Hi,

I'm a hobbyist.  I offered to make my friend's wedding cake.  I met with him and his fiancé and she gave me a picture of her dress.  I have incorporated elements of the dress (i.e. draping, ruffle roses) into the cake design.

I am terrible at sketching.  I do have a sketch prepared (for my own use), but I'm afraid that she will get scared and think that the cake will be awful.

I thought about finding examples of the techniques I'm prepared to use, and sending those pics to her, but I don't like the idea of sending out pics of other people's work, because there is always a chance that she will misinterpret something and be disappointed, or not understand that it is an example of the technique and not exactly what will be on the cake.

This cake is a gift - aka free - so is an explanation of the techniques enough?  I also am sort of set on what I am prepared to do and given that it is a gift, I don't feel like changing my design.  This cake will be saving them several hundred dollars (if not $1,000), after all.

Am I a jaded cake meanie?

AI would provide a sketch. That way you make sure both you and the bride are on the same page. Free cake or not, this is her wedding cake. I would rather pay for a cake I want then get a free one I hate - especially for my wedding.

I joke with my brides that I draw like a 3 year old, so don't panic when you see the sketch. No one has ever said anything about my lack of sketching skills. I show them pictures of cake I have done in my portfolio, so the bride knows the quality of my work. That is more important than the quality of my sketch.

Exactly ^^^

And if you can't draw certain techniques,  there's no reason not to show her a picture of cake where it was done, even if it's not yours. If you think it won't look quite as good, then say so.  In their heads, customers often think there's only one way to do something, so they will give an ok thinking they understand.  But you know there's probably a hundred ways, so you must communicate effectively with her. And visuals are the only way.

AOk - bad sketch it is! I agree with her having the cake she wants - my post this morning was written pre-coffee and grouchy. I was even grouchier when I saw how bad my sketch looked!

AI freely admit to drawing stick cakes.

Don't feel bad about your sketches. I can't draw to save my life but it doesn't reflect on my skill as a cake decorator, except when it comes to lettering. LOL My handwriting is bad off and on cakes. :( Needless to say I don't do a lot of lettering.

Thanks everyone - happy to see that I am not the only one who can't sketch!

I am seeing the bride next Friday to review the sketch and finalize design.  Hope she likes it!

AAnother poor sketcher here! I tell them my talent lies with sugar, not paper :-D

Good luck :-)

AI do stick cakes too and I include a 'mood board' of cropped examples: as many as possible of one's I have done.

I have two regulars who must see a full colour sketch exactly as the cake will be..... it's pretty annoying but I don't mind once a year just for them; I use photoshop and import pictures and use layers to draw accurately over them, it's geeky and takes a good hour!