Gristmill Wedding Cakes
Designing the perfect Wedding Cake
A wedding cake is the center-piece of a wedding reception. With Gristmill skill and expertise, we help you choose a cake that is delicious and beautiful, feeds all your guests, fits within your budget and provides a dessert on your first wedding anniversary. We can mix and match cake sizes, tiers and sheets to design the perfect cake for your wedding. Seeing is believing. We have a wedding cake photo gallery. If you need a printer-friendly verion, you can download our Wedding Cake Information flyer. It covers the same information as this page.
To design the cake that is right for you, we need to know several things before we can give you an accurate quote:
- How many guests do you expect to feed?
- Are you saving the top tier?
- What shape of cake do you want?
- Are you going with single or double layer tiers?
- What flavour of cake do you want?
- What type of filling do you prefer?
- What is your preference for icing?
- What plate or pillar system is appropriate for the design?
- Are you planning on fresh flowers?
- Who is decorating the cake table?
- Do you need the cake delivered and if so, the approximate distance to your venue?
- Delivery details including the quality of the road to your venue?
We can help you with these questions, but ultimately the decisions are yours and your choices affect the price of the cake.
Getting the servings right
| Double-layered Tiered Cakes | Sheet Cakes | |||
| Size | Rounds Serve | Squares Serve | Size | Serves |
| 6" | 16 | 18 | 8" x 12" | 24 |
| 7" | 20 | 24 | 12" x 16" | 48 |
| 8" | 28 | 32 | ||
| 9" | 36 | 40 | ||
| 10" | 48 | 50 | ||
| 12" | 68 | 72 | ||
| 14" | 92 | 98 | ||
| 16" | 118 | 128 | ||
| 18" | 148 | N/A | ||
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Size, shape and the number of layers and tiers all affect the number of people a cake can serve.
If you plan to save the top tier for another occasion you have to keep that in mind when counting servings that will actually be served on your wedding day.
Your main cake does not have to feed everyone. Side sheet cakes, lightly decorated and scored to facilitate serving can be added on the side to make sure you have enough cake for everyone. In some cases, ordering a smaller center-piece cake and supplementing with a side sheet cake can help manage the over all cost of your wedding cake.
Tiered cakes are generally double layers, but can be made single. Sheet cakes are always single layers. The height affects the cutting size. Double layered cakes generally measure about 4 inches in height. A sheet cake, on the other hand, measures about 2 inches in height. When cut into servings, the over all weight of the serving remains constant, but one cuts tiered (double layered) cake servings smaller than a sheet cake serving. See the table for approximate number of servings.
Cake Shapes
Wedding cakes come in many shapes and as you can see from the chart above, the shape affects the number of servings. The shape also affects the price. Round cakes are the standard shape. All other shapes are non-standard and will result in a higher price per serving.
Squares, hexagons, octagons and hearts are all possibilities, but choosing a non-standard shape will increase the price of the cake. If you are concerned about your bottom line, it might be prudent to stick with the standard round shape.
Cake Flavors & Fillings
Our tried and true cake flavors include:
- Moist White
- Rich Devil's Food (chocolate)
- Spicy Carrot
- Smooth Champagne
- Marvelous Marble
- Red Velvet
- Confetti Cake
We make our own cakes and icings, so we are able to customize to make your special occasion just a little more special. Remember customization will increase the price per serving.
Cake fillings range from our standard cream and fruit fillings, to fresh fruits and custom mousses. We recommend mixing it up so everyone at the wedding can enjoy their piece of cake!. Please note that fresh fruit is very expensive and not always possible depending on the construction of your cake. Custom and fresh fruit fillings are extra.
Cupcakes
Cupcakes have become very popular over the last few years and come ready to serve. Cupcakes may offer a more economical option depending on how you customize. Our cupcakes are available in all the same flavors as our cakes and are just as delicious.
Plates, Pillars & Fountains
Wedding cakes can be stacked in tiers or assembled using different pillar and plate systems. Each system has its own dramatic affect.
A refundable security deposit is charged for these systems and your cake will come with a list of parts that must be returned. All parts to these systems must be returned in order to get your deposit back. It's imperative to share this information with the servers so all parts are saved and returned.
We require that all pieces of the system be returned undamaged. We will provide a box in which the servers can conveniently place the system components. Systems are not modular and cannot be replaced piece-meal, so one damaged component will result in the loss of your entire deposit. These systems are expensive investments, so please respect them. They are also needed for other wedding cake orders, so please designate a responsible person to return them immediately after your wedding.
A fountain also requires a refundable security deposit and a small non-refundable rental fee. The fountain needs electricity to work. Be sure that the table is placed near a power outlet. We provide 16 feet of slack, but anything further than that is your responsibility.
Decorating with fresh flowers?
If you are working with a florist to provide fresh flowers for the cake, we need to know. Placing a finished arrangement or a top on the cake is part of our standard delivery process. If we are required to work the flowers, or decorate the cake on site, there is a fresh flower fee.
Need the cake delivered?
Cakes delivered to a professional venue within a ten-mile radious have a minimum delivery fee of $25.00. For all other deliveries, we require detailed delivery information before a quote can be provided.
We expect deliveries to be quick affairs. The table should be ready when we arrive. Decorating the cake table is not part of the delivery process and it is up to you to make sure the table is ready and level at the pre-arranged delivery time. We often have more deliveries to make.
Need a Taste?
If you are not already familiar with the quality of our cake, we recommend stopping by and purchasing a cake out of our showcase or ordering a small custom cake in the flavours you would like to try.
We do not do custom tastings. We have been making awesome cakes for 30 years! You can trust us. If you have never tried our cakes, just purchase one out of our show case!
Reserve your date now
It is never too early to reserve your date and to order your cake, but it can be too late. On average wedding planners and couples book the cake six months in advance of the actual wedding day. You can book closer to the wedding day, but the longer you wait the more you risk your date being unavailable. If you know when you are getting married then you know when you will be eating the cake, so reserve your date today.
To reserve your wedding cake, we require a wedding day reservation deposit of $25.00. This deposit will be subtracted from the final price of your cake when you pay the final balance absolutely no later than 30 days prior to your wedding day.
Prices
Prices will vary depending the factors that we have discussed above and on how elaborate the design. You should expect to spend no less than $5.00 per serving for a basic wedding cake with buttercream, no less than $6.00 per serving for a basic wedding cake with fondant. Elaborate designs, non-standard shapes, custom fillings and icing will increase the price per serving. Fountain rentals ans set-up, laying fresh flowers and delivery charges are extra. We need to understand and know all the variables before quoting a final price. Changes to your order will require a new quote and could result in a change in price.
Payment
The total amount of your cake must be paid for in full absolutely no later than 30 days prior to your wedding day, or we are under no obligation to make it.
We accept cash, check and credit card.
Changes made after final payment could result in additional charges.
For more visual examples of our great cakes check out our Wedding Cake Gallery or visit us on facebook. There is lots to like!