If you were asked to describe a wedding cake, what words would you use? Sweet, elegant, romantic, gorgeous, lovely – I’m sure you can come up with many beautiful words and go on and on with this, because wedding cakes usually leave wonderful impressions in our hearts. Other than the bride and the groom, the wedding cake is definitely another celebrity of the wedding day. It makes a beautiful entrance, receives cheers and applause, and announces to everyone that the party is on. What makes a wedding cake so influential and remarkable? This is where the magic of cake design kicks in.
Today we are so excited to bring you an interview with Jennifer Fedje, owner and cake designer of Harmony Cakes. Jennifer’s creative cake designs are great examples of the “magic” described above. They are not only so beautiful that you would fall in love with them at first sight, but also meaningful and amazily creative. Let’s read on and find out how Jennifer brings her clients’ vision to life with fabulous cake designs!
Praise: How was Harmony Cakes started? We learned that you had 8 years of experience in graphics design, what motivated you to shift to the cake industry?
Jennifer: I started by making cool cakes for my kids, which of course I still continue to do. They are my toughest customers! The shift from graphics to cake decorating happened gradually as people became interested in my work and orders started to come in. It quickly became a passion and it has grown steadily from there.
Praise: What are some things that set Harmony Cakes apart from others?
Jennifer: I studied Fine Arts (sculpting, drawing, painting) and Graphic Design, and always admired the art of cake decorating. It was a natural progression into another creative field, and my experience and study in fine art and graphics continue to contribute to my style and attention to detail in my work today. Because of my graphics background, I can create custom work that can be printed on edible icing sheets as in the i-pad cake with the custom Wikipedia page with content of the birthday boy.
Graphics is also very exact, and attention to detail is a must, which also translates to my cakes. My study of color theory and design principles also play a vital role in my work.
Praise: Share a fun or remarkable cake design experience with us.
Jennifer: A remarkable cake experience was one that I donated for a child for the Make A Wish Foundation. He was having a “Mad Science” birthday party and I wanted to make a cake to wow him and help to make it a day to remember. I received pictures of him and his cake later and cannot express the delight and satisfaction it gave me to see the joy and excitement on his face.
Praise: What is the biggest challenge you find in creating wedding cakes?
Jennifer: One of the biggest challenges in creating wedding cakes is taking a couple’s vision and bringing it to life, while staying within budget. Sometimes the need for creativity extends past design and pretty details, and into the realm of managing the budget.
Praise: If a bride-to-be asks you to help her design her wedding cake, but she doesn’t know where to start or exactly what she wants the cake to look/taste like, how would you help her?
Jennifer: When helping a bride design her wedding cake I usually start with what is decided on so far in the wedding style. Colors, dress, any decor, venue location, invitations etc. Also just browsing through images of cakes can help a bride to decide on a design asthetic that appeals to her. Number of servings as well as budget all contribute to the magic formula of designing a cake. I often sketch out ideas as we are looking at cakes and design on the spot. As far as flavours, a tasting brought along to my consults always remedies that!
Praise: Describe how you feel about your job in general?
Jennifer: I am fortunate to be doing something that fulfills me creatively and allows me to bring joy, beauty and deliciousness into the life of others. That sheer look of excitement and awe upon receiving their cake is what fuels me to continue because really, who doesn’t love cake?!
Thanks Jennifer for your beautiful work and story! Harmony Cakes is located in Vancouver (Port Coquitlam), learn more about the boutique cake studio at Harmony Cakes’ Website!
