How much do you charge per serving?
How far away will you deliver a wedding cake?
Do you provide the flowers for the cake?
Do you provide decorations for the cake table?
How soon should I book my wedding cake with you?
Do you do cakes for other occasions than weddings?
Do you make a sugar free cake?
Is there a charge for a wedding cake consultation?
How long does the consultation last, and what does it involve?
How much of a deposit do I need to pay to secure your services?
Can I make installment payments to pay for my cake?
What happens if I end up canceling my order?
If you have any other questions, please don't hesitate to contact me at:
Q: How much do you charge per serving?
A: My cakes are not charged by the serving as you are probably most accustomed to seeing. I have calculated the total cost of cakes by the ingredients, labor, degree of difficulty and supplies needed to create each cake. The price you see listed on the PRICING page includes your choice from a wide variety of cake flavors or fillings that I have listed. Additionally, you may select a different flavor for each tier of your cake (up to three) at no additional charge. Your cake also includes delivery to most local areas, usually within 15-20 miles. One other point, I give a more reasonable estimate of serving size, so a cake that I say serves 100, someone else may say it serves 117. I think your guests should have more than a sliver of the cake. So, if you want to compare my prices with the "price per serving" method, you would have to also consider how many servings the other method accounts for. For example:
Size My servings My Price Trad. Method Servings My comparable $/Serving
13-9-6 Serves 100 $400 Serves 115 $3.47/serving
There are additional costs for cakes iced in rolled fondant, or for more intricate designs and hand made sugar art or flowers. These charges will be determined at the time of your consultation. Cakes covered in rolled fondant are approximately 20-25% extra, depending on the size of the cake.
Q: How far away will you deliver a wedding cake?
A: Upon availability, I can deliver up to three hours away. I have delivered cakes as far away as Greenville, Greensboro, Burlington, Calabash, Jacksonville, and Salisbury, NC. There are delivery fees associated with these long distances. At the *present time the formula for delivery is as follows: $1.00 per mile plus $20 per every hour of travel time. In the middle of the summer, I will only deliver fondant iced cakes distances more than 2 hours away.
*formula subject to change to reflect increasing gasoline prices
A: Rolled fondant is a sweet vanilla marshmallow flavored sugar dough that is rolled into a large flat circle and then draped and formed over the cake. (click for examples of cakes iced in fondant) It creates an ultra smooth matte finish and a rounded top edge of each tier. I use a very high quality commercial grade fondant which has a nice mellow flavor and no aftertaste, as you might have experienced with some fondant. I also offer a white chocolate fondant. It is not as white, but has a mild white chocolate flavor. Chocolate fondant is also available. It tastes like a Tootsie-roll. Using fondant to ice your cake will add 20-25% to the cost of your cake, depending on the size of your cake. If you are having an outside reception in the summer, I highly recommend the use of fondant over buttercream icing.
Q: Do you provide the flowers for the cake?
A: Usually the answer is "no", I do not provide the flowers for the cake. Most of the time you will have your florist set aside flowers and have them waiting for me on the cake table when I arrive with the cake. I am then happy to arrange them on your cake for you, at no additional charge. Also, some brides bring me the flowers a day or two before the wedding, so that I can prepare them, and then I bring them with me to your reception venue for placement on the cake.
Sometimes, when circumstances are necessary, a bride will provide me with a "floral allowance" and I can purchase roses on their behalf. There is a $10.00 convenience charge for me to purchase the flowers for them. This is only when roses are the selected flower.
Q: Do you provide decorations for the cake table?
A: No. I will however, be happy to arrange any decorations that you have left for me on the cake table and set them up. This includes additional flowers and greenery, votive candles, decorative confetti, etc.
Q: How soon should I book my wedding cake with you?
A: About 50% of my cakes book at least 3-4 months in advance. For brides planning weddings in April-June and September, you will need to book your cake 6-9 months in advance, and sometimes 12 months ahead, to secure your date. I have found that 60% of my April-June cakes were booked by October of the year before. But, go ahead and ask about availability even if your wedding is less than 3 months away, there's still 40% of the cakes that do not book months and months ahead.
Q: Do you make cakes for other occasions than weddings?
A: Yes, if it for a major event like a Bar Mitzvah, Sweet 16, or large birthday and anniversary celebrations. The minimum cake order is $300.00. That cake size usually serves about 75 guests. Delivery is included, up to 15 miles. A reasonable delivery charge is added for cakes that need to go further than that.
Q: Do you make a sugar free cake?
A: I have not yet been able to make a totally sugar free cake that is as high quality of a cake to bear the CAKE DREAMS name. I do, however, upon request, have a very low sugar pound cake, that has only 3 grams of sugar per serving. It is delicious and has a very nice texture and flavor. Any of the berry fillings and mousses can also be made sugar free as well as cream cheese filling. I cannot, at this time, make sugar free icing. Additional charges will apply.
Q: Is there a charge for a wedding cake consultation?
A: No. The consultation with cake tasting is complementary for all tiered cakes that will serve 80 or more. You may have up to three in attendance at your consultation, including the bride.
Q: How long does the consultation last, and what does it involve?
A: The average consultation lasts one hour to one and a half hours. It really depends on the size of the cake and if the bride already has a clear idea of what she wants her cake to look like. The more prepared a bride is with ideas and photos, the more swiftly we can move through the design process to the cake tasting.
After the shape, construction style, size and design of the cake are determined, I serve to you samples of cake and filling and icing. When you schedule your appointment, you will select three flavors of cake and three flavors of filling to taste at your consultation. I provide small slices of plain cake, and small dishes of your filling choices, as well as vanilla buttercream icing. You can "mix and match" the cakes and fillings so that you can try a variety of combinations.
Most of the time, I am able to draw a simple sketch of your cake. At the end, I will have prepared an order/contract form with all the details regarding your cake and accessories with a firm quote on the price of your cake and delivery.
Q: How much of a deposit do I need to pay to secure your services?
A: At the time of your cake order, you will need to submit payment of $100.00 to reserve your date and my services. This is a non-refundable deposit. At three months before your event, a 2nd deposit is due so 50% of your cake is paid at this time. This represents your "NON-Refundable" deposit.
Q: Can I make installment payments to pay for my cake?
A: Yes. For cakes that are ordered more than three months in advance of your event, the minimum payment plan is as follows:
$100.00 at the time of your order
2nd Deposit in the amount of 50% minus the $100.00 that you paid in your initial deposit is due 3 months before your event.
Final Payment in the amount of 50% of your cake, plus NC Sales tax is due 3 weeks before your event.
If your cake is ordered less than three months before your event, you will pay 50% at the time of your order and 50% plus NC Sales tax three weeks before your event.
All cakes ordered less than 30 days before the event will be paid in full at the time of ordering.
Q: What happens if I end up canceling my order?
A: That depends on how close to your event date the cancellation occurs. Your first deposit of $100.00 is always non-refundable (except for the 3 day cancellation policy required by the state for all contracts). If you ordered your cake 6 months in advance, and you cancel at 4 months before your event, you only forfeit that $100.00 deposit. If you cancel less than 3 months before your event, you would have already paid the 2nd deposit that brought your cake to a 50% paid status. In this case, you will forfeit 50% of the cost of your cake. If you cancel your cake less than 2 weeks before your event, you will forfeit all monies paid.
A: Absolutely!! I have worked with many brides who live out of state, but that are getting married here in the area. Sometimes, we work strictly over the phone and via email and fax. I have served brides whom I have never actually met in person. In these cases, I can send a sample box of cake, fillings and icing in the mail, at the brides shipping expense (overnight or 2nd day).
Most times, the bride will be in town at least once in the months before the wedding, for other planning and meetings, in which case we can schedule a consultation when she is in town and then we continue to work via telephone and email.
Regardless, I have had wonderful experiences working with brides from out of state and they have ALL been incredibly pleased with my work. They are all willing to give a recommendation, if you would like one.