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  1.  
    • Bride of Frank
      CommentAuthorBride of Frank
      Just marriedBadgeBadge
     
    Anyone making they're own cake? We on a really tight budget so was planning on just getting the cheap, plain one from M & S but in all honesty its just not me and it really doesn't suit our colours etc. So I've been looking into making my own and after looking at some books in the library and the cake decorating section in sainsburys, I actually think its do-able. My OH is doubtful though. Partly I think because I am not that experienced in cake making and partly because he thinks I'm taking too much on already because I'm also planning to do the flowers, hair and make up and venue dressing myself. So just looking from some reassurance I guess that is possible to do. I have bought some supplies from sainsburys today, like cake mix and icing and stuff, as I figured I will need a bit of practice, so I guess I'll soon find out if I'm a natural ;)
  2.  
    • Officially Mrs M
      CommentAuthorOfficially Mrs M
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    There are lots of classes that can help if u research. Also I would do a few practise runs and consider possible dummy tiers

    Members signature icon
    8th September 2012 I married my best friend
    1st September 2014 our little family grew by one

    Women are made to be loved, not understood. - Oscar Wilde
  3.  
    • NataleeM
      CommentAuthorNataleeM
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    i was thinking about this to and there are lots of videos on you tube to help, but i have decided against it now as i dont want to have to worry about it xx



    Can not wait until I marry the man of my DREAMS <3
  4.  
    • Mrs T. 2 Be
      CommentAuthorMrs T. 2 Be
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    have you looked on W@itrose? A friend of mine got hers from there (and cupcakes) and was lovely. You could get a white/ivory cake and perhaps get some ribbon/cake topper in your colour scheme?

    Members signature icon
    Started Dating: 25th September 2005
    Engaged: 26th September 2012
    Getting Married: 25th May 2014
  5.  
    • CatherineR
      CommentAuthorCatherineR
      Is poweruserJust marriedBadgeBadge
     
    Yep, making ours :) love baking and started up our own cake business recently so I can't wait till I can get practicing! xx

    Members signature icon
    Married my wife on 15.08.15
    Honeymooned on the Isles of Scilly :)

  6.  
    • ValentinaK
      CommentAuthorValentinaK
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    Why not buy the plain cakes then embellish them yourself? My aunty is making the cakes and icing them plain... then I'm gonna use something like sugar veil lace myself and a ribbon with a brooch that matches a brooch on my dress (been lucky to find a brooch that matches it and shoe clips too!) I'm gonna practice over the next few months by decorating a cake at christmas and for my sisters birthday cake.

    Members signature icon
    And we lived happily ever after!


  7.  
    • Bride of Frank
      CommentAuthorBride of Frank
      Just marriedBadgeBadge
     
    Thanks for the replies ladies. I think if I did it I would have to do the whole cake, as its not the cake itself I'm worried about, more the decorating of and also I don't think I want either white or ivory. I have been looking at red or brown fondant coloured cakes online, so if I wanted that I'd have to do it myself.

    Officially Mrs Mann - Dummy teirs! I hadn't thought of that, might have to look into it, thanks :)

    Mrs Rodgers to be - I get the impression your cake will look a lot more professional than, as it sounds like you're more experienced but good to know I'm not alone. I might have to pick your brains, once I get going :)
  8.  
    • CatherineR
      CommentAuthorCatherineR
      Is poweruserJust marriedBadgeBadge
     
    Well I'd HOPE it would be a professional ish looking cake although whether it is I don't know ;) I've never baked a 3 tier but done a 1 tier so may speak to my aunt and grandma who have done family wedding cakes before! I have designs in mind and am starting to collate ideas for our big day so I'll post some pics for you when I have some ideas! Feel free to msg/contact me if you need help, here to advise if I can! :) xx

    Members signature icon
    Married my wife on 15.08.15
    Honeymooned on the Isles of Scilly :)

  9.  
    • CatherineR
      CommentAuthorCatherineR
      Is poweruserJust marriedBadgeBadge
     
    Can you unrestrict your profile so I can add you as a friend?!

    Members signature icon
    Married my wife on 15.08.15
    Honeymooned on the Isles of Scilly :)

  10.  
    • Princess2be
      CommentAuthorPrincess2be
      Ticker backgroundIs poweruserJust marriedBadgeBadgeTicker foreground
     
    Practise practise practise!!xx




  11.  
    • Officially Mrs M
      CommentAuthorOfficially Mrs M
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    Also support is key, do each tier on its own cake board and put dowels in the cakes before icing so it has something other than the cake to support it

    Members signature icon
    8th September 2012 I married my best friend
    1st September 2014 our little family grew by one

    Women are made to be loved, not understood. - Oscar Wilde
  12.  
    • Bride of Frank
      CommentAuthorBride of Frank
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    Mrs Rodgers to be - I think I've unrestricted my profile now - hopefully ;)
  13.  
    • CatherineR
      CommentAuthorCatherineR
      Is poweruserJust marriedBadgeBadge
     
    Nope, you are still restricted honey! :( x

    Members signature icon
    Married my wife on 15.08.15
    Honeymooned on the Isles of Scilly :)

  14.  
    • SarahC903
      CommentAuthorSarahC903
     
    I am making my own cake, but I have done a diploma in sugar craft....This makes me no professional cake maker believe me, but it helps.

    I am also having dummy tiers, so I get the effect of a big grand cake, but I don't need that much cake.
    I know you are trying to save money, but if you could invest a day of your time and probably about £100, you could do a basic cake decorating/tiered cake course and believe me, what you will learn in that day will be worth it.

    I'm assuming you're a beginner, so I have some tips but please except my apologies if you are more advance than I give you credit for...I'm not trying to teach you to suck eggs!!
    There are some tools I recommend you do invest in to help you, this won't cost too much.
    A cake leveller - this will enable you to cut perfect layers for your cake so you don't get that dome from where the cake rises
    A small, angled pallet knife - this is essential for a good crumb coating (required if you are covering a sponge cake)
    A Smoother - this is the best tool to run over your icing once you have iced your cake.
    Dowling - a must for tiered cakes, you don't want them sinking into one another!

    I use a website called cakestuff to buy all my stuff, it's cheaper than using a cake shop or somewhere like hobby craft.

    I hope that helps, good luck!

    x
  15.  
    • CatherineR
      CommentAuthorCatherineR
      Is poweruserJust marriedBadgeBadge
     
    Thank you so much honey - That's a great help, I had already looked up the types of things we'd need but it's so helpful hearing it from someone who knows what they are doing!! x

    Members signature icon
    Married my wife on 15.08.15
    Honeymooned on the Isles of Scilly :)

  16.  
    • WelshBrideBethan2015
      CommentAuthorWelshBrideBethan2015
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    Like the other practice is the key thing . Are there any cupcake or bakers which are local owned? Only reason I say this in my area there are some new shops and they do evening and afternoon cake sessions normally for cost of what you use and maybe a few pound more , a few mates have done this and wow from what they were like at start to now in only a few sessions you would of sworn they were experts .

    If not maybe something in a college in evening or community centre ?
    Another option is look at Gumtree as a friend got hers from there went and met and tasted options but as this company were taking off they were using gumtree as starting advertising as well as the book of face .

    Members signature icon
    Somehow always connected , finally became friends .
    Friends became soul mates :)
    Engaged 6th July 2013
    <3 <3 Married my best friend 11/7/2015 <3 <3
  17.  
    • Bride of Frank
      CommentAuthorBride of Frank
      Just marriedBadgeBadge
     
    I don't seem to be able to figure out how to unrestrict my profile but I'll give it another go in a bit :)

    I've been having a practice today at cake decorating with icing and fondant flowers. We have decided that the best way to go might be to buy the M & S wedding cakes and for me to decorate them, which I think is well within my capabilities ;) The reason for this change of mind was because after looking into making them from scratch, I noticed that all the recipes involved using Ganache and as its cream based, I'm assuming that I'll have to make it the day before the wedding, which seemed like a massive undertaking when I will be decorating the venue and dealing with the flowers that day too. Not only that I was concerned about the storage of the cake with it having fresh cream and also the fact that it will be sat out on the table at the venue, unrefridgerated for about 7hours. I know this must be the norm for wedding cakes because its a common ingredient but I'm a worrier and I know that I just be worried that I'd given everyone food poisoning so I'll just stick to the decorating I think.
  18.  
    • MrsX2b
      CommentAuthorMrsX2b
      Ticker backgroundIs poweruserJust marriedBadgeBadgeTicker foreground
     
    Sounds like a good idea just having to decorate it. I was going to diy mine but it was working out quite expensive still. I didnt want to have to buy the cake tins stairs etc and setting it all up on the day of the wedding would be to hard for me. I was going to buy the m & s cake slab blocks and have a dummy cake but I have now ordered mind from a lady as her prices were really good, One of her best sellers is a 10 tier for £375. Most wedding cake makers would only sell you a 3 tier for that price.

    Members signature icon



  19.  
    • Bride of Frank
      CommentAuthorBride of Frank
      Just marriedBadgeBadge
     
    As I mentioned in the last post we have decided to buy in the basic M &S cakes and decorate and I have since been looking at what I can do. The trouble is though that we really don't want a traditional white cake, in fact we don't want a white cake at all. So I have considered spraying the cake with gold paint. However H2b doesn't really like this idea and keeps saying he prefers a brown cake. Well I'd prefer a chocolate cake too but that would involve me baking the cakes from scratch and we were supposed to be moving away from that idea! So I was just wondering if it would be possible to get a traditional white cake and cover it with melted chocolate or is this a really bad idea?
  20.  
    • sarah
      CommentAuthorsarah
      Ticker backgroundIs poweruserJust marriedBadgeBadgeTicker foreground
     
    The Waiting Rose shop has a chocolate wedding cake you might be interested in.




  21.  
    • vicki
      CommentAuthorvicki
      Is poweruserJust marriedBadgeBadge
     
    m&s do 2 chocolate wedding cakes
  22.  
    • Bride of Frank
      CommentAuthorBride of Frank
      Just marriedBadgeBadge
     
    Thank you both I'll have a look, although I suspect they will be more than we were planning on spending but I've discussed with H2b the possibility of spending more on cake than originally intended because after a few attempts in the kitchen I'm no longer convinced that I can do this on my own :{
  23.  
    • StephanieM71
      CommentAuthorStephanieM71
      Just marriedBadgeBadge
     
    I was going to make my own to save money (I'm least interested in the cake though my mum thinks its very important lol) but my H2b put his foot down and said no way bless him. He said he wants the days before as stress free as possible for me and I do get really annoyed with myself when the kids birthday cakes go wrong.

    We now have a friend of his practicing away at home so that it can be her gift to us, do have anyone willing or able to do this and save you stress?
  24.  
    • sarah
      CommentAuthorsarah
      Ticker backgroundIs poweruserJust marriedBadgeBadgeTicker foreground
     
    Rather than a full cake have you thought of making cupcakes. Cupcakes are a lot easier to bake and decorate than a full cake. You could even used boxed cake mixed to make them. Most people wouldn't know/or care.




 

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