Honestly, I have the rest of the show all planned out, but cannot decide how to decorate my dummy cakes! This is only my second show and I plan on taking 3 designs. Do you do one for each season? Stick with the same color scheme? I don't want 3 cakes that clash! Fondant or Buttercream? AARRGGHH!! 
I mostly do fondant because it travels better. Always do one classic design - ribbon, pearls, flowers. Do 1 modern and then one in a technique you've been wanting to try. Different colors are better than a single color scheme. If you do only one color scheme, I SWEAR, brides will think you can only do that one color.
Different colors are better than a single color scheme. If you do only one color scheme, I SWEAR, brides will think you can only do that one color.
Have you ever had brides think that you only do fondant cakes if your dummies are all fondant? I am worried about this because the vast majority of my brides want buttercream. (I prefer doing fondant on dummies, too.)
Always pick one that is the "WOW" factor. One show I had a 6 tier cake, used pillars, and you could see it peeking over the top of the curtain from the next aisle. Another one, I had a Halloween themed cake .... now THAT was different and a definite WOW factor. But also have the classic and traditionals for the traditionalists in the crowd ..... and something different for the trend-setters!
Different colors are better than a single color scheme. If you do only one color scheme, I SWEAR, brides will think you can only do that one color.
Have you ever had brides think that you only do fondant cakes if your dummies are all fondant? I am worried about this because the vast majority of my brides want buttercream. (I prefer doing fondant on dummies, too.)
I saw this same issue on another thread. Someone mentioned that she brought only fondant covered dummies and heard a bride say something like, "Oh I don't like fondant," and she kept walking.
I'm working on mine this week. I'm doing a variety of styles and colors since local brides only seem to order what they see. I'm doing a variety of sizes and shapes also, mainly to show versatility. I do all fondant because of it's durability but I'll have a bunch of pictures also and many of those are buttercream.
I've had the fondant problem too. I have a sign that says "for travel purposes, these cakes were decorated in fondant. Many designs do not require fondant." or something to that effect.
In the past I've taken up to 13 cakes. I'm a little OCD. And, I got asked to do cakes for other parts of the show, so that means only 10 or 11 in the booth. I know, I know, overkill, but some of them were only 2 tiers, to show different design ideas, and did I mention I'm OCD?
This time around, to my biggest show so far, I'm only taking 6 or so. Square, round, mixed shape and cupcakes are all helpful for brides. I'm doing a bunch of WOW cakes this time because I'm up against 8 other bakers who already DO traditional, classic styles. All my cakes will either fall into modern, artsy or elegant to set me a bit apart. Or so I hope.
Different color schemes are great, and I like to show my brides how to USE color while keeping their cake clean and elegant. I also put little signs on each cake to tell the bride how many it serves.
Good luck- shows are super fun to do!
I have participated in 8 different bridal shows and I do try to have a coordination between the cakes so they look good all together. In my area there a lot of quinceaneras so I incorporate cakes for quinceaneras and weddings at the same time. I cover all the dummies with fondant, but I do have a big screen showing different cakes with another frosting. I do put signs with the number of servings for each cake and a do not touch sign just in case.
I have only done one show. I chose 4 cakes, including one massibve 5-6 tier, with pillars and bling. Yes, it got attention, but not many ppl in my area order that big a cake! So, always have examples of what is big in your area, done well. I also had a cupcake tower with laser cut wrappers on the cuppies. AND, lots of bonboniere cookies with a big jar of tiny heart cookies to hand out as tasters. It was really well received! (Oh, and I took my laptop and had a showreel of my cakes (all styles) on a slikde show, so ppl could see buttercream, SMBC etc cakes, delicate sugar art, plus my croquembouches and stuff that I would NOT take to a bridal show.
Something else you can do is search "bridal show" in the galleries, that way you have an overall idea of what bakers take to bridal shows.
totally into the wow factor...you need at least one of those...try to set yourself apart from the others.
my favorite line from brides are "no I don't want to try any cake...then I say are you looking for a cake????" (HMMM why wouldn't you want to try it it;s just a sample not a 3 tiered cake)
my favorite line from brides are "no I don't want to try any cake...then I say are you looking for a cake????" (HMMM why wouldn't you want to try it it;s just a sample not a 3 tiered cake)
I actually used that line as a qualifier ... "Are we shopping for cake today?" If they are just looky-loo's, then I politely move on to the next bride in line. ("Great! You're getting your to-do list narrowed down! (to the next bride) Hi! Are we shopping for cake today?")
They absolutely ask prices and how many servings and unless you want to repeat that ad nauseum little cards by each cake with a name of the theme and that info is wonderful!!! Be ready to tell them your base per serving pricing for simple designs.
Seriously I answered the same questions 500 times or more during a 5 hours show.
Don't be afraid to speak loudly when you are answering and rephrase the question in your answer as that might help someone standing near by that would also ask you that same thing or is to timid to ask. Talk to the group of Brides standing there- that shows you are open and someone could interject with a new question and not have to wait till the other person leaves before asking you. Multi tasking!
Something with Bling, something white, something striking, something traditional, something square and whatever else your heart desires.
Brides generally look ahead a few seasons so anything goes. And something that shows a cool groom's cake would also be great.
Have one or two photo albums of your best work in an open space right in front on your table, that can be flipped through without being picked up.
And tons of business cards!!!
Have one or two photo albums of your best work in an open space right in front on your table, that can be flipped through without being picked up.
another great idea that I used was having my laptop there with a running powerpoint of all of the pics of my cakes. More than one person could view the cakes at one time and no danger of my books being picked up and walked away with!
Quote by @%username% on %date%
%body%