Wedding cakes and desserts

Charles Gomez4 said:I’ve had the exact opposite experience with them. Total lack of professionalism, to say the least. But hey, everyone's different...

What happened?

Bradley Jones9 said:I suppose there isn't much point in requesting a different flavor for every single tier if everyone is only getting one slice anyway, right?

We went looking for variety—could have just stuck to one. There were more slices than guests, so people could easily grab a second piece. We ended up with almost an entire bottom tier left over after the reception. Honestly, the cake was delicious; the decorations aren't the main event. I get why brides obsess over fancy frosting and sugar flowers, but the guests don't care about that—they just want it to taste good. If the flavor is off, all those extra decorations and the massive price tag you paid won't mean a thing.

Nathan Cox25 said:We went looking for variety—could have just stuck to one. There were more slices than guests, so people could easily grab a second piece. We ended up with almost an entire bottom tier left over after the reception. Honestly, the cake was delicious; the decorations aren't the main event. I get why brides obsess over fancy frosting and sugar flowers, but the guests don't care about that—they just want it to taste good. If the flavor is off, all those extra decorations and the massive price tag you paid won't mean a thing.

Actually, the more I dwell on it, the more I find myself liking the idea of offering different flavors... Not everyone is going to love a single flavor profile, so providing a few options seems more sensible... plus, I doubt everyone is going to eat their fill, so some people will probably end up with a second slice anyway...

stormyrider47 said:Hey, I'm looking for some reviews on the pastries and cakes from Lida... anyone actually tried them?

The pastries are alright, but their cupcake cake is a total disaster—haven't tried any of their other cakes yet.
A bride at a wedding was so let down by the cake that they didn't even charge her for it, even though it was their catering. It was just basic yellow muffins with zero filling—no cream or cherries—just some plain frosting on top.
Anyway, their cupcakes go for about $2 each, but honestly, it's not even worth $0.67 because they're so dry and bland.
Vincent makes amazing cupcakes!
That bakery, M&M, freezes their cakes with gelatin, so when they arrive at a restaurant and sit out at 40 degrees, they start melting. The decorations slide right off—and if they have bright colors, by midnight the cake looks like a toddler colored on it.

Bradley Jones9 said:Actually, the more I dwell on it, the more I find myself liking the idea of offering different flavors... Not everyone is going to love a single flavor profile, so providing a few options seems more sensible... plus, I doubt everyone is going to eat their fill, so some people will probably end up with a second slice anyway...

As if waiters are gonna ask guests which flavor they want. They just serve whoever is at the table next.
And $500 for the decor 🙂🙂
For $1500 you could get a cake for 300 people made entirely of hazelnuts and they'd still make a fifty-fifty profit.😍

rowdyjackal922 said:It isn't as if the servers are going to poll the guests about their flavor preferences. They just serve the courses in order.
And $500 regarding the decor 🙂🙂
For $1500, you could probably get a cake for 300 guests made entirely out of hazelnuts, and even then, the venue still walks away with a fifty-fifty split on the profit.😍

Well, I suppose you could certainly get a cake for 2,000 people, but it really comes down to what someone wants... it’s all a matter of taste, and as they say, there's no arguing with personal preference.😁

Bradley Jones9 said:Well, I suppose you could certainly get a cake for 2,000 people, but it really comes down to what someone wants... it’s all a matter of taste, and as they say, there's no arguing with personal preference.😁

Well, if you're gonna be such a diva about it, just go with their cake—and honestly, let the groom foot the bill, who cares? 😍
Two flavors should be plenty—maybe something chocolatey and then something light and fruity.
Where can I find some photos of their cakes?

rowdyjackal922 said:Well, if you're gonna be such a diva about it, just go with their cake—and honestly, let the groom foot the bill, who cares? 😍
Two flavors should be plenty—maybe something chocolatey and then something light and fruity.
Where can I find some photos of their cakes?

You're lucky if your partner covers everything, though I suppose he's lucky too.😍😍😍
Search for them on Facebook; try typing in Creme de la Creme (if I recall correctly, they’re probably the only ones without an accent in their name).
So, what you're saying is chocolate on the bottom and something light on top—I think that sounds like a good plan.☕

Anyone here who's already married 😍 ever dealt with the whole homemade dessert thing—you know, stuff from mom, a mother-in-law, or some distant aunt...?

I know there’s some kind of rule out there, but I can’t quite remember the specifics—something about needing a certificate or whatever, and how some restaurants won't even touch them unless they come straight from a bakery.

Does that really just depend on the restaurant?

I honestly think we’ve reached a point where no small-time bakery owner is going to take the risk of selling treats without having all their certifications perfectly in order...

Of course, you could always just pick up a few pounds from a commercial supplier and handle the rest through a home kitchen setup—if that's even allowed anymore—🤷

To be fair, I've never actually had anyone ask me to see my paperwork, but if they ever did—well, I'd have been totally covered...

feralmoose32 said:I honestly think we’ve reached a point where no small-time bakery owner is going to take the risk of selling treats without having all their certifications perfectly in order...

Of course, you could always just pick up a few pounds from a commercial supplier and handle the rest through a home kitchen setup—if that's even allowed anymore—🤷

To be fair, I've never actually had anyone ask me to see my paperwork, but if they ever did—well, I'd have been totally covered...

Fair enough. Now for a stupid question though—what’s the point of the certificate anyway? Does it have to come from some big-name bakery or something? Why? And I don't get the part about people "risking" anything... risking what?

Think about it—it’s actually pretty common for more people to end up with salmonella than you might realize...
I mean, the health inspectors aren't exactly going to be hunting down some local lady running a bake sale out of her kitchen just because she served some questionable pastries, right?

The point isn't that the certificate has to come from some big-name, high-end bakery—it can be from any food vendor or establishment, really—it just serves as proof that everything being sold meets all the necessary hygiene and safety standards...

There’s no official certification—they just need a business license. It’s mostly about liability, so if someone gets food poisoning, the restaurant isn't left holding the bag. Honestly, if you're in a place like Chicago or NYC, you’re basically forced to buy your pastries from 99% of the restaurants, cafes, and hotels out there—I doubt that 1% of places making their own even exists. In other parts of the States, though, you see people bringing in homemade treats a bit more often.

feralmoose32 said:Think about it—it’s actually pretty common for more people to end up with salmonella than you might realize...
I mean, the health inspectors aren't exactly going to be hunting down some local lady running a bake sale out of her kitchen just because she served some questionable pastries, right?

The point isn't that the certificate has to come from some big-name, high-end bakery—it can be from any food vendor or establishment, really—it just serves as proof that everything being sold meets all the necessary hygiene and safety standards...

got it. makes sense.

Nathan Cox25 said:There’s no official certification—they just need a business license. It’s mostly about liability, so if someone gets food poisoning, the restaurant isn't left holding the bag. Honestly, if you're in a place like Chicago or NYC, you’re basically forced to buy your pastries from 99% of the restaurants, cafes, and hotels out there—I doubt that 1% of places making their own even exists. In other parts of the States, though, you see people bringing in homemade treats a bit more often.

we're mostly hitting up rural farms, taverns, pubs, meadows... stuff like that.
maybe we fall into that 1%...

thanks, things are clearer now.

Anyone checked out Jan's winery yet?

Yeah, everyone's getting paranoid and asking for receipts now. I think if you bring your own lamb or suckling pig, they don't bother asking—but honestly, it’s just as risky if the meat's gone bad or if flies get to it and ruin everything (😁), much like those pastries.

stormyrider47 said:Hey, I'm looking for some reviews on the pastries and cakes from Lida... anyone actually tried them?

I suppose it might not be entirely fair to judge based on just one or two pastries, but whenever I head over to the Avenue Mall, I always stop by Fifty Fifty for their cheesecake and the blueberry cheesecake—it's catered by Lydia 😍 and honestly, it's divine... so I haven't even bothered stressing about where to get a wedding cake because it's definitely going to be Lydia. Now, I don't really know how their other sweets stack up, but then again, I'm not much of a cake person myself, especially when it comes to those heavy, creamy ones. To be honest, I haven't even been to a wedding with a truly great cake yet.

As for the cupcakes, I assume you pick out the flavors and styles ahead of time, so I'm not quite sure if this girl who ended up with yellow muffins left the cupcake selection entirely up to them or what. They have all sorts of varieties and they look brilliant... but obviously, you should go taste them beforehand.

Lydia generally serves very good food, so their desserts probably follow suit, but I guess you should definitely check for yourself.

So I just finished a massive four-tier wedding cake, and guess what? Not a single soul at the restaurant even blinked.
There was a whole spread of homemade desserts too, and still... total silence. Nothing.

Nathan Cox25 said:Anyone checked out Jan's winery yet?

Yeah, everyone's getting paranoid and asking for receipts now. I think if you bring your own lamb or suckling pig, they don't bother asking—but honestly, it’s just as risky if the meat's gone bad or if flies get to it and ruin everything (😁), much like those pastries.

At our venue, they told us that even if we source the lamb and pork ourselves, we still need official certification, and it has to be delivered in a refrigerated truck—the exact same rules they apply to the cakes. We actually gave out little jars of our own honey as wedding favors, and just to be safe, we brought along our certification too, just so there wouldn't be any confusion about whether we knew what we were doing.

On topic: The confectioner and those four chocolate flavors🙏🙏🙏 It was hands down the best wedding cake ever!!! I had it at a wedding right before ours and was absolutely blown away, so none of the other options even stood a chance.

Hey guys, does anyone happen to have the number for that lady over at St. Helena? I heard she makes killer desserts 🙂

Hey ladies... I’m brand new here! So, my fiancé and I just sat down with our parents to hammer out some wedding details, and we decided on a little twist: we’re going to have a traditional cake for ourselves, but serve cupcakes to all the guests instead... hehe
I’m really curious to hear your thoughts on this idea. I know it can end up being a bit more expensive—some specialty ones go anywhere from $10 to $5.00 each—but I think it’s such a fun concept and everyone will be totally blown away 😍 ...
Has anyone else actually gone this route for their big day? Hehe 🙂))

That’s a massive crowd of girls. Usually, you get a classic cake on the top tier and then just assorted cookies for the rest. Some places charge the same as they do for standard slices—might be worth asking around. And $5.00 thinks that’s not much, but back home, a regular slice used to run us $4.00.