Choosing a Cake Designer

Authored by: Kellie Barclay Owner of Fancy that Cake

Choosing a wedding cake designer can be a daunting task, but it’s important to take the time to find the right one for you. After all, your wedding cake will be a centerpiece of your big day, and you want to make sure it’s perfect.

There are SO many amazing wedding cake designers out there – many of them are good friends, many inspire me day after day. I’ve learned something new from quite a few of them.

Here are some tips to help you choose a wedding cake designer that will create a cake that you’ll love!

Look at Their Work

Look at portfolios: Start by looking at the galleries of different cake designers in your area, and in the area of your venue. This will give you a sense of their style and the types of cakes they can create. Look for designers who have a style that you like and whose cakes look like they will align with the aesthetic you’re dreaming up for your wedding.

We are all talented and create show stopping designs – but we are all unique! We all have our own style and strengths, and offer a different service – from the way we will work with you, where we will deliver to, flavours we offer, and prices we charge.

Consider Experience

Consider experience and reputation: Choose a designer with a good reputation and experience in the industry. Look for designers who have been in business for a while and who have experience creating wedding cakes. They will have a good understanding of how to create a cake that will be both beautiful and delicious. And they will have experience in creating multi-tiered cakes that can sit on display at your reception for a few hours without collapsing or falling over.

Read Reviews

Read reviews: Check online reviews to see what other couples have said about their experience with a particular designer. This will give you a sense of what to expect and whether other couples were happy with the cakes they received.

Ask your other vendors for recommendations. They will know who is great to work with, who is reliable, and who creates yummy cakes!

Communication

Communication is key when it comes to wedding planning, so make sure that the designer you choose is easy to communicate with and responds to you in a timely manner.

Do they make things clear when they lay out the process? Knowing the path you will take with them and what is required by them to secure a date is something they should be communicating up front.

Budget

It’s important to set a budget for your wedding cake and to make sure that the designer you choose can work within that budget. Be honest with your designer about your budget from the beginning, so they can create a cake that works for you.

By following these tips, you’ll be able to choose a wedding cake designer who will create a cake that you’ll love. And remember, your wedding cake should be a reflection of your personal style and taste. So, don’t be afraid to be creative and have fun with it!

Kellie Barclay, Owner of Fancy That Cake

About the Author

Kellie Barclay is the owner of Fancy That Cake. She has 13 years of experience in cake design. Her specialty is handcrafted sugar flowers, she makes each one by hand for her clients. Fancy That Cake is a Centre Wellington-based custom wedding cake studio serving both the immediate area (Fergus & Elora) as well as Guelph, Kitchener, Cambridge, Orangeville and beyond.

Officiant Of The Day

Officiant Of The Day

Life is so much sweeter when shared. And we’re not talking about the one you love…
From inside jokes to mischief, venting and advice, and the best kind of knowing—these are our friends. The kind you share everything with—even the excitement when you got engaged!

So when it comes to YOUR wedding, having a friend officiate makes a whole lot of sense—and we don’t disagree! Friends have long been a part of wedding celebrations in creative and significant ways.

Choosing a friend or family member as your “Day of Officiant” is right on-trend. However, unlike the movies, it’s not an easy online application…In Canada, a wedding must be officiated by a member of the clergy, a licensed officiant, or a marriage commissioner.

With Enduring Promises, you will create your ceremony using our Wedding Portal. (don’t worry, we’re here to help!)

You will have the flexibility at your fingertips to choose exactly what part of your love story you want your friend or family member to share. You can also include a reading, or not, add a special element or incorporate a loving way to honour your parents.

A perfectly personalized wedding ceremony—with no surprises or stress. Your friend will be grateful, and YOU will bring the vision and feel of your wedding ceremony to life!

On your special day, your chosen Enduring Promises Officiant will step in to hear your Statement of Intent and declare you legally married (even if it’s whispered) as you sign the marriage license.

Weddings are all about heart and including a close friend or family member as your Day of Officiant honours the journey you share as loved ones.

Enduring Promises is here to help and support because… Friends are the family we choose.


About the Author: Annette Marchant

Annette Marchant is a copywriter and homebody from Calgary. She writes—and is a happy contributor to this blog. Her love of words is fueled by black tea and a great set of headphones. Her home is filled with boys and one of them is an Officiant with Enduring Promises.

Photos by Red Suitcase Photography

May I have a word?

Using language and culture to share your love

Because my love for you
Is higher than words,
I have decided to fall silent. [1]

Authored by: Annette Marchant

Love embodies magical moments, moments of peace. The world stops spinning. When all you feel is bliss—even if just for the time it takes to hold that thought.

You know as much as I, that our world doesn’t work without words. Heart-to-heart conversations take you to places you’ve never been before especially when it comes to a lifetime with the one you love.

It’s a sweet place where you know something life-changing is happening. Where the deepest part of your soul is being shared, a part of you so precious that in moments you struggle to put it into words.

“I have decided to fall silent” for the moment is too precious to speak.

The beautiful quiet envelops you both; working its magic by connecting your feelings to words—in these moments—your hearts begin to speak the same language.

Everything we are is threaded with language (born out of culture) and culture is language used to express who we are—our history, traditions, family, and future hopes—without it—you cannot sustain its existence. In fact, studies have shown that 40% of everyday speech is dedicated to expressing how we feel or think.

That’s why in big moments, like your wedding, you’ll often choose to celebrate with the richness of your language and culture—and Enduring Promises is there to help you celebrate the language and culture of your hearts.

“When a person speaks their mother tongue, a direct connection is established between heart, brain, and tongue. Our personality, character, modesty, shyness, defects, skills, and all other hidden characteristics become truly revealed through the mother tongue because the sound of the mother tongue in the ear and its meaning in the heart give us trust and confidence.” [2]

Your Wedding day is a significant day in which your words will hold such meaning and promise, trust and confidence. The commitment you are making surrounded by those who love you; sharing the deepest part of who you are with the one you love…”higher than words.”

Enduring Promises has Wedding Officiants who may share your story in either French, German, Spanish, Russian, or Romanian.* If we can’t speak your language, please know, we would be delighted to celebrate a portion of your wedding in your language! Invite a family member to do a reading or have a loved one share a blessing in your language. We are happy to incorporate these special moments—the language of your love.

Your Ceremony, Your Way is our premier package with access to an online portal that provides you with the content you need to create your wedding ceremony, incorporating every detail that expresses your love.

Our Ceremony template allows for Cultural Celebrations, there are several options available, but if the one you want isn’t there, be sure to add it in—we’ll make it happen, and practice it with you during the rehearsal so that your special moment is celebrated with love and respect.

Cultural traditions are passed down and last the test of time because they are refined reflections of who we are. They have a special meaning that is hard to put into words, but when incorporated into your declaration of love you are standing on the foundation of the past, looking to the future with hope because of those who’ve walked before you.

“My husband and I come from different religious backgrounds and prior to Enduring Promises, we’d had trouble finding a wedding Officiant that was aligned with our values as a couple. We were provided access to the most nimble console, which allowed us to craft every aspect of our ceremony and provided examples of text and anecdotes that other couples had used in the past.

Because of their console, we were able to customize every element of our ceremony and include our friends and family in different aspects. Our Officiant then reviewed our entries in detail multiple times and made suggestions to us to help make transitions more fluid and to allow for a more inclusive session. They also had fun suggestions such as having our friends and family cheer as the groom walked down the aisle, which was such a beautiful touch.

The icing on the cake was the calm and kind way in which our ceremony was officiated, it made our audience feel so welcome. Our Officiant kept whispering words of encouragement to both of us during emotional parts of the ceremony such as the vow and ring exchanges. Our guests could not stop complimenting—and we felt so at peace starting our marriage under Enduring Promises guidance.” [3]

At Enduring Promises, we unabashedly celebrate love—your love. It all begins with words—let us know what you need on your Wedding day. Inquire Today!


[1] Nizar Qabbani; The Book of Love
[2] Hurisa Guvercin; www.thenews.com.pk/print/185439-Language-and-identity
[3] Temmy married September 2022; Wedding Wire Review
* availability may vary by market

About the Author: Annette Marchant

Annette Marchant is a copywriter and homebody from Calgary. She writes—and is a happy contributor to this blog. Her love of words is fueled by black tea and a great set of headphones. Her home is filled with boys and one of them is an Officiant with Enduring Promises.

A Wedding Rehearsal – Who Should be in Charge?

Who Should Be in Charge?

Wedding Rehearsals Without Overwhelm

Why online advice about wedding rehearsals is wrong.

Authored by: Annette Marchant

You can probably relate to what one of our couples said, “The lead-up, and day of our wedding was hectic and crazy.”

What this couple realized is that planning a wedding that is personal, intimate, special, celebratory or anything else in between is hectic and crazy—no matter how large or small your plans are. Simply, because you care.

Hectic and crazy—do you feel that with every fibre of your tired mind? What feels like thousands of decisions need to be made and followed through on—overwhelm is a genuine concern.

Most of us recognize when we are out of our depth…

If you don’t know how to change the oil in your car, you bring it to a professional. Or perhaps, you do know how to change the oil but it’s totally not worth the hassle, because the pros have the skill, tools, and ability to do what you could so much easier—safe oil disposal alone is worth the trip!

Btw, did you know that when it comes to oil changes you have to choose between regular or synthetic oil, and bio-degradeable, synthetic, or micro-glass oil filters? Oh, and is that the primary or secondary filter? It’s not just oil changes where we seek professional help, truth is, we hire all kinds of professionals to help us do the things we can’t.

Have you ever planned and performed a wedding ceremony before?

(It’s ok to admit you’re out of your depth.)

If you’re here and looking at hiring (or have hired) an Enduring Promises Officiant, it’s probably because you love the idea of having a personalized ceremony, one that you create. A ceremony so you, only you and your Officiant know all the details.

We’re not trying to be contrary but some venues and planners feel that they can run the rehearsal, we’ve even heard other suggestions that one of your friends (preferably a teacher—used to wrangling rowdy children) could run your rehearsal.

If only you and your Officiant know all the elements of your ceremony—do you really want your teacher friend running the rehearsal, or handing a copy of your ceremony to your wedding planner (who, btw, isn’t performing the ceremony) to run the rehearsal? Or worse, doing it yourself on top of everything else? *Deep breath* overwhelm—remember?

Over the years we’ve worked with so many couples and their families, wedding planners, venues, photographers, and DJs. You could say we’ve logged our hours, put in the time, and have become experts in the field—professionals who know how to work with other wedding professionals.

We don’t come to the rehearsal to step on toes, we come because we know your personalized ceremony, all the moving parts, and we come to support the feel of the day that you are wanting to create—oh, the memories you’ll cherish for the rest of your lives!

We come because we’re here to help, to remove the stress, because this is the reason you hire an Enduring Promises Officiant—we work together, you personalize and create and we take your vision to make it a reality.

“We did a rehearsal a couple of days before our wedding. It was our first time meeting our Officiant in person and we were so pleased with how friendly and funny he was. He got along great with everyone! During the rehearsal he really put our minds at ease and got us more excited about the big day! He made us feel more comfortable and gave us pointers to better our ceremony.”—Kim & Ronny on Wedding Wire

This is the difference between “diy” and relying on a professional.

“Our Officiant was extremely knowledgeable, helpful, and kind. She ran our rehearsal with polite control that kept things running on time and well. She was conscientious of photos during the ceremony and had tons of really useful tips. Couldn’t have asked for better. She even figured out how to cue our DJ during the ceremony when he wasn’t able to see her.”

—Michelle W. on Wedding Wire

“We couldn’t have asked for anyone better! Our Officiant was very helpful right from the initial meeting, at the rehearsal, and of course on the big day. His insight and humour were appreciated and helped calm both mine and my husband’s nerves.”—Amanda B. on Wedding Wire

We understand that it is well intentioned advice, but this is why the following advice [1] doesn’t work for an Enduring Promises Officiant…

“Before your rehearsal, be sure to sit down with your officiant…” At Enduring Promises, and well before the rehearsal, you have our time and attention any time you need us—we’re just an email or text away!

“…and discuss what elements you’d like to include in your ceremony…” Any elements you’d like to include will be added to the Ceremony by you through our one-of-a-kind Wedding Console. Your Officiant is notified of any and all changes you make in real time, so that your ceremony is completely you!

“…and what you don’t…” We don’t do things you don’t want to do—enough said.

“Be sure to ask what your options are and remember to stay true to who you are as a couple.” You have hundreds of options to choose from when you book a “Your Ceremony, Your Way” wedding package—making staying true to who you are as a couple easy, peasy!

Remember the hectic and crazy couple from the beginning? “We took on the additional work of hosting our wedding in our backyard, which only added to the stress. However, our Officiant, was absolutely incredible! Not only was he able to keep us level headed when we spoke with him, he offered us a few bits of advice and guidance making the overall experience much more enjoyable. Our guests absolutely loved him and how simple, yet personal, our backyard ceremony was.”—Robert S. on Wedding Wire

The Wedding Planners we work with also encourage a Rehearsal ….

I ALWAYS tell my couples that a rehearsal is a MUST. When I hear couples say, can we skip the rehearsal it is a huge NO for me. I even made a reel on Instagram about it. 

I always hear from my previous and current clients that they are happy that they did have the rehearsal, especially when their officiant is there. All the pressure and stress from family/ bridal party asking them questions goes away after the rehearsal and they can focus on enjoying their day…..  Which is very true!

Bar – Glorious Events

“As wedding planners we always encourage our clients to have a ceremony rehearsal with their bridal party and everyone else involved. It is important to also have an officiant there, who will be performing the ceremony. Rehearsals help the couple and their bridal party to visualize the flow of the ceremony, how to walk, where to stand, what to do, we usually practice all the moving parts of the ceremony at the rehearsal, such as the processional and recessional, signing of the registry, rings exchange. We do two rounds of the practice and at the end of the rehearsal everyone is usually very comfortable, because they know exactly what to expect on the wedding day.”                                                              

Fidan – Designed Dream

Remember the oil change illustration—ha! Enduring Promises Officiants have the time, tools, and skills that every couple needs. We say it all the time—our main goal is to reduce the stress of your day, and that the ceremony should be the one thing you don’t need to worry about.

We perform the ceremony, we know your personalized ceremony, we know the elements and moving parts, we love what we do and we’d love to rehearse with you.

“Nothing beats experience!” 

Annette Marchant

About the Author: Annette Marchant

Annette Marchant is a copywriter and homebody from Calgary. She writes—and is a happy contributor to this blog. Her love of words is fueled by black tea and a great set of headphones. Her home is filled with boys and one of them is an Officiant with Enduring Promises.