Laura of My Three Cakes has the sweetest story, and not just because cake is involved. When her business was just starting out, Laura originally made all of her cakes in her personal kitchen. One day her husband had her sketch out what her dream cake kitchen would look like, and before she knew it the contractors got to work – marking the official beginning of My Three Cakes. Having such amazing support from your people has a huge effect on the growth of a small business, and we can certainly attest to that! Laura built her business the same way she builds her exquisite cakes – carefully, bravely, and from the bottom up. We thought she was such a rockstar at the first Portland NotWedding, and we are thrilled to share her work today in our Vendor Highlight.
“Laura from My Three Cakes is just as sweet as her product. She was amazing to work with and had the most beautiful, artful cakes to display. All of the guests were amazed with what she created and loved eating it most of all!”
The Portland NotWedding Team
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Tell us a little bit about the inception of My Three Cakes.
I really started making cakes once I had my three boys. I have to admit, looking back, a few of the first cakes were not works of art! However, the process of designing and the challenge of something new had me hooked. It wasn’t until my younger sister was engaged a few years later that I actually considered taking on a wedding cake, but I went in ready (and she was willing) to give it a go. One three tier cake and 14 individual table cakes later, My Three Cakes began.
What is the “sweetest” part about your job?
I absolutely love the first meet and greet with the future Mr. & Mrs. Being able to sit down with them and feed off of their excitement and come up with a fabulous design that will be a part of their wedding day always is amazing. Then of course, delivering their cake and seeing how happy they are is always a plus!
Who’s your biggest fan and why?
Definitely my family, and not just one member but all. I originally started My Three Cakes in our personal kitchen. This lasted maybe six months, which was about the time that I really considered started a business. I remember my husband came home one day and told me to sketch out what I would want my cake kitchen to look like. Three days later the contractors were putting up walls, and a month later my first official wedding season began!
My boys also love seeing what designs I’ve come up with and are by far the biggest critics – they are my taste testers, and trust me when I say that they are brutally honest! Around the same time that I began My Three Cakes, my mother started up her own business as well. We’ve been able to push each other to grow our businesses and run ideas off each other.
What advice would you give to aspiring small business owners?
Research. I know it’s boring but really take a look at similar businesses in your area and see what your competitors are offering. Do the numbers and find out ALL of your costs. Most importantly, be ready to stand behind what you are offering and make sure that you are ready and able to take on your customer’s requests. I’m always willing to try new techniques, but always make sure the bride and groom knows that it might be a first and their wedding cake will not be learning experience for me. That’s what dummy cakes are for.
What is your favorite part of The NotWedding experience?
My favorite part of The NotWedding experience was of course meeting with couples and sharing in their excitement, but also interacting with the many talented vendors. Being relatively new to the wedding scene, My Three Cakes for the most part is still an unknown. It was a fabulous opportunity to market myself to them as well as to prospective clientele. Also, it gave me a chance to have full reign on the design of my cakes and think a bit out of the box.
Photo Credits:
Serendipity Photography (1, 2 + 4) | Philbrick Photography (3) | Kivalo Photography (5)
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