Roberts, bridal department manager of elé Cake Co. — formerly Taste of Elegance, located on the site of the former Woody’s at 810 E. Dixie Drive in West Carrollton — asks brides lots of questions.
“I’ll ask to see their wedding colors, I’ll ask them where their reception is being held, I’ll take a look at their wedding invitation.”
The old days of a single style of wedding cake are long gone. Some cakes have gotten more elaborate, others more whimsical, Roberts said. Or, in some cases, they’ve disappeared entirely, replaced by sheet cakes or by cupcakes, which Roberts said is a growing trend.
A new generation of brides — and brides’ mothers — has watched “wedding cake challenge” shows on TV and now recognizes the artistry involved in decorating cakes, Roberts said.
“Some of the more elaborate designs have rhinestones on them,” Roberts said.
The economic downturn has caused some brides to scale back. “You can have a special wedding day without buying a six-tier cake,” Roberts said.
And brides and grooms are showing a sense of humor in the types of cakes and in the adornments. About 90 percent of wedding cakes delivered by elé Cake Co. during Halloween Week had a Halloween theme, the bridal manager said. One groom recently ordered a beer-flavored cake for his wedding cake separate from the bride’s.
Other brides order personalized “cake toppers,” such as a groom with a ball and chain around his ankle and a bride holding the key, Roberts said. For a bride and groom who were both avid hikers, the shop made a cake shaped like a mountain, with the cake toppers dressed as hikers, Roberts said.
“People are just trying to make it more customized, and more fun,” she said.
But not every bride prefers the non-traditional, Roberts added.
“We still have the bride who wants the red carpet rolled out,” she said.
Her cake makers can accommodate that request as well, Roberts said.
Both elé Cake Co.’s West Carrollton store at 810 E. Dixie Drive and its Beavercreek store at 1279 N. Fairfield Road can be reached at (937) 384-2253. For more information, go to www.elecakeco.com.
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