PLANNING SOS 53 PLANNED TO PERFECTION How to create your dream wedding DELECTABLE DELIGHTS Ryan and Gareth from LetThemSeeCake in Victoria Park, Cardiff, (www.letthemseecake.com) reveal the things you should take into consideration before booking a cake maker for your wedding. With a long list of tasks to sort through before your big day, choosing a wedding cake should be one of the more enjoyable (and tasty) experiences of the whole process! You need a supplier with the experience to be professional and straightforward, and they need to give you confidence that they’re able to deliver a fabulous cake that will have your guests talking about it all day. How can you be sure that the cake maker you’re hiring is a true professional who will fulfil all their promises on the big day? Here are our top tips and essential questions to help you find a reliable and skilled wedding cake maker: Food hygiene rating and insurance: All top cake makers should have these as standard; the higher the rating, the better. Many wedding cake makers display their ratings on their websites or studio windows. However, if you’re unsure and want to confirm it yourself, you can always visit the Food Standards Agency’s website. While these hygiene ratings won’t reveal how tasty or visually stunning the cake will be, they are the best way to ensure your wedding cake is safe to eat. You can also ask if the cake maker has both product and public liability insurance; most will have one, but the top ones will have both! Try before you buy: Every cake maker is different, and while we use very similar ingredients, you’d be surprised at how different a cake can taste based on who has baked it. It’s always best to try some cake before committing to a large purchase and some cake makers will offer sample boxes. We own a café where you can try cakes off the counter. As we use the same recipe for our occasion cake, you can get a feel for the flavour and texture that you prefer. Ask around: You want a cake maker that has proven themselves on countless occasions; check their reviews and online presence. Is their website up-to-date and modern looking? Are there a lot of photos so you have a good idea visually of what to expect? If you’re local to the cake maker, why not ask friends or family who may have tried their cakes before? Once you’ve booked your venue and have a date set, you’ll be thinking about your other suppliers. To help you create the wedding of your dreams, we’ve rounded up local companies and asked for their top planning tips… CHERISHED MEMORIES Huw and Nia from Seren Celebrants (www.serencelebrants.com) share their top tips for finding a wedding celebrant. Look for a celebrant that you genuinely click with. Most celebrants will offer a no-obligation consultation, so take them up on it! Speaking to someone in person will give you a much better idea of their personality. Consider their style. We’re not just talking about their wardrobe (although that can be a factor). Are they modern or traditional? Edgy or boho? Bubbly and outgoing or quietly confident? Choose a celebrant that reflects your style as a couple and that of your wedding day. With experience comes knowledge – more ideas, suggestions, supplier connections and knowing what to do with hiccups – but everyone has to start somewhere! Newer celebrants are likely to have more availability and bags of enthusiasm and they can often be cheaper. Either way, check if they’ve completed training, offer a contract and are insured. Celebrants vary widely in price, and there’s someone out there to fit every budget. Check what’s included in their package and whether there are any extra costs for travel, symbolic elements or rehearsals. Check out reviews on Google, social media or directories. There’s no substitution for first-hand experience though, so ask your other suppliers if they’ve worked with any celebrants in the past. We tend to work closely with planners, venues and photographers. It makes things so much easier if your celebrant gets along with your other suppliers. The process should be enjoyable too! But check their timeframes, what’s expected of you, their communication, etc. Ask questions to find out how it all works! Most celebrants will only take on one ceremony a day, so when you find one you like, don’t hesitate to book them! www.mariefrancesca.com www.mariefrancesca.com www.lucygittinsphotography.com www.ymor.uk
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