We created this checklist & FAQ list for our valued customers and new clients, it has some great info-- and may answer a lot of questions that you may have after looking through our website and browsing our blog.......
Checklist of items to bring to your consultation:O Occasion Date
O If delivery: Street Address of Venue. We will not schedule a delivery without a street address!
O Contact name and phone number of event planner or venue
O Estimated number of guests attending
O Pictures of cakes or displays from wedding periodicals or websites
O Color swatches
O Any items that will give us a feel of the event
O A copy of your invitation
O Any other inspiration!
O A cake topper that you have purchased or a picture of the one you plan to use, if any.
Can I just stop in to talk with someone about a tiered or custom specialty cake or wedding cake? Generally, we ask that you make an appointment via telephone or email for any specialty, tiered cake, or wedding cake. We may be able to assist you on a walk-in basis, but it is best to call ahead.
What should I bring with me to my consultation? Before coming in for a consultation it is a good idea to have some kind of direction or basic idea for a cake as well as a guests count plus or minus 50 people. It is very difficult for us to give you a specific price if you’re not sure whether you’d like a simple three-tiered cake with fresh flowers or an extravagant five tiered fondant cake covered in gumpaste appliqué flowers with a large bow. So take a look at our website, or wedding websites such as www.theknot.com or www.weddingchannel.com or simply search “wedding cakes” and see if you come up with a few cakes, cupcakes, or dessert buffets that strike you.
How far in advance should I place a birthday cake order? Any special occasion cakes with basic designs or a photo should be ordered 2-3 weeks before your occasion. Please call and check for availability for tiered cakes.
Can I make changes to cake once the order has been placed? Additions, changes, and cancellations can be made up until 72 hours before the cake is to be picked up. Cakes which include custom sugarpaste décor require at least 4 days notice for any changes which may result in an increased price.
Do I need to pay for the cake in full when I place the order?Cakes priced over $125.00 require a 50% deposit at time of ordering. The balance is due before the date of delivery. We accept personal checks or cash- NO debit or credit cards.
Do you offer delivery?Yes, we offer delivery. Delivery fees are priced per location/town and range from $15.00 to $100.00 depending on the distance from our bakery to your venue. We charge $50.00 per hour with a half-hour minimum for waiting time. This means that if we have to wait for you at the location, you will be charged a minimum of $25.00.
How far ahead should I make my wedding cake appointment? We suggest you call to book your appointment a 1-2 weeks before you would like to come in, and plan to come in about 5-10 months before your occasion.
Is there a fee for a consultation?Consultations, which include basic cake flavor samples, are $10. That deposit will be deducted from your cake order. Additional sample cupcake boxes are available: the cost is $15.00 and includes 5 total cupcakes in five flavors of your choice.
What is the price range for specialty and wedding cakes? Any tiered specialty cake is priced per person (these are cakes that are stack on top of each other). Basic tiered buttercream cakes with simple decoration such as polka dots or a ribbon start at $2.50 per serving, our minimum price for a two tiered special occasion cake is $85.00. Wedding Cakes start at $3.50 per serving and range to $12.00 per serving. Fondant Topsy Tuvry and Sculpted Shaped Cakes start at $4.00 per serving and range to $15.00 per serving. A good rule of thumb is to look at cakes that are featured in any magazines or publications; they are usually priced in the $12.00 to $18.00 range per person. The more elaborate, intricate, and time consuming the cake design, the greater price.
I’m a bride on a budget. Do you have any suggestions?First of all, be honest with us from the beginning if you are on a budget, this is something that will help us narrow down the choices you have. But, there are a few tricks of the trade to get a beautiful cake without spending a ton of money. Say for instance, you are having 175 guests. As opposed to getting a 4 tiered cake that would actually serve 175 guests. We can make a 3 tiered cake that would feed 75 people, your florist would provide the fresh flowers. We would add a ‘back up’ kitchen cake that will be cut in the behind the scenes- your guests won’t even know. Basically what this means is if this cake was priced at $4.00 per person, instead of paying $700.00 you would be paying $300.00 plus the cost of the sheet cake (an additional $120) therefore saving $280. As long as you don’t mind seeing a smaller cake, this is a great way to get a more detailed cake while staying within your budget.
Do you make “fake” or Styrofoam layers?Some customers have asked if we could use Styrofoam as opposed to cake to ‘bump up’ the height of their cake or they think they’ll save money by having all the tiers but the top tier in styrofoam. We typically do not do this, just because of the simple fact that the same amount of work, time, and detail is put into your cake whether it is cake or Styrofoam.
Can I get a small cake from you and buy the rest of the cake I need at a Supermarket?We, at The Artisan Kitchen, take pride in the flavor and scratch-made nature of our cakes and will not take on orders which mix our product with other bakeries products in order to defer costs.
It is nearly impossible to identify to your guests where each cake originated from, we will not take on orders where a small cake is being purchased as a display and sheet cakes are purchased from a supermarket or other vendor to defer costs.
Can you send me some pictures of cakes you’ve done in the past?We suggest either looking at our website www.theartisankitchen.com or our blog www.theartisankitchen.blogspot.com, which are updated on a weekly and sometimes daily basis.
What’s the best way to contact you? The fastest and easiest way to contact us is via telephone. Email is always an option as well, sometimes it can take 2-4 days for us to respond, if you do not hear from us--please call. Emails sometimes get stuck in our spam box!
