I love to share. Today I'm sharing the crazy customer of the week. I had a meeting the other day with a bride and her mother, so far normal right? Okay so the theme of the wedding is rustic, wild flowers, mason jars, shabby chic. After the cake is decided the MOB ask me about the cake stand. I told her I no longer rented my silver stands, so providing the stand was up to them. So here is where is goes a little off the rails. MOB says "oh we want to use a piece of wood, you know like a section from a tree." I say "that has been real popular lately, just make sure it's cut level so the cake won't look like it's leaning." They look at me and MOB says "oh we wanted you to supply that." Me "well mam that's not something I can do, you will need to have someone cut that for you with a chainsaw." Her "but can't you do that?" In most serious face I looked at her and said "they took my chainsaw away, my husband even keeps the butter knifes hid." She just looked at me kinda strange like. Oh well, I booked the wedding anyway.
This was a chance for some easy profit...find someone who can make the stand for you and get a quote, then see if the customer is willing to pay that price plus your markup.
I mostly thought it was bizarre to ask the person who was making the cake to fire up their chainsaw and chop down a tree. Plus they thought that need to be part of the cake price.
I've seen several of the tree slabs online for a hefty price. The ones I've seen are suited for smaller cakes. The base of her cake was 16 inches, that's pretty good size tree. And if it's a square cake, you need a whole lot bigger tree.
Growing up I've seen my share of trees cut and it ain't easy to get an even section out of a big tree. Ever slab I've set a cake on was whopper dankled to one degree or the other. We have over 100 acres of woods on our property and some big trees but I'm not sawing down a 50 year old tree for anybodies wedding.
"Ever slab I've set a cake on was whopper dankled to one degree or the other."
"Whopper dankled". . . . is that a local saying? I love it!!!
this is so timely for me! Last weekend i saw two BEAUTIFUL and giant slabs of wood that fell out of a truck on the side of the road. One is 20" across and 8" high and the other is an oval on top of 18" x 24" tapering down to a 16" base. also, nearly perfectly level. I strained my back hauling them up and into the back of my SUV--the wood was still pretty green! I'm not sure what the wood is, but it is pretty. Now i need to find a belt sander to level it out and then finish them...and probably hollow out the base to make them lighter! Then i'll have some giant wood cake stands to rent. (and i bet the trend will be over by then )
Oh and I forgot to mention this...it was important that the bark still be one it and intact.
cakeyouverymuch....I'm from way down in the southern united states, we say all sorts of weird things. I got a million of them.
lorieleann, you are blessed. With my luck they would have fallen off the back of the truck and through my windshield.
I guess this natural thing is all the range . I just made campfire cupcakes for a camping babyshower .
carmijok, I know but I didn't want to sound all high falutin'. I'm a simply country girl.
dawnybird, it was sorta cattywompus on that one side.
Well beins how I's allready done got thar with the cake. I's shorely bumfuzzled when I laid eye on that thar stump. It was the most whomper jawed cattywampus mess I'd seed in a month of sundeys. Ida clare I's gonna have a conniption. So's I figgered they wus tetched in the head thankin that confound stump was gonna work. Bless their hearts.
Probably b/c I've never tried to type "southern". It's like txt spk for the South.
LMAO!!! I have banjo music playin in my head readin this thread!
I really want the "rustic" stuff to go away. It was cute at first but now it's right up there with purple ribbon on the cake.
LOL!!!
SammieB...now don't you all go agettin yer feathers ruffled. Wye afor long you be able to tipe all sorta fancy thangs.
FromScratchSF...paddle faster. I'm afraid rustic is here for a while. I've had a dozen calls in the past week wanting "county chic" what is that anyway? I'm guessing it involves stumps and mason jars. Next time I encounter another whomper jawed, cattywampus stump there better be some "shine" in one of them mason jars for the cake lady.
Is so shamed rite now readn dis here thrad, I done let my slab dried out at its a got a big ole crack in da side. DH tole me to cote it within some of dat poly stuff (food safe of course) dat I have. Dang it.... Whel jus buttr my butt and call me a biscuit!!
Southern Girl Here... Born and raised... Now living in the Midwest
Ya coulda tole um to KYG!
Anyway, I got my slab for free at a Threshing Show, the sawmill was just cutting them off left and right, I asked for one and he just gave it to me, then I left the darn thing in the trunk of the car and it dried out and cracked. Guess it makes it a little more rustic!
HobbyCaker, yall speeking my kinna langwedge. Goes to show you can take the girl out of the south but you will NEVER take the south out of the girl. And that's a mighty fine lookin' stump.
dawnybird, this is what my youngest son says "well bless their hearts, they mean well, God love em." Looks like I raised him right.
Several of us cake decorators in Australia are trying to beat out that vintage/rustic/country bandwagon with a large stick.
So far, every second bride walking through that door still wants to be doing a "vintage/rustic theme".
Some of my clients though, are happy to have me design something new!
When I started getting a lot of request for the rough/rustic/stucco iced cakes I thought WTH!!! Well sure it's easy money (and I do mean easy) I shouldn't complain but I don't understand paying that kinda money for something that looks like my 13 year old son iced.
Oh and the bling with rustic, yep had a few lookers but thankfully they rethought it. It truly is lipstick on a pig.
Sure, go to the woods and find Shrek.. he will do it for you w/ out a chain saw..
Seriously, I have seen this and I thnk it is very natural looking and very nice..
leah_s, thanks for the website, I'll pass the info along to the customers. I may have to purchase a few things for myself as well.
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