I am in heaven! Why? Wouldn’t you be if you had just ordered a wedding cake from the most fabulously talented cake makers at Choccywoccydoodah!

The next few blogs are all about my travels over the last few weeks with my clients. Today I am bursting to tell you about my experience so far with the Kings and Queens of all things chocolate.

When my new client asked me to help her look for a chocolate cake, she had seen an amazing design on the Choccywoccydoodah website, I was beyond excited. Of course as a wedding planner I definitely know of this team but have never had the chance to work with them before. I can’t tell you about the style of cake we looked at because it’s a surprise for our wedding in September, but I can tell you all about what goes into making such a cake and why it is so fabulous. I know whatever is in the imagination of my client this company can make them a cake to die for.

First of all when you look at the website it boasts pictures of cakes and chocolate you can only dream about but when you read that the recipes are secret and that every single thing on their cakes is Belgian chocolate and edible the swooning starts! For a chocoholic like me it is so inviting. Superb chocolatiers make your creation. You know that your cake will be hand made by experts who really care about what the create. The cake itself is made by the same cake maker so the quality can be replicated over and over.

My journey started when I wrote an email to the website for information and pricing on one of their cakes. Straight away Christian Taylor (their super duper head honcho) came back to me with all the details I needed. My email was going to be dealt with by Stephen Watson who takes the order and brief. That night I happened to be flicking the TV channels and what do I come across but a whole programme on the Choccywoccydoodah team.

For a wedding planner this is brilliant, I got to understand and see how the team work and why their chocolate cake is just about the best you can buy. I saw how careful they pack them, how much time is dedicated to make them and most of all it was really cool to see the personalities that make your cake and the thought and effort that goes into each and every one.

Stephen and I had a chat on the phone and I cannot tell you how helpful he was. My clients wanted a certain style of cake but the colours needed to echo their theme. Not a problem at all! After seeing the TV show I felt like I knew everyone and so far no one had fallen short of super efficient and enthusiastic. Now all we have to do is wait for our samples! Yes when you buy a cake you get various flavours of cake sent to you to decide what you want your creation made of. We can choose from, Scilian lemon, Syrupy ginger, tropical coconut, cappuccino and their infamous chocolate cake. There are also three types of fillings too. Sizes of cake vary on the portions you need, we are having a Midi three tier for 120 pieces.

The shops are in London and Brighton, Stephen invited me to the Brighton store when I was down that way to check out the fabulous goodies on offer. I may well take him up on his offer! Chocolate bars, and all kinds of mouthwatering  delights can be purchased from their Brighton and London stores. If you want to give your guests favours then this is certainly a great idea. I always recommend edible favours anyway, there is much more chance of them being used.

The sophisticated look!

All I have to do is now wait for the wedding which is only a few months away. If you are worried about how the cake is going to get to us in one piece, the delivery service is second to none and designed to ensure we receive the cake in perfect condition.

I hope these give you an taster of what you can achieve. These pictures you see are all the standard ones from their website but you can let your imagination run riot! If chocolate is your passion and cake your guilty pleasure then this is the company for you.

Can’t wait to show you the pictures after the wedding and tell you how the cake tasted. If you have any fabulous cake experiences why not let me know about them.

Until next time, happy planning.

The Wedding Genie was approached by Wedding TV to see if one of our couples would like to take part in their Great Cake Bake show. Bev wanted a very authentic Caribbean wedding cake made of fruit soaked in rum just like her Mum made. We thought she would really benefit from the show as you get to choose the cake of your dreams, so after a few phone calls it was all sorted. Bev really put her heart and soul into the wedding day and made so many little touches to delight her guests. She really did deserve the cake of her dreams.

We had great fun on the day and the film crewe Rachael, the series producer and Rich, the camera man were just fantastic. I make an appearance half way through so super exciting for me, it was a smashing wedding to work on. I worked with Bev and Paul for about six months before the wedding. They wanted me to help them pull all their ideas together. We had a great night of inspiration when they booked a Genie for An Evening. They went on to book On The Day Coordination.

Bev is a very organised person and really wanted her wedding day to go exactly as she planned whilst having the time to enjoy every minute, without worrying about the details. Enter The Wedding Genie!  Their comments about our service were so lovely.

“We would recommend the Wedding Genie to any one getting married. Even if you are the best organiser for your wedding plans, remember you will not be able to oversee everything on the day of your wedding.

The wedding genie took care of all the suppliers, vendors decor on the day leaving us to have a stress free and enjoyable Wedding Day.When we got to our wedding reception everything we discussed with the wedding genie was in place. Just as we imagined and dreamed off.”

We will soon have the official photographs for the blog so pop back and check out what made Bev and Paul’s day so special. If you want to speak to us about your wedding day we would love to help you. Just give me a call or email it is always good to chat.

Until next time, happy planning.

Your wedding cake for instance can be a very costly item. There are some fantastic options on the high street. If you think that these are boring options where you can’t inject your personality then think again. Take a look at these lovely styles from Marks and Spencer. would you believe that this cake is the same but decorated three different ways.

You can even choose different flavours such as fruit, chocolate, sponge or an assortment of all three. With prices from £50.00 – £199 and various sizes to suit all numbers of guests it definitely is worth looking at.

These are gorgeous too, £199.00 to feed 100 guests and they are chocolate!

If traditional is more your style then check out this lovely option below, you can decorate the cake using flowers that match your wedding theme. There is even a video to explain how to put the cake together.

The web site is very user friendly and answers all the questions you can think of. Waitrose is another high street option that you can use too which also has a super selection. If cupcakes are more your style then both websites offer a good choice. One of the best things about ordering your cake from these stores is you don’t have to book months in advance so for last minute weddings they are a great option too.

If you have any budget saving ideas you want to share then send them to me and I will feature them on the Wedding Genie blog. Email or call me we love to hear from our readers.

Until next time, happy planning.

Cakeydora How it all began!

After years of making cakes for her own children Pauline gained cake orders through word of mouth. As the orders came flooding in Julie helped out and gained knowledge passed on from her Mum. This in turn led to Cakeydora being born.  The name Cakeydora is the name my Mum was christened by my Dad due to her always being in the kitchen beavering away on cakes, so it seemed like the natural choice when choosing the name of our Business!

At Cakeydora we are passionate about baking and design. We are always developing new designs and recipe ideas to make our cakes stand out and taste fantastic. Along with your cakes we also provide Wedding favours in the form of cookies and cupcakes. These can be personalised with an edible message or photograph, our gingerbread men and ladies are a firm favourite as well as our more recent “Hollywood icons” cookies! Cakeydora has featured within several publications including “Your West Midlands Wedding” magazine and counts one of the leading High Street names within the UK as their clients.

Cakeydora’s Top Tips for Choosing your Wedding Cake

How many guests have you got attending?

This will determine the size of the cake you will need. Make sure this is enough for all your guests. If you decided to cut the cake at the reception so that your evening guests can see your cake prior to it being cut, then you will to take into account the extra guests. Equally, you don’t want too much left over that may go to waste.

Set A Budget

The price of your cake will naturally depend on the size, type (flavour) and number of tiers and the complexity of the design and decoration. If you opt for a large cake with a lot of detail, you will be pay considerably more than a less extravagent design.

Consultation Service

Find out if your chosen baker is willing to arrange a consultation meeting with you. This will enable you to run through your ideas and also taste samples of possible cake flavours, yum!

Cake Type

You want your cake to look amazing but you also want it to taste amazing! It’s worth considering the following when choosing the cake flavour(s)

• When will you be serving the cake?
• If serving as dessert will the cake go with cream/fruit?
• Do you have children attending?
• Do you want to keep a tier for after the wedding? If so this would obviously need to be fruitcake.

Decoration and Design

Your baker should be able to guide you through the design process and give advice on choosing decorations and colours that work with your theme. Your cake should reflect the overall feel of the day: pick and choose elements that will compliment each other.

Be Prepared

When visiting the baker it’s a good idea to take along photographs and designs of the the type of cake you would like. i.e. shape, colour, display options. This will be a great starting point for your baker and will also save time.

Colour Swatches

Providing your baker with colour swatches is a great way for your baker to make sure you cake will match up with your theme, where colours can not always be matched 100% it will be possible for them to blend and compliment each other.

Display

Decide how you wish your cake to be displayed i.e stacked, on pillars or on a stand? If your cake will require a stand ask the baker if they can provide one for you to hire for the day.

Delivery/Setup

Does your baker provide a delivery service/set up service? If so is there a charge?

Time

Don’t leave ordering your cake at the bottom of your “to do list”. Good bakers are often booked well in advance so to avoid disappointment book early!

Well thanks Julie for great advice. If you are on a strict budget consider serving your cake as a dessert, or let your guests take a piece home as a favour. Your venue or wedding planner will be able to sort that out for you. I hope you liked today’s blog it has certainly made my mouth water. Julie and Pauline will be showing their cakes in Birmingham at Debenhams wedding fair this weekend. Go along for a taste and chat.

Until next time, happy planning.

It does beg the question of how you keep to the wedding tradition of cutting the cake. You can always ask your supplier to bake a small round cake to adorn the top of your cup cake tower. I have to say thats exactly what we did at our wedding. For the non traditionalists amongst you why not get photographed feeding each other a little piece of cup cake!! Our brides at The Wedding Genie are individual, stylish and fun so this idea may really appeal.

I happen to have met a most fabulous cup cake designer called Sarah Barnes, who runs Blue Door Bakery. You may have seen her mentioned on our blog in the past. Today we asked her how she started her business and to give her tips and advice when choosing cup cakes. To make your mouth water even more we feature some of her cakes for inspiration.

Sarah, how did you start your business and why Cup Cakes?

I’ve always baked wedding cakes and special occasion cakes for friends, I was being asked to make more and more and decided to take the leap into professional baking about a year ago. Blue Door Bakery was formed and the rest, as they say, is history.

Delicious love heart design

If you are Choosing Cup Cakes what should you ask your supplier?

Cupcakes need to be fresh to enjoy them so we make them no more than 36 hours before delivery. They are hand made in small batches, because you can really taste the difference! Check the ingredients used, for instance we use local Shipton Mill organic flour, free range eggs, real butter and the best vanilla and chocolate.

Fabulous for a tea party or summer marquee wedding

What flavours do you make and what is your personal favourite?

I make many flavours and always try to cater for any special requests! Some of my favourite include Peanut Butter Cupcakes, Mint Choc Chip Cupcakes, Red Velvet Cupcakes and Rocky Road Cupcakes, yum!

Rocky road!

How do you decide on your designs?

All of our cupcakes are designed in consultation with the bride and groom, to tie them into their tastes, colours and themes. We aim to make cupcakes as individual as your wedding.

Butterfly Heaven

What should a Bride and Groom do if they want you to bake their cupcakes?

We have a minimum order of 24 cupcakes so we can concentrate on wedding orders. Sometimes couples have seen exactly what they want and they get in touch, tell us what they want and book in. Other couples visit for a consultation, tasting and general chat to help get some ideas and discuss cake options, either before or after booking to secure a date with us. We are happy with whichever they prefer, we do love to talk about cake! Our prices start at £1.90 per cupcake.

What if Brides want to make their own Cupcakes?

We have recently started running two cupcake decorating classes. This first is a 1.5 hour session, Cupcake Decorating Workshop, it covers making and using various icing types, piping buttercream icing, making decorations and you leave with your own box of 12 cupcakes. The classes are perfect for hen parties and cost £25.00 per person. The other class is Creating Your Own Wedding Cupcakes, this workshop is 2.5 hours long and is £35.00 per person.

Well I for one may take one of those classes, if you want any more information email sara@bluedoorbakery.co.uk.

Well I hope we have given you a taste!! excuse the pun, for cupcakes. I for one may take one of those classes., if you want more information email sara@bluedoorbakery.co.uk

Watch out for more supplier blogs over the next few weeks.

Until next time, happy planning.

Dare I say it Christmas is approaching fast. The nights are drawing in and all you want to do is curl up in front of a roaring fire and sip mulled wine.

I thought I would give you  five tips and ideas to make your wedding stand out this christmas. They will be posted  on our blog over the next week so check it out, we have some great ideas for all things xmas!

As you can see from the picture today its all about cake! We love cake at The Wedding Genie and I came across these absolutely gorgeous cup cakes at Blue Door Bakery, Sarah makes the most wonderful creations. I just could not resist sharing them with you.

Your guests will love this idea, you can serve them as a dessert to cut down costs. Alternatively they could double up as favours which you could attach christmas labels to. Pop them in some see- through square cake cases packed with a sprig of holly. There are various flavours, including chocolate and mulled wine, scrumptious.

www.bluedoorbakery.co.uk

These are just mouth watering, and if you have a silver winter theme they will be the perfect match.

Pop them in these type of boxes if you want to use them as a favour.

www.littlecupcakeboxes.co.uk

If you want to email me your top tips we will post them on our blog.

Until tomorrow with another Christmas Top Tip, happy planning.

We have to say we did not know this was possible until last week. My mother in law had her 70th birthday, she loved the card we bought her, which had a beautiful art deco picture on it. We took the card to the cake shop and lo and behold it was photocopied on to edible sugar paper, framed with icing, and hey presto we had the most gorgeous looking cake.

Wedding Cakes don’t have to cost a fortune these days either, Marks & Spencers,  and Waitrose do the most lovely cakes. You can buy them plain, then decorate them with flowers, or cake toppers to make them unique. They come in various flavours, from chocolate, to fruit so you don’t have to compromise.

I hope this idea might inspire you to think about how your cake can portray you and your partner, and make your guests smile. To help you, and for fun, take a look at some of the unusual cake designs around, your imagination it seems is the only limit.

www.brides.com

www.novelty-cakes.net

DIY there must have been some major issues!!

www.rainbowsugarcraft.co.uk

Quirky and unusual.

Why not send us your ideas for unusual wedding cakes and we will publish them on our blog. Contact us we are always happy to hear from you.  Wedding Genie have lots of ideas like this to help inspire your special day, why not call or email to find out our availability for A Genie for An Evening service designed to get you inspired.

Until next time, happy planning.