Warm hues and bountiful cornucopias are making their way into event decor, and fall brides will surely want to incorporate them into their cakes. In the autumn wedding season, freshen up your cake designs by defining your customer’s vision and seeking out new sources of seasonal inspiration! Read on for tips on taking your fall wedding cake design from concept to cake.

1. Your first step is to get a sense of what your client is looking for. Determine whether he or she has any particular colors, images or accents from their event decor that they would like included in their cake design.

Special requests: Color palette of gold, white and cranberry with rustic twigs and subtle floral patterns incorporated.

2. The next step is to make an inspiration board. We find Pinterest especially useful for gathering ideas. Look for specific design elements that inspire you as opposed to finished cakes (wallpaper patterns, wreaths, party invitations and tablescapes are especially useful here).

To see our full autumn inspiration Pinterest board, click here.

3. Create a sketch of your cake. Start with a blank canvas of cake tiers. Use colored pencils and/or watercolor paints and sketch out how you see your inspiration translating into sugar. Use notes to describe each element.

Click here for more blank templates.  

4. Decorate your cake. Display your inspiration board and sketch near your workstation so they can be easily referred to while you work. While you are decorating, your plan may evolve and stray from your sketch. You might decide to add or take away from your original design once you see it on the cake.

Now it’s your turn!