What's the latest cake trend?

I'm frequently asked, "How long does a cake stay "in style" and how do you keep up with the current cake trends?" I don't keep up with current trends. I actually detest the word “Trend”. Why? Because they are merely promotional tactics by the wedding industry to try to sell a bride whatever gizmo they are promoting at that time by calling it a trend and hoping the bride wants to be just like everyone else and have the very same thing that everyone else is having.

I had a cake decorator tell me that I should remove my square cakes from the website because "....square cakes are not "in", especially the baskeweave design, and brides are not ordering those." I didn't have the heart to tell her that I counted up and out of 19 consecutive wedding cakes, 15 were square and about half of those were basketweaves! These are REAL cakes ordered by my brides.So much for "expert" opinions!

Don’t be fooled by the claim of “everyone is doing THIS kind of cake”. Here’s why. A bride, who had been doing some good comparison shopping, came to me and was asking about cakes with ribbon wrapped around the bottom and scrolls/dots on the side of the cake. When she found out that I don’t charge extra for practically any design she wanted, she got excited and began looking at other designs. Her sister asked, “So you’ DON’T want the ribbon thing? I thought that’s what you wanted?”

Bride said, “I was looking at that because that’s all I could afford at that other bakery!” Turns out the other bakery was charging her $65 just to wrap ribbon around the base of the cake and was charging for every little thing the bride inquired about. The bride selected the super simple design for budget reason …. not because it’s what she wanted.

So my question to you: The cakes you see at weddings …. Are they really what the “current trend” is, or is it what the bride settled for because it’s all she could afford?

Don’t settle based on current “trend”. Shop around and get the cake you want.

What's "in style"? Whatever kind of cake the bride wants to have! Don't listen to so-called industry experts who are trying to tell you what you SHOULD want ... go with your own preferences and get what you DO want.

I had another bride, referred to me by a photographer friend, who did not want a wedding cake. She wanted just a big dessert bar. She went to all the bridal shows, talked to all the cake people there and told me that all of them told her, “Oh yes you DO want a cake!” She tried to convince them, “No….we really don’t want a cake” just to be told how sorry she’d be and she HAD to have a cake. No one was willing to do what she wanted.

So we did a fabulous dessert stand for her, made of glass and mirrors and small lights, covered with mini cheesecakes, chocolate covered strawberries, cookies, brownies and other fabulous desserts. We made a small 8” cake to sit on top for their cake cutting photo.

She and her guests just loved it! And it’s been a big hit with clients ever since. (See photo at top of this article. See series of photos at this link: http://www.flickr.com/photos/55969028@N00/2930064470/in/photostream/ )

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Debi can be reached at info@cateritsimple.com
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www.cateritsimple.com
www.bannascookies.com
www.flickr.com/photos/55969028@N00/

Introducing Ourselves!

Well, at the recommendation of a number of friends and fans, we are jumping on the blogging bandwagon!

It will be nice to have one central place to collect the ideas, tips and suggestions that we share with our brides and clients that helps them have a successful wedding or event. It might even help keep me a little organized!

I have 30 +/- years in the wedding business, starting out making wedding cakes back in the day before the internet, before the Food Network, before fondant! The method to learn was to buy a book and follow the step by step directions, and then it became sink or swim! My family, friends and co-workers either enjoyed or suffered (depending on how you look at it!) through my practice cakes that helped me hone some skills and turn my hobby into a business.
Catering was added and the business grew in unbelievable bounds. Our purpose stayed constant, though … we want to help a bride see that she can have a wonderfully elegant wedding without getting a second mortgage. We “Keep it Simple” for her by sharing our tips and suggestions, by making vendor recommendations, by letting her know our favorite stores where she can get great deals.

We got serious about it being a business and about sharing our experiences when I planned my own daughter’s wedding 10 years ago. She and my soon-to-be-son-in-law were in the Army, stationed in Washington, D.C. and we were planning a wedding in Indianapolis, Indiana. Since I’d been in the wedding industry for 20-some years, I didn’t think it would be any big deal to get things organized.

Oh. My. Gosh. Did I learn a lesson. I ran into barrier after barrier, and attitude after attitude as I went around trying to SPEND money with vendors in the wedding industry. The only thought I had was “And I know what I’m doing!! What are those poor brides and moms, who DON’T have the experience I have, going thru? How are THEY dealing with this?”

At that point, it hit me that it doesn’t have to be this complicated …. there had to be a simple process to this whole thing. And thus was born the idea of “You don’t have to cater it expensive …. You can Cater It Simple.”

I get very frustrated with untruths, exaggerated half-truths and the flat out lies that brides are told by the ‘experts’ in the industry. I also have a low tolerance for the regurgitated articles written by free-lance writers who just cut-n-paste the latest un-truth and exaggerated article that was printed somewhere.

I will warn you now that I tend to tell it like it is. I’m not good at sugar coating things that irritate me; I’m passionate about things I love; and I can talk non-stop about weddings and catering and cakes! I warn my friends frequently, “If you don’t want to know my opinion, don’t ask me …. But even THAT won’t stop me!” I don’t claim to be an expert …. I just claim to be someone who has been involved in weddings for 30 years and I’ve seen, learned and experienced a lot of situations and information that I share with my brides/clients in the interest of saving them money. For every blog/article that you read about one way to do something, you’ll find 2 or 3 that claim the opposite.

Our purpose is to try to give brides/clients an alternate point of view from someone who has been-there-done-that for 30 years. Feel free to take our suggestions and advice …. Or just hit the delete key.

In addition to our blog, we also have a monthly newsletter that goes out. Sign up now on our home page of our website at www.cateritsimple.com so you don’t miss a thing!



Our websites:
www.cateritsimple.com
www.bannascookies.com
http://www.flickr.com/photos/55969028@N00/

Debi Brim can be reached via email at info@cateritsimple.com