TOTALLY off topic, but..

Status
Not open for further replies.
WinkDesign

WinkDesign

New Member
Oct 7, 2006
153
9
0
Princeton
www.winkdesigngroup.com
State / Prov
MN
I value your opinions. Well, most of em, anyway!

Well, things went obscenely well at my meeting with that reception hall.. OMG it's gorgeous! The kitchen is amazing, the owner and I got along AMAZINGLY well, and not only are things going ahead with her renting me the kitchen and proceeding with the cakes.. she's talking along the lines of in house decorating/floral. Long story.

Anyway.. I'm now working on the basics.. setting a flavors menu, etc etc. I think I've narrowed it down to a coherent list and descriptions.. I'm curious as to your thoughts on my tentative selections?

Designer Cake Flavors:

Amaretto - Chocolate or white cake with Amaretto mousse filling. Consider an Amaretto mist or soak to complete the effect!

Autumn Glory - The tastes of fall! Cinnamon, clove & nutmeg spice cake, cream cheese filling

Banana Nut Supreme - A rich banana nut cake with cream cheese filling - with or without raisins

Black Forest - Dark chocolate cake, cherry liqueur mist or soak with cherry & creme filling

Chai Spice - A unique choice! Brewed black tea is used in the baking process.. along with vanilla bean, cardamom, cinnamon, cloves & nutmeg for a delicious cake! Vanilla creme filling completes the effect.

Coconut Cloud - Coconut white cake with coconut creme filling

Erin Go Bragh - Chocolate or white cake with whiskey mist and Bailey's Irish Cream filling. Consider a green vanilla cake for St Patrick's Day weddings!

Mocha Love - Vanilla or chocolate cake with mocha mousse filling. Consider adding a coffee mist or soak!

Pina Colada - Lightly rum flavored pineapple & coconut cake with coconut creme filling and rum mist or soak.

Raspberry Dream - White or dark chocolate cake with rasberries & Chambord soak

Red Velvet - A southern favorite. Rich, chocolatey red cake, layered with cream cheese filling.

Summer Berry - White cake with lemon zest, summer berry mousse filling and fresh berries.

Turtle - Dark chocolate cake, caramel and pecans with chocolate ganache filling.

White Chocolate Pistachio - White chocolate cake with pistachio mousse filling

Zesty Lemon- A lemony white cake, complete with lemon zest, sweet lemony soak, and lemon buttercream filling!

Designer Decorating Options:

Fondant - Our specialty! Delicious vanilla, chocolate, or flavored “fabric” is used to create the cake “art” that is so popular now. From subtle to sublime, pastel to neon.. extremely versatile and stunning!

Ganache - Rich White, milk, or dark chocolate & cream combination used to fill and decorate cakes.

Also consider.... Chocolate Shavings, Chocolate tiles, Coconut shavings.. and more!
Click to expand...

Felicity.. I swear.. drool, spit, whatever you do to your monitor with this post.. I'm so not paying for the replacement!
 
WinkDesign said:
Felicity.. I swear.. drool, spit, whatever you do to your monitor with this post.. I'm so not paying for the replacement!
Click to expand...

OMG...I'm drooling! I won't make you pay for a replacement if you send me a cake!!!

I was going to pick a favorite but, how can I? They all sound delish! Your descriptions are scrumptious. Don't forget to add flowers to the list of "designer options"!!

YUM!
 
Love them all but my favorite is summer berry and white choc pistachio
 
OMG. I was going to put gumpaste flowers as part of the description of options.. figure non-food stuff like ribbons, fresh flowers, etc were just a given. I'm gonna add the "food" flowers.. should I list ribbon, fresh flowers, etc?
 
WinkDesign said:
OMG. I was going to put gumpaste flowers as part of the description of options.. figure non-food stuff like ribbons, fresh flowers, etc were just a given. I'm gonna add the "food" flowers.. should I list ribbon, fresh flowers, etc?
Click to expand...


Wouldn't that be kind of upsell customization kind of thing? Like balloons or chocolates are for us??? Any time I have gone to a cake taste test, I have been given the list of flavors and then you pick the design after you have picked the flavor...
 
WinkDesign said:
OMG. I was going to put gumpaste flowers as part of the description of options.. figure non-food stuff like ribbons, fresh flowers, etc were just a given. I'm gonna add the "food" flowers.. should I list ribbon, fresh flowers, etc?
Click to expand...

You *are* a florist, too...aren't you ;) I definitely would!! That way you are also letting them know that they can do their flowers too! Kill two birds with one stone :)
 
lori042499 said:
Wouldn't that be kind of upsell customization kind of thing? Like balloons or chocolates are for us??? Any time I have gone to a cake taste test, I have been given the list of flavors and then you pick the design after you have picked the flavor...
Click to expand...

That's sort of what I was thinking.. I figured mentioning the gumpaste flowers would just be to say I could do it.. probably dumb. I think I'll stick with the flavors and actual finishes (chocolate tiles, etc etc)

Heather.. no worries :) The site will still prominently feature the flowers, so will everything else. This is just cake-specific ad pieces to give out to the caterers, shops, etc that want to recommend me! At the wedding shows, it'll be in addition to my regular floral ad pieces.
 
WinkDesign said:
That's sort of what I was thinking.. I figured mentioning the gumpaste flowers would just be to say I could do it.. probably dumb. I think I'll stick with the flavors and actual finishes (chocolate tiles, etc etc)

Heather.. no worries :) The site will still prominently feature the flowers, so will everything else. This is just cake-specific ad pieces to give out to the caterers, shops, etc that want to recommend me! At the wedding shows, it'll be in addition to my regular floral ad pieces.
Click to expand...


Now my question to you is....How will you juggle doing the flowers for weddings and doing the cakes for weddings??? They are both very time consuming and a lot of risks with both fields...Do you think it is going to be too much and burn you out??
 
Nah, I'm obscenely good with time management!

That, and with my "one wedding a weekend, start to finish" business model.. it works fine. I have help when I need it, and lot of what I do, I do on the "not busy" days.. Sunday-Wednesday... leaving me to go ape@@@@ Wednesday-Saturday :)
 
WinkDesign said:
Nah, I'm obscenely good with time management!

That, and with my "one wedding a weekend, start to finish" business model.. it works fine. I have help when I need it, and lot of what I do, I do on the "not busy" days.. Sunday-Wednesday... leaving me to go ape@@@@ Wednesday-Saturday :)
Click to expand...


Aha, I thought you did more weddings on the weekends.... should be easy then.
 
Nope. I cater to more of a "full package" sort of bride - Flowers, favors, stationery, decor.. etc. I like marrying all my skills together for a coherent look, and I prefer being able to make sure ALL the details coordinate in this sort of way. I'm a bit "Type A". :) It's probably not for everyone, but I enjoy it and do well with it.

It sounds like I may end up doing 1 regular wedding, and maybe a standalone cake or two aside from it.. time will tell. These past couple of weeks have been insane, and the business have evolved more in that time than it has in the past couple of years. I was perfectly happy with home based, now it's looking more and more like hubby's business and mine will go in on a big studio type arrangement for all of our facets. Cool beans! :)
 
WinkDesign said:
Nope. I cater to more of a "full package" sort of bride - Flowers, favors, stationery, decor.. etc. I like marrying all my skills together for a coherent look, and I prefer being able to make sure ALL the details coordinate in this sort of way. I'm a bit "Type A". :) It's probably not for everyone, but I enjoy it and do well with it.

It sounds like I may end up doing 1 regular wedding, and maybe a standalone cake or two aside from it.. time will tell. These past couple of weeks have been insane, and the business have evolved more in that time than it has in the past couple of years. I was perfectly happy with home based, now it's looking more and more like hubby's business and mine will go in on a big studio type arrangement for all of our facets. Cool beans! :)
Click to expand...


Nice to ba able to do all of those different things....I like it..
 
It's almost 4PM and I haven't had a lunch break....Your list looks so yummy...I am nearly to the point of tears!!!!
Girl You have more energy than a whole shop full of designers! Your Brides are very lucky to get you, I would imagine they will soon be adjusting their wedding dates to get a winks wedding
 
Wink, you are no longer in my good books... :( Just reading the dam n list made me gain back 35 of the pounds I just lost!

I love love love lemon cake, so that would be my personal favourite. I also really like your business plan.

V
 
I just gained 10 pounds reading this post!
 
K guys, need ya to cross your fingers for me!

Tomorrow morning is inspection time! I baked the inspector a bribe/thank you cake :) He's a sweet old man, I'm so glad he's able to do this on such short notice!

Here it is. It's my turtle pecan cake - dark chocolate cake, dulce de leche/chocolate sauce/pecans for fulling.. chocolate buttercream, chocolate fondant.. yum. Hubby's boss is getting one tomorrow as well :)

So ya.. cross your fingers! If I pass.. maybe I'll bring Chez a cake and she can make you all jealous :)
 
  • Like
Reactions: 1 person
Status
Not open for further replies.
Top Bottom
Back