It's been a busy period even though it supposed to be a bit of a rest period for us wedding photographers. It has been a whirlwind. Following Christmas I was preparing for the Wedding Palace Bridal show and following that, an amazing number of great client consultations for wedding and boudoir photography for 2011. Then I was off to shoot a luxury destination wedding in
Dominican Republic at Dreams Palm Beach. I have a number of weddings still to blog from 2011, so stay tuned!
In the meantime, while I was at the Wedding Palace Bridal show I almost fell over when I met
Sophie Bifield. Her cake design was something I have only seen in luxury wedding magazines and was thrilled to know that she was opening up here in Ottawa!
So recently I have had the oppourtunity to work with Sophie to photograph her most recent designs for
Sophie Bifield Cake Company and get to know her a little better. If you are looking for a unique wedding cake for your wedding and want to abandon the traditional stacked cake with ribbons and flowers...these will take yours and your guests breath away!
More about Sophie:
Why you started in creating beautiful cakes?I started making cakes shortly after I got engaged. Living in Toronto at the time, my eyes were opened to the endless possibilities of the edible arts. I didn't realise that cakes could be so artistic until I started searching for my own wedding cake. Having always been a perfectionist when it comes to details, I struggled to find what I was looking for in Ottawa where we are getting married. I took an intensive cake design course and fell in love with cake - all of my artistic talents which I had sidelined for so long were finally being put to use - and that's how the
Sophie Bifield Cake Company was born.
What is your favorite cake flavor? Is there a most popular flavor?
My favourite flavour is chocolate hazelnut. The most popular flavours tend to be chocolate or vanilla - they're a safe choice when feeding so many guests.
What inspires your wedding cake designs?
The overall design takes into consideration the bride/groom's vision, the venue and the mood of the event. The details on the cake are then often inspired by so many different things. Sometimes the details are inspired by details of the venue, the brides dress, the couple's story, a theme or even something sentimental like a family heirloom.
What cake designer(s) inspires you the most?
Alexandria Pellegrino of
Cake Opera Company is very inspiring. Her cakes are well executed and I love the theatrical details that she adds. Lori Hutchinson,
The Caketress is also a great designer. I love how she creates fabric textures and adds fine details to her cakes. Michelle Wibowo in the UK is amazing at celebration cakes. I especially love her life size cow and basset hound.
What can people expect to pay for a stunning custom cake from you?
Cakes start at $5 per serving and go up depending on the complexity of the design. Delivery and setup within the Ottawa area is also included in all of my prices.
If you were to design your own wedding cake (and you just might) what will it look like?
You will have to wait to find out :) ... Actually, I'm not sure yet - the downside to designing and making my own cake is that budget isn't an issue so I don't have the same restrictions that many brides have - Working without restrictions can sometimes hinder the creative process and I have to start again - I have piles of possible designs. I will make one promise though - it will be a masterpiece.
Are there wedding cake trends that are emerging from the ribbon bound flower dressed cakes of yesterday?
I still get a lot of requests for ribbon bound flower dressed cakes, but often times I get these requests because couples are unaware that almost anything can be created using sugar, including flowers, or because they believe that simple designs are always cheaper (this is not always the case). Not too many of my couples are willing to step completely away from the cakes of yesterday, but they are daring to rearrange the flowers and ribbons to create a more modern feel on a traditional cake.
What is the number one thing you want brides to know about working with a custom cake designer?
A lot of time and effort goes into each and every cake, often a cake will take an entire week to create. For this reason, cakes can be expensive, so pick a cake designer who you trust will deliver what they promise and who you feel understands your vision. A custom cake should be just that - custom.
You can also contact Sophie through twitter, facebook or phone!
Facebook:
www.facebook.com/ottawacakeTwitter:
www.twitter.com/ottawacakeTelephone: 613.869.7674
