Jamie and Stephanie from The Sugarie Sweet Shop never stop surprising us with their amazing works of wedding cake fine art: intricate sugardough dahlias, shockingly realistic edible wood paneling, watercolor textures, and who knows what else to come in the future! They are the sweetest, most fun duo to work with, and along with their amazing imagination and execution, the creations they bring are indelible…and deliciously edible. ;)
So who better than The Sugarie Sweet Shop to interview and share with us today the current eclectic trends and techniques you see these days and how to make them your own! We know you’ll enjoy hearing Jamie’s perspective and looking at the incredible cakes included below…they’ll make you want to visit the duo June 1st for their grand brick-and-mortar GRAND OPENING!
Enjoy!
Libby
Libby: We are SO thrilled we get to interview you about your amazing little business that is The Sugarie Sweet Shop! I think everyone needs to first hear the funny story about how you met, though!
Jamie: The Sugarie was a concept born in the locker room of a gym. Yes, that’s right Stephanie and I met at a gym five years ago. Stephanie was a baker in her previous life (aka…before kids). She received a phone call asking if she would come out of retirement to make a wedding cake. I was standing right next to her and whispered “Take it and I’ll help you.” Our very first order was a wedding cake, and we have grown our business from that first order. We are fortunate to be best friends and run a creative, fun, and inspiring business together.
Libby: What should people know about The Sugarie? I know that The Lily Crew knows what people should know…haha!
Jamie: At The Sugarie every order that leaves our kitchen is completely custom.
Libby: Yes! Exactly! Your customization is amazing!
Jamie: We don’t typically duplicate designs or have an album of previous made cakes to flip through in order to select your cake. One of our biggest passions is creating unique, one of a kind wedding cakes. We absolutely love to sit down with prospective brides and grooms. We want to learn their story and get to know them as friends. From there, we sketch two cake designs for them to choose from. To date we have not had a bride and groom who have sat met with us in person not order their wedding cake from us. We also use only the freshest ingredients and every product that leaves our kitchen is completely made from scratch. Our lemon cake is made with hand zested lemon, our fruit purees are made using fresh fruit, and we use REAL butter and vanilla extract.
Libby: And really the difference is SO real! Customers get the best experience with you guys: delicious flavors, beautiful designs and amazing, personalized service. So you’re talking to us today about the new trends in wedding cakes, and that, essentially, bride’s don’t want “their mom’s cake” with all white frosting and a cake topper, right?
Jamie: When I think about all the gorgeous wedding cake trends for 2019 and 2020, I can’t help but want a wedding do-over. Gone are the days of pure white wedding cakes with pearl accents topped with little bride and groom statues. They have been replaced with metallic finishes, contrasting colors, modern textures, and decadent dessert tables. Really when you think about it, wedding cakes of today are not your mother’s wedding cake.
Libby: And I see you have a photo to share of your mom’s wedding cake which is definitely what I think of when I hear “my mother’s wedding cake!”
Jamie: Exactly! Brides and Grooms can really let the design of their wedding cake showcase their personalities and convey an overall feel that compliments their wedding. The other fabulous aspect is wedding cakes can be a deliciously gorgeous centerpiece and focal point for any style of wedding reception. Go ahead…make bold choices with your wedding cake. Let your guests eye your cake in awe and wonderment.
Libby: We totally agree! Before we take a look at some cake photos, I have to ask: where do you go for your inspiration?
Jamie: Most of our inspiration comes from Pinterest and it doesn’t typically start with a cake. For example, we just made a elegant cake with delicate navy ruffles, white feathery leaves, beautiful magnolias and sweet clementines, the elements for this particular cake were inspired by a grayish blue vintage tufted sofa.
Libby: That’s so fun! Ok, so let’s look at some of these AMAZING cakes you have recently created! We’d love to hear the details.
Jamie: This cake features hand-tied macrame using a mixture of white chocolate dough and sugar dough, edible peeling bark, hand painted mandala tiles, custom designed copper wrap, and sugar dough roses, berries, and twig, the entire cake is finished in white chocolate dough, we make this from scratch and us it in place of fondant (it’s delicious!)
Jamie: Here you see a hand painted watercolor brushstrokes, sugar dough roses, berries, and wafer paper leaves, this cake is finished in our Swiss meringue buttercream.
Jamie: This cake was for a Marmalade Lily couple! :) Edible, hand painted wood planks, edible ink custom made wine bottle label, edible “wax” seal, and sugar dough flowers, this cake is finished in white chocolate dough and shows how beautifully Marmalade Lily’s expertise collide The Sugarie’s cake designs. The majority of design details on our cakes are completely edible!
Libby: SO amazing! They’re each unique and beautiful and made me super hungry! :) The Lily Crew also thinks you guys’ sugardough flowers are phenomenal…can you tell us more about them and show us a few photos with our readers?
Jamie: Stephanie is the sugar dough flower artist at The Sugarie. She can make stunning David Austin roses, delicate hydrangeas, Southern magnolias, and well…just about any flower a bride and groom want to use at their wedding. We use edible petal dusts to add dimension to each flower we create. We absolutely love to make sugar dough flowers for our wedding cakes that match the flowers being used for the ceremony and centerpieces.
Libby: So for the bride looking to find a local bakery to create a custom, delicious cake for her special day, what do you recommend?
Jamie: Shop for a wedding cake vendor who wants to get to know you as a person and as a Bride and Groom. We love to hear every detail about our prospective clients’ BIG DAY. Including how they met and fell in love! This helps us design a wedding cake that is truly reflective of them and captures true personality. Whether it’s Boho macramé, watercolor brushstrokes, or hammered copper, don’t be afraid to go with a colorful, trendy one of a kind wedding cake. The cake will scream it’s not your Mother’s wedding cake.
Libby: This has been so much fun and I’ve learned a lot about cakes and techniques and trends, thank you! Last but not least, you guys are opening up your first shop June 1st!
Jamie: Yes! Our new brick and mortar shop is in the Morrow Arts Center The art center is an old elementary school that was built in the early 1900’s. The building has stood empty for over ten years and now has a new purpose. Each classroom has been renovated and is being rented as artist studios. We are over the top excited about this new opportunity. Our studio will offer a fresh bakery counter and an 8′ community table for people to sit and chat with their neighbors. Also, we will have classroom space to teach Cookie Decorating Classes, Sugar Dough Classes and much more. We will host Dessert Bar nights and other great events. Our hope is to grow our success and the Morrow Arts Center and renovate the school kitchen to start baking there too.
Libby: Well we will certainly be there, and I hope our readers will come try your amazing creations too!
Please visit The Sugarie online at their website HERE or Facebook page HERE to learn more and see additional amazing, custom creations!
