We believe in spreading love and positivity for our fellow vendors through support! Which is why we are doing our Vendor Spotlight series!
In continuing our Vendor Spotlights we have another very talented vendor! Meet Richard, the owner of Sprinkles Custom Cakes! With his extensive experience, love for people, and drive for bringing cakes to life, he helps couples create extraordinary moments! We asked him some questions about his beginnings, business, and advice for future couples.
How did you become a baker?
Ever since I was around 10, I’ve loved cooking and baking. Inspired by my grandmothers—one Polish, one Puerto Rican—I completed my formal culinary education in a pilot program offered by the New York City Technical College.
I left the food industry for a time and through professional changes and growth, I always found time to play around in the kitchen. Whether during my time in Pharmaceutical Sales handling million-dollar accounts, or while I was providing exceptional guest service during my tenures with the award-winning teams at The Ritz Carlton NYC, The Four Seasons NYC, Westin Seattle, and Hilton International Puerto Rico, I never forgot my passion for the precision and artistry of cooking and baking.
When the time came for a change, the answer was simple. I had to get back to my first love and I found my home leading Sprinkles Custom Cakes, an icon in the Central Floral cake and events community since 1989.
What is your favorite part of your job? Why do you do this?
For over 25 years, my culinary teams and I have been creating beautiful cakes, both in the United States and internationally. Even though I have a passion for exceptional customer service, my culinary teams truly bring our custom commissions to life. Mentoring sugar artists and watching culinary talent develop makes it all worthwhile.
What is the best way for brides to give you inspo for their cake/dessert design? Do Pinterest boards help?
While we love seeing our clients’ inspirations, we recommend prospective clients send us 2-3 pictures of cake designs that they like. However, since inspiration comes from all sorts of places, these do not necessarily need to be our own designs. They should also be sending us general information of their event, such as the date (so we can check availability), number of servings needed (so we get an idea of the sizes or numbers of tiers needed), and the venue address (so that we may provide delivery fee quotes based on mileage).
Once we have that information, we can prepare a formal quote prior to booking a Virtual or In-House Design Consultation where we can discuss their vision and aesthetic in more depth.
When clients send us inspiration pictures, they should keep in mind that elements and finishes can always be tinted to match their color palettes, and floral blossoms can change based on their preference or seasonal availability. Clients should consider which shapes, textures, and design elements are most important to them. “Simple” means different things to different people and descriptors like “rustic” or “modern”, “minimalist” or “intricate” are more helpful for us to get a better idea of your style and design aesthetic.
Do you have an absolute favorite element that you love to work with/incorporate into your design/ baking?
We love getting to know all our clients so we can better incorporate personal touches and designing custom decorative elements in our cake centerpiece commissions. Whether it’s a family heirloom, a bespoke bridal gown or fun pocket square, a romantic meet-cute story, unique interests and hobbies, or even pride in your Alma Mater… we’ll work with you to give your custom cake centerpiece that extra-special Sprinkles touch you won’t find anywhere else.
How far out do couples normally book your services for their wedding?
Conventional wisdom recommends booking wedding cakes 4-6 months out, but we tell our clients they should plan to begin the quoting and consultation process as soon as possible. We recommend it right after securing your venue.
Our award-winning studio works directly with you to design a stunning and memorable centerpiece for your wedding. By coming to us earlier in your planning process, it makes it easier for you to design your event space around your custom centerpiece.
What’s the most important question couples should be asking their bakery that sometimes they forget to ask?
“Are you available?” It seems silly, but many prospective clients get so excited to work with us and jump right into the design, they forget to even give us a date of when they need a cake.
What other tips can you offer couples when choosing their bakery?
Consider your “must-haves”, “nice-to-haves”, and your budget.
Many clients will come to us with design inspiration from show-stopping celebrity events, but they are working with a much smaller event size and budget. Do not despair! We love seeing your inspirations anyway and we have plenty of experience in offering suggestions to meet your event needs, design preferences, and budget.
Is there anything that I didn't ask you today that you would love for your couples to know about your services?
In addition to custom cake centerpieces, we offer a wide variety of pre-designed cakes via our Online Store. Baked fresh-to-order and priced below our studio minimums for custom work, these designs are updated regularly and can be customized as far as colors and inscription upgrades. Online Store Cakes make great options if you aren’t looking for anything highly customized or if you’re serving a smaller crowd and still want something delicious with that special Sprinkles touch.
Follow them on social media for inspiration, announcements, and our full portfolio of previous work.
