It's the Season!

Wedding season is officially here! As a baker this is the season that I love because not only am I contacted for regular cakes ( like birthday cakes) but wedding cakes as well. Tomorrow I have not one wedding cake tasting but two! So if they both go well.. that makes wedding four and five so far! God is definitely good to me! There is no other way I can explain it but its all God, how else can my business take off so fast after I decide that I really want to do this full time since I am home with Jayden. And speaking of the little man, he is getting so big so fast.I can't believe that is he almost 5 months already. It still feels like yesterday some days that I just had him. He is really starting to show his personality now and moving around more, though he still hasn't mastered to roll over yet. He tries to talk all the time and makes lots of noise which is so different because other than crying for the first almost three months he really didn't try to talk or make noise. Getting him to sleep on his own is still a challenge but we are making strides. He will now sleep by himself during naps, but at night he still wants to snuggle up under mommy. And I am such a sucker for my child that I let him. I know once he hits six months I am really going to have to force the issue with him sleeping by himself and being around other people because the last thing I want is for him to develop separation anxiety. It is already a problem some days now when I leave, my husband tells me that he cries for a little bit and gets upset. So we are going to have to think about putting him in daycare even if its only one day a week so he can be around other babies and people.
I am constantly trying to figure out new ways to market my business to its fullest potential to bring in more customers and now I have posted a discount on Google and will be putting it on Facebook for any couple that books a wedding with me between now and April 20th I will be giving a 10% discount on their wedding order and that includes cupcakes and dessert buffets as well as edible favors. This up coming week is going to be interesting because I have a cake tasting on Monday for a birthday cake to be delivered on Saturday in a camouflage theme. So I have come up with this really cute idea. The cake is going to be 3 tiers covered in camouflage fondant. I also will be making chocolate animal figures to place around the cake. I also purchased a hunter and a miniature tent to go on the cake as well. I think once I get it done it will be so cute. The client ordered it for her husband who is an avid hunter so the theme should be perfect. I also have a 1st birthday cake to do next week as well. This is going to be interesting because I am mixing pink with green due to the customer's request to have shamrocks on the cake for St. Patrick's Day. Both of these cakes are due on the same day which my dedicated hubby will have to deliver for me since I will be in New Jersey for my friend's bridal shower and my brothers' girlfriend's baby shower (which I decided to host not really realizing how busy I was going to be). I am also taking Jayden with me and doing some dessert catering so this going to be a jam packed week and weekend. Then I have to get ready when I come back for another tasting on the 27th for a big order. I will tell you more about that next week but it will be exciting because I will using some of my event planning skills.
On the event planning front, I know I announced some entries back that I have decided to add on event planning to my business which I am still going to do just not as soon as I would like to. I think I want to start with some of the smaller aspects of event planning first to get my feet wet and take the course to become certified in event planning before I start doing it full time along with baking. So I will be offering (which is already up on my site) specific event planning services for now like custom place cards and invitations. Also linen coordination and custom centerpieces, the more creative hands on side of the business. I think I will do those kinds of things for the rest of the year and then next year start with smaller events like bridal showers and baby showers and work my way up from there. Because doing a full scale wedding takes a lot of time and effort to make sure it goes off with out any issues plus Jayden will be older and not as needy as he is right now. I have also added some things to the konfection side of the business which just makes sense to me. I have added edible favors which are very popular right now and why not since I do dessert buffets now. The couple I met with last weekend is interested in cake pops as edible favors. I am going to see if the couple coming in tomorrow are interested to. I also will be offering mini cakes, which are cakes but just smaller (4 inch rounds) which are perfect for someone wanting to order a couple of personalized cakes for someone or for an event and they will go perfectly on the dessert buffet menu. They would also look so cute at a wedding, having a traditional wedding cake and then have some smaller cakes or they could even be used as centerpieces. I think by the end of the year, I will have a better handle on my business as far as what works and what doesn't and then I can move forward to build it up and hopefully God willing that  I will have an actual storefront in a couple of years. That is the ultimate goal for me. To be able to have my own bakery storefront that provides a one stop shop for couple looking to plan their weddings and for other looking to have someone not only dessert cater their event but to plan it as well. I think that is an untapped market waiting for someone to fill it and hopefully I am that person. :) So for now Good Night and God Bless.