Of String Work, Calla Lillies, And Long Transports...
Decorating By Chef_Stef Updated 6 Jun 2006 , 6:32pm by Chef_Stef
Some ponderings on an upcoming cake: Feel free to comment at will--I'm just going to ramble a bit...
1. My next bride wants all white callas (3 on each tier--pillar construction--3 tiers) on an all-white cake, EXCEPT for triple drop-string work done in Royal Blue on all tiers. BUT--no blue in the borders, no blue in the flowers, possibly blue in a fountain, if I get one. Somehow I can't picture this with just that bright blue string work and no blue elsewhere; someone throw me a bone here? Any ideas? Plus, the simplicity of callas and the sort of un-simplicity of drop strings seems like an odd blend, but I can't get her to agree to blue anywhere else, so I'll just make what she's asking for, but I have all these gorgeous ideas swirling around in my head!
Oh, and also thank GOODNESS I double-grilled her about her flowers. She originally said white LILIES. So I went and bought a huge bag of 2 kinds of white lilies but couldn't decide. SO, when I was asking her for more details, I said I'd seen callas at the store that were the right color...and she said, "Oh yeah, callas are what's in my bouquet." 
I was like, "ummm--you said white lilies before, not callas." SO, whole new design with just 3 white CALLA lilies (NOT Oriental lilies, of which I have a huge bag now)....I have begged her to come and sit down with me to go over this together here in person, but she lives two towns away and never comes down here, so we're doing this all by phone and by whatever questions I can think of to ask her, so I'll get this right.
2. I've only done string work once, and it turned out great. What I'm wondering is how well will it transport for an 1 hour and 10-minute drive to the site in the trunk in warmish June 24 weather? It's not roasting hot here or humid by them, but still... My last one I drove about 15 minutes in March and had not a glitch. Just wondering ahead of time. I suppose I could transport it without the top shell borders on and be prepared to fix anything when I get there and apply borders then.
3. I'm supposed to at the wedding as a guest (in lieu of paying me a huge delivery fee to drive the distance, she just invited us to the wedding--dear girl! 
). How is it going to work to do the set up and still be AT the wedding?
4. AND--the cake is going to be OUTSIDE and, she said, not under ANY SORT OF COVER. Wha-attt? 
She's pretty young and sort of like "whatever" about everything; like if it's too hot or it rains, "oh well!" so I guess I'll just do my best and hope for perfect weather.
Any comments, ideas, tips, reminders, boo-hiss sounds...? lol
Thanks for listening to me ramble...it helps to get it in writing, so I can see the issues in front of me.
Outside without a cover???? Be sure she signs a waiver for that! I'd use all Crisco with butter extract, and use water instead of milk in the BC. As for the color and flowers, give her what she wants. The blue would look better with an ivory color BC (less stark contrast), but if she wants white...oh, well. I think BC drop strings hold up better than royal icing strings, but I'm not sure; amybe someone else can help you with that. Give yourself plenty of set-up time, then go to the wedding (if you want to). Considering it networking! Don't forget to have fun making the cake!
well I deliverded a wedding cake with triple drop string work in BC and it stayed together fine,you should have no problems there.I can't pic blue strings w/o some where else to tie it in but she's the bride I also agree that it would look better with ivory than white but oh well.good luck with that weather 
I may sneak in a bit of blue elsewhere by wrapping the cake base in exactly the same blue matching satin ribbon. 
I'm really looking forward to this one, actually, but I'm still going to work on her about the blue. I'd like to see a bit of tiny blue filler flowers or blue borders. We'll see...
I have a portable gazebo with (hey!) a blue cover. I may just bring it along, just in case... 
Oh, man, she needs to allow the artist to make some of the calls here. I think you should make it pretty and color balanced, then let her sue you. 
I have a wedding cake coming up for a bride who wants a choc fondant cake with quilting, but she wants a top border on the cake. I think it will ruin the design. I'm telling her that I'll see what the cake looks like put together then make a decision on the top border. I believe that when I put the fondant on, the edges won't be as sharp and the border will look like it belongs on some other bride's cake. The cake will be otherwise mod looking.
I'd be freaking out about the blue strings. I can never get around a whole cake without several breaking and needing to be redone. I would be afraid of the blue coming off on the white icing .
Blue filler flowers or ribbon are in order here. Hopefully she can find some other wedding details to obsess about and you can do what you do best.
Keep fighting the good fight
I agree about the blue fillers and ribbon!
I can just see callas on top, blue ribbon at the base, but probably not ribbon with string work...?
Ah well. I'll just do exactly what she's asking for and let her have it I suppose. Thing is, she's young and (like DH says), she probably doesn't *know* what would look best.
I'm with ya on the fondant--Resist the border! Resist it! lol That would belong on a different cake...you're right. 
Maybe if you drew a (color) sketch of exactly what she's asking for (and either scan it or even mail a copy to her) then she'll see how odd her choices would actually look.
You could also do a sketch with your suggestions, and maybe that will convince her that you know what's best!
I am so new at this it isent even funny, so I have no advice to give about makeing the cake, but I have an idea about transporting it...
What if you put plastick or something down in the bottm of your trunk, then put the cakes in, and then packed the trunk with gallon sized ziplock baggies of ice somehow so that they dont touch the cake. Would that work? I know that when my fridge went out on a friday once, I did that and it kept my food from spoiling all weekend, so it may put off enugh cool air to keep your cakes from melting....
If thats a stupid idea, dont be afaid to tell me so, I can take it! LOL
Good luck on your cake, I know that it will be great!
huggs
Val
I've been drawing and sketching, and I can sort of picture it. I did return the regular lilies and got a bunch of callas--really beautiful lifelike ones that are perfect. Still can't picture them with stringwork though. Scroll work, now, THAT I can picture...
I thought of sending her copies in the mail (she has no internet), but it seems too time-consuming, since I'm going to be gone for the week between now and the wedding anyway...
Since she seems pretty fixed on that Wilton Class III cake I did, at least I know I'll know how to do it, lol! I'm just going to make her exactly what she's asking for--she doesn't seem open to any suggestions or changes, or doesn't understand them...
I like the ice pack idea--thanks!
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