06/17/2026
This is going to be a long read, so grab a drink, sit down, and enjoy!
Okay, now that you've seen how beautiful the vintage wedding cake turned out, let me tell you what happened during the few hours before the wedding started!
I arrived at the venue about two hours before the ceremony to assemble the cake. Weddings in June in the Pacific Northwest are always a gamble. One day it's cold, rainy, and gray. The next day it's sunny, warm, and humid. I've delivered cakes in June where weddings were delayed because of rain, and I've seen cakes where the heat and humidity practically melted the cake before your eyes. On this particular day, the Lord decided to bless us with gorgeous blue skies and sunshine. ☀️ 🙌
The venue was about a 40 min drive away. When we loaded the cakes into two vehicles, they were cold and firm from refrigeration. Thankfully, I wasn't doing this alone. The Lord provided exactly the help I needed, my longtime neighbor Larry (many of you know good ol' Larry), my strong nephew Antonio, and my sister Raina, who has a gift for photography and problem-solving. They were visiting from Tucson, and looking back, I truly believe God knew I would need the extra hands.
By the time we arrived, the cakes had softened slightly during the drive but were still cold and fully intact. It took about 30 minutes to stack and assemble all four tiers. The night before, I had already inserted the dowels and completed as much prep work as possible to make assembly easier.
Then came the detail work. I touched up the frosting around each tier, smoothed everything out, added the flowers around the base, placed the cake topper provided by the bride's family, and my sister took photos. Even with all the preparation beforehand, setup still took nearly two hours. I always laugh because no matter how much planning goes into "quick" assembly, it never seems to be quick. Once everything was finished, I sent my assistants home along with all my extra cake supplies.
Then the wedding started. As guests moved from the outdoor ceremony into the reception area, it seemed like the venue became warmer and more humid by the minute. There wasn't the slightest breeze. No airflow. Just warm, stagnant air. And I began to worry. My concern was “what do I do if the top tier collapses”, and “what if the buttercream frosting begins to soften and slide”. I had intentionally made the frosting stiffer than normal when decorating the cake the day before, but heat and humidity can do some pretty amazing things.
When the reception started, I sat down at my assigned table and realized I had a perfect view of the cake from across the room. I'm still not sure if that was a blessing or a curse. As dinner progressed, I noticed the top tier begin to shift slightly and started leaning. At that point, what was I supposed to do? Nothing. I had already sent all my supplies home with my sister. The only tool I could possibly use if I were to attempt to do anything was the butter knife sitting next to my dinner plate.
As the evening continued, the lean became more noticeable. Maybe most guests didn't notice it, but to a cake decorator, it felt catastrophic. 😳 This was the nightmare scenario. Even the venue coordinator would occasionally walk by and check on it. Meanwhile, I was silently praying: "Lord, please don't let that top tier fall off." 🙏 Several friends who knew I had made the cake came over and said that they were praying the exact same thing. We all had a good laugh about it later. At one point, a friend sitting beside me reminded me of the scene in Sleeping Beauty where Flora's cake starts leaning and falling apart. The comparison was so accurate that I couldn't help but laugh. That was the moment I decided I could either spend the evening worrying or I could find the humor in it. So, we recreated Flora's horrified expression and snapped a photo. Oddly enough, that helped. 😂
Once I got closer and really looked at the cake, I realized what was happening. The tier was leaning, but it wasn't going anywhere. The dowels were doing exactly what they were supposed to do. The cake might not have been perfectly straight anymore, but it was secure. After all the stress, the bride and groom were able to take all of their photos with the cake. Thankfully, from the front, the slight lean was barely noticeable. Whew! After the photos were finished, I removed the top tier so it could be refrigerated and saved for their first anniversary.
Looking back, I'm reminded once again that God provides exactly what we need, often before we even know we'll need it. He provided helpers. He provided good weather for the wedding. He provided solutions. And He even provided a little humor when I needed it most. Despite the stress and excitement of the day, I truly enjoyed every part of creating this cake for such a beautiful bride and groom. It was a joy and an honor to be part of their special day.
I've included some photos for your enjoyment purposes. 😂
