Things I've Learned This Wedding Season

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Phew! Wedding season is officially over and I've finally caught up on emails and sleep! Over the last few months, I have learned so many lessons that I would like to share with you.

1. I am very short and weak. I attempted to carry a 3 tiered cake, that weighed probably 20-25 pounds and I couldn't do it. Lifting dumbbells is way easier than holding out a board perfectly level, straight out in front of you, especially when it is taller than you. My goal during my "off season" will be to get some muscles at Achieve Therapy and Fitness so I will be fit and ready for the 2017 wedding season!

2. Related to #1. Make sure the cake stand provided can support the weight of the cake, as well as the width of the cake. I recommend using a cake stand that is the same size as the cake board or a little wider, to ensure the cake is as stable as possible. The cake board is always 2" wider than the diameter of the bottom layer of cake so that is a good way to measure for cake stands. It is also important for the plate to be completely flat and level. Any slight angle can make the cake slide to one side. Having legs on a cake stand may make the cake wobbly, especially if they are different lengths. Fun fact: according to mathematics, 3 legged stands won't wobble. Here is my proof. When in doubt, go with a 3 legged base or a real sturdy single legged base. That's enough of a lesson for today.

3. Cream cheese is dangerous during the summer. I thought I perfected my recipe to avoid a melting malfunction. However, when it is 80 and humid, there isn't much you can do besides watch it start to melt, stick it in the fridge and hope for the best.
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4. Always make extra flowers, some with stems, some without and let them dry. It is better to be safe than sorry! 

5. Always have a contact person. I have been in enough weddings to know that most people have a personal attendant or point of contact for their venues. I'm not sure why I never thought of it before, but it helps to have someone for me to contact if something goes wrong. What if I can't get into the venue? What if the cake tips over? I will have to tell someone! From now on, I require a contact person for all weddings. I don't want to bother the bride and groom on their wedding day.

6. Relax. About halfway through wedding season, I was very tense and always worrying about something. I'm not sure if I started to relax or if my confidence went up (or a little of both) but wedding cake decorating and delivery went a lot better when I wasn't clenching my jaw the whole time. Practice makes perfect, right?

Now that I have had time to process that somehow summer is already over and how much fun I had decorating these cakes, I, again, remember that I love weddings. My brides and grooms were all so much fun to work with.They all had such cute ideas and everyone involved was so happy-you could definitely feel the love! As stressed as I was this whole summer, I would do it all over again in a heartbeat. So bring on the wedding consultations!! If you know anyone getting married, spread the word!