Where do you get your ideas from for your cakes?

It's funny how many times I get asked this question - pretty much every time someone orders a cake? Well, generally about 50% of my clients have a general idea of what they want. Most of my brides come with a picture of a cake they like and then we fine tune all the details, changing a few of the details here or there. However, I have seen some brides do a 180 degree turn and change their minds totally at the end of our meeting and order a completely different cake than what they had in mind originally.

Personally, I love doing cakes that are truly "outside the box". I find they really challenge me to think creatively and stretch my "artistic" boundaries. So, where do I find some of my ideas? Well, it can range from pictures, invitations, party napkins, wallpaper samples and fabric swatches. Here's a funny story to share. One night I was sitting on the couch with my husband watching TV and in my PJ's. I looked down at my PJ's and thought, "Hey, this would make a cool cake." My husband kinda looked at me if I was nuts and shook his head. In the long run this is what I came up with:

I have also designed cakes around a bride's dress. One of my brides came to me with a picture of her wedding dress, and after months of planning, I came up with this design.