving it that extra touch of love, should you decide to go this route please make your produce & meats local.  Big box might be a bit cheaper but they don't support our local growers and you don't have the luxury of asking the actual grower how they were grown, prep & paring ideas.

Welcome back to the LocalHarvest newsletter.
It's farmers market season, and while many of you are already experienced farmers market shoppers, we sometimes hear from people who find the whole idea a little intimidating. This month we're sharing our best ideas for how to get the most out of a trip to your local farmers market.

1. Go prepared.
2. Talk to the farmers!
4. Become a familiar face.
5. Talk it up.

For space purposes and to make sure people visit this great resource i am only going to include the headers to each section, for the rest of the article, please go to their website http://www.localharvest.org/ click on newsletters tab and select July's edition.

Top Tabletop Trends

Fairy Tale-inspired

This trend was inspired by movies like Snow White and the Huntsman and designer wedding gowns that feature light and gauzy skirts fit for a princess. Terrariums are landing on fairy tale inspired reception tables with whimsical woodland vignettes. We’re also seeing spun sugar on wedding cakes and cupcakes as well as whimsical treats like Popsicles.

Sheer Tradition

Last year everyone from Kate Middleton to Bella Swan wore gowns featuring long sleeves and lace. We’re seeing elegant lace overlays on reception tables and chairs, wrapped around flower vases and mimicked in lace patterned fondant on cakes. We’re hearing brides are loving flavored fondant to make the cakes as tasty as they are beautiful.

Hollywood Glamour

With movies like My Week with Marilyn and The Artist capturing brides’ imaginations, we’re seeing a huge resurgence of Hollywood glamour inspired receptions. Hollywood inspired receptions feature long dramatic tables for dinner as well as luxurious lounges for after dinner cocktails. Star chefs are plating food with two or three smaller bites per plate, giving guests a chance to taste multiple exotic flavors. Glam cakes are all about sugar flowers piled high!

The Ritzy Ranch

Ritzy Ranch weddings take last year’s jelly jars and wild flowers up a notch with heirloom details and gilded edges. Inspired by the nuptials of Lauren Bush and David Lauren, reception tables feature local meats and produce and tons of candlelight. Cakes are loaded with flowers, sugar or fresh, and are presented on moss-covered pedestals.

Tell us which trend is your favorite or share pictures from your tablescapes!

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Aly Am Paperie Stationery & Gifts

Great news,

We are now participating in the brand new loyalty program My Town Perks. 

 

We want to invite you, our most valuable customers, to join our new loyalty program, MyTownPerks!  You can now automatically earn loyalty rewards simply by using your own credit card when you shop with us and other neighborhood MyTownPerks merchants. The MyTownPerks merchants are all independently owned and locally operated small businesses; no chains or franchises.

So when you shop at a
MyTownPerks merchant you are

supporting local and keeping our community unique!

Register for the program once and you will be on you way to earning perks all around town.  Just look for the MyTownPerks sticker in store windows and on the Free MyTownPerks mobile app.
Please sign up here:  http://www.mytownperks.com/  It only takes a minute and it's free! Our current perk is

Visit 3 times and

get $10 off your
next purchase of $25 or more

at Aly Am Paperie Stationery & Gifts

A visit is considered $30 or more. My Town Perks will track the spending for you and once you have spend $90 and a minimum of 3 visits with us you will receive $10 off your next visit of $25 or more.  Be sure to sign up today and you will be on your way to earning your first reward.  Our “perks” will change from time to time but you will always be able to reap the rewards by continuing to shop with us for your invitation, stationery & gift needs!

Thank you

for your patronage and loyalty to

Aly Am Paperie Stationery & Gifts

A Perfectly Wrapped Company

Our Heart, Prayers & Tears go out to the families of Aurora, Colorado.  Unfortunately it sometimes takes something like this to make people slow their fast-paced life down for a moment and reflect on what is really important...our loved ones. 

Please take a moment and write, on real paper, a "just thinking of you" note and pony mail it to someone you may not have taken the time to reach out to in a while.  Or do something extra special and send them some flowers, "just because". 

If you need a great florist, I would like to suggest Christie Floral & Co.  Christina & the gang over there are great at selecting the right flowers at a great price & delivering here in the city or across the nation.  

The phone number is (210) 859-1007 or website is www.ChristieFloral.com

Whether it's a heart-felt note, a beautiful bouquet of flowers or something else...

just do something Spontaneous for a loved one today.

It's the little things in life that we treasure & remember most...Blessings to all!

Guard well your spare moments.

They are like uncut diamonds.

Discard them and their value will never be known.

Improve them and they will become the brightest gems in a useful life.

- Ralph Waldo Emerson