Edmonton Wedding Cake Designer

Business Name: LauraBella Custom Cakery

Website: www.laurabellacustomcakery.ca

Email: debra@laurabellacustomcakery.com

I am so excited to be finally featuring Debra from Laurabella Custom Cakery up on my blog today! She is an Edmonton Wedding Cake Designer, and that is how we initially met. She has designed a few wedding cakes for weddings I was photographing, and we always bump into one another at Bridal shows too. She’s amazing at what she does, so have a read and learn more about her!

How did you get started and what is your culinary background?

Like most cake designers, it all began for me with the births of my daughters; Isabella and Lauren (the namesakes for LauraBella Custom Cakery). Isabella was having her 2nd birthday while I was pregnant with Lauren. Since the chef who was living next door hand made Isabella’s 1st birthday cake, moved away; I was on my own to make the 2nd year one. It was a disaster, to say the least!

How long have you been creating cakes?

I was paid for my first cake in 2011. I was licensed and insured in 2014.

How many weddings do you do a year?

In 2018 I created 39 which is a little lower than the previous couple of years. I attribute the decline to the economy. The whole wedding industry has been slower over the last couple of years.

What sets you apart from your competition?

I would say a few things set me apart from other designers in the industry. One being the exclusivity of using Chocolaterie Bernard Callebaut™ chocolate in all my confections. This high-end chocolate is melted into the batters of my cakes and even my cookie dough. Being the only cake designer within the greater Edmonton region to have a cake studio built in my backyard also makes me unique. I have the luxury of being close to my daughters but still separate my work from my home life.

What is your favourite thing about your job?

Cake! I have the greatest job – everything about what I do is joyful. From weddings to celebration to even divorce cakes; it’s always a happy occasion. I also love being able to do what I do from my backyard.

What types of cakes are guaranteed to be a crowd pleaser?

All of them! From the classic, sugar-floral wedding cakes to the personal, custom birthday cakes. I invest a great amount of time ensuring the flowers look real and the fondant caricatures depict exactly what they are meant to.

What flavors and fillings do you offer?

I have many cake flavors to choose from. From the classic chocolate and vanilla to my favorite; Earl Grey Tea.

As for fillings, my Buttery Buttercream has been named “To Die For” by clients. It really is a favorite. A tasting information sheet is emailed to the couple prior to our meeting. Along with information to help the couple with the procedure of the tasting, they receive the flavor listing. They choose 3 cake flavors and 3 filling flavors to try.

Is there a trend you have noticed with wedding cakes?

The color for 2019 is a very pretty coral. I haven’t been asked to make a cake with this color yet, but the season is still early. Metallics like gold, silver and rose gold are still popular and have been for the last couple years. There is still a mix of buttercream cover cakes and fondant covered cakes.

What do you do in advance of the wedding day to build a relationship with your clients?

Meeting with my couples is one of my favorite parts of creating their cake. I take an hour with them and we eat cake, drink coffee and talk “cake”. During this time, I get to see how the couple interacts with one another and get a sense of their personalities. Along with the photo I take of each of my couples, I am able to create their cake with them in mind.

What is the biggest thing your couples rave about after their weddings?

That there was No Cake Left! The couple goes on to tell me “no one eats cake at the wedding”. I just chuckle and refer them to the over 100 reviews I have on WeddingWire that say “the cake tasted amazing – there was none left”!

Do you have any tips for potential couples who are starting their wedding planning?

I ask my couples to bring pictures, color swatches, ideas, the dreaded Pinterest boards to the tasting/consultation all in an effort to provide me with inspiration on what exactly the couple is aiming for with their cake. Plan to be asked for this information by your cake designer. The funny thing is I’ve had couples come in with one idea and end up with something all together different. The more we talk and I listen to them, sometimes their pictures aren’t exactly what they want.

Any other thoughts you would like to add?

I love what I do and am so blessed to be able to do it from home. The commitment that I guarantee to my couples is I will do everything I can to make their dream wedding cake a reality. I have been trusted with one of the most visual parts of the wedding and take this responsibility very seriously.