MEET THE WEDDING SUPPLIERS: Eclectic Cake Box

In this evening's MEET THE WEDDING SUPPLIER post we are delighted to introduce you to Anne McBride from Eclectic Cake Box who creates beautiful bespoke cake designs to impress and leave you with your taste buds well and truly tickled! We are delighted that she will be exhibiting at The Vintage & Handmade Wedding Fair at Belfast Cathedral this Saturday 6th May, and she has also donated a fantastic prize for the day.  This week we caught up with Anne for a chat about weddings and cakes, so why not make yourself a cup of tea and find out what goes on behind the scenes in her creative kitchen!

So Annie, tell us about your background and how your business started?

​My love of cake was born at the same time as my kids. Having family means get-togethers, special events to celebrate and parties to cater for. Obviously a party without cake is just a meeting so I rolled up my sleeves, popped my little peeps into their daddy’s strong arms and taught myself to bake delicious cake and host fantastically themed parties! I may have a touch of OCD when it comes to making things aesthetically pleasing so everything had to tie together. The theme, colour scheme and décor, along with a striking cake centrepiece that would pull all this together!  

After about 10 years of throwing awesome parties, I moved on to making novelty cakes for other’s special events. Then encouraged to try social media, I needed to come up with a name to represent my passion for all things quirky, my love for elegance with a dash of vintage charm and my darker side, where I get to set my inner goth free; Eclectic Cake-Box was the obvious choice!  ​

How did you move into the wedding market?

Moving into the wedding market, meant I could further indulge my passion for styling and create stunning edible centrepieces, because let’s face it, weddings are magical and seem to make everything shimmer and sparkle. Not only am I able to create your dream wedding cake, I can set up and style your cake table, make and create coordinating dessert tables and supply creative favours for your guests. ​

Where do you get your inspiration?

The wedding cake is still very much an important tradition, although they have developed somewhat over the past few years. I believe this is for the better, it seems anything is possible and certainly makes the wedding much more personal to each couple. I design the cakes using your theme, colour scheme and any personal traits or quirks you want to include. Each one is unique and bespoke to you. I will spend a lot, some might say too much, time on Pinterest fanning over other’s cakey skills and becoming encouraged to push the boundaries and experiment with new techniques, always whilst adding my own twist.  Using only the freshest eggs and butter, quality ingredients and luxury chocolate your cake is sure to not only wow your guests, but leave you all with your taste buds well and truly tickled. ​​

Since my cake business is part time, I have the added luxury of giving your cake a lot of attention. I only take a maximum of 2 commissions a month. I am extremely passionate about what I do and often it can become all consuming. From the initial concept idea through to snapping the set up pic at the venue, I endeavour to make it the best I possibly can! I am also fortunate enough to have a Mr Eclectic who carefully drives me and my tasty creations to venues all over Northern Ireland and patiently waits while I tweak and style to perfection. ​

Do you have any tips for brides and grooms?

​Remember all the planning and organising will pay off. Enjoying your wedding day is the most important aspect of all, it marks the next chapter in your love story.  Also, aim to steal a moment just to savour all your efforts too. 

​I look forward to meeting many of you at the upcoming Fayre where we can talk cake, try some tasty samples and I'll be giving away some vouchers too. Anne x

For more information please visit the Eclectic Cake Box website and also follow on Facebook. 

Competition Alert! One very lucky bride and groom visiting The Vintage & Handmade Wedding Fair at Belfast Cathedral this Saturday 6th May will win a £100 gift voucher to spend at Eclectic Cake Box as part of our fabulous wedding fair prize package!