Hi everyone,

So, I have a 50th wedding anniversary cake coming up in a couple of weeks. The bride contacted me - a cake for about 70 guests, her colours -chocolate brown, a taupy gold and cream gerbera daisies. I started working on some ideas, 2 tiered cakes with gumpaste flowers, brown and gold scrollwork from their invite.
I met with the couple last night to discuss these ideas....since we spoke her daughter did a sketch of what she thinks would be nice.... 2 separate cakes, 1 square 1 round, the square cake on the table, the round on a stand of some sort to make it higher behind the square. No flowers, brown letters and a little bit of gold scrollwork on only one corner of the square cake and the front of the round. I tried to talk the B & G into stacked.....nope, they don't want to have to deal with unstacking to cut. Showed some ideas of other ideas - 3 cakes on a different height stand. Nope, really want 2 cakes - 1 square, 1 round.
Anyone done anything like this? Any ideas on how to make the cakes look cohesive?

By using the same colors and scrollwork you will have a uniformed look to the cakes. In the end what they want is what their daughter drew. They don't want you as a designer, they want you as their baker. I went thru this, on the other end, last fall when I had a bakery make my vow renewal cake. I designed it and I needed someone to bake it (my dh insisted I would be too stressed and too busy to do the cake myself..and it's still a regret of mine). I walked into the meeting apologizing. I explained that I had a design and was wondering if they would be able to make it for me. In the end they were VERY gracious and did what they could to do what I asked. BUT, while very pretty, and close to my sketch, they just didn't have the ability, apparently, to do what I knew I wanted and so I didn't get exactly the cake in my sketch. So your client knows what they want, just try to come as close as you can to give it to them. As for the stand idea...make sure they supply the stand and that you know what it looks like and the true dimensions of it so whatever board you put under the round cake will truly fit on the stand they have chosen.
I know it's not as fun as making the design yourself and being hindered by their vision but that's the way it goes sometimes. So make the classiest cake you can with these boundries.

Cat