How cake designers can position premium wedding cakes and attract higher-value clients.
Given that an eco-friendly, compostable, flowering wedding cake tier is kind of new around here, let's talk about how to add Made With Flower tiers to your offering! More importantly, how it can attract the kind of premium clients you want.
Let's go back to the start, When most cake designers first hear about the BLOOMBase, the natural instinct is to compare it to a polystyrene tier.
I get it, that’s understandable. Structurally it replaces the same thing in the cake stack.
But commercially and emotionally, it’s a completely different product.
The biggest business opportunity with the BLOOMBase isn’t replacing polystyrene. It’s repositioning what a wedding cake can represent.
And that’s not just a romantic idea, it’s a commercial one. (And please, take it from me, the Forbes listed finance pro who's day job is to scale businesses, build pricing and work out what actually makes brands commercially successful!)
So when I designed BLOOMBase, it wasn’t just about sustainability or symbolism. It was also about something very practical that speaks to my own heart. Making sure the numbers stack up for the people selling the cake. (insert Geek emoji here)
Cake designers - you already know your time and skill are valuable. But the industry has a long history of price pressure and comparison shopping. People want things cheaper, faster, more and more for less money and less effort. Yuck.
That’s why your positioning matters so much.
Small shifts in how something is framed can completely change the type of client it attracts and the price conversation that follows. Would you rather have 10 clients who want to pay £100 or 3 clients that want to pay £500? Here's how I'd do it:
1) MOVE AWAY FROM THE “POLYSTYRENE ALTERNATIVE” CONVERSATION
If the conversation starts with “this replaces a polystyrene tier”, clients immediately think in terms of substitution and price.
Polystyrene is associated with cost-saving (alongside the whole plastic, planet destroying thing too). That framing pulls the conversation toward discounts, negotiation, and price comparison. That's not what you want and that's not what your fine work deserves!
Instead, position BLOOMBase as an upgrade.
You’re not replacing something. You’re adding meaning to the cake - a sentimental floral memory of their special day.
The moment couples understand that one of their tiers can turn into actual wildflowers after the wedding, the conversation moves away from price and more towards story and feeling. That's the stuff that premium weddings are made of.
2) SELL THE FLOWERING CAKE, NOT THE COMPONENT TIER.
Another common instinct is to offer BLOOMBase as a small add-on. "Why not add this on for £X more?"
But the strongest positioning is actually the opposite. Treat it as a feature. One of the most interesting things we’re seeing is cake designers creating an entirely new offering around the idea.
Instead of presenting BLOOMBase as a small optional extra, they are offering a dedicated package such as:
• A Flowering Wedding Cake
• An Eco Luxury Package
• A Living Keepsake Cake
• The Anniversary Bloom Cake
These names shift the focus from a product to an experience. You’re no longer selling a material, a thing. You’re selling a story. This is an excellent way to convert couples during 1:1 consultation, but also to attract a whole new kind of premium client.
In other words, it can help bring in a new audience, not just modify an existing order.
3) FROM FREEZING CAKE TO PLANTING FLOWERS
My personal favourite, given that I have zero room in my freezer. Play on the tradition where couples freeze their wedding cake tier. In reality, very few people actually get round to/enjoy eating year-old cake.
But the tradition itself is meaningful because we're deep down sentimental animals and couples like the symbolism.
A flowering cake tier offers a modern version of that tradition. Instead of freezing cake, you plant it. Instead of revisiting the cake once, you watch the flowers grow.
That's our tagline - CELEBRATE LOVE. GROW LIFE. For many couples, that story resonates immediately.
It turns the cake into something living, lasting, and connected to the wedding itself.
4) DON’T TREAT IT AS A “CHEAP UPGRADE”
Another important positioning point: avoid presenting BLOOMBase as a budget-friendly option.
There is a massive misconception in the industry that a dummy cake is significantly cheaper than an actual cake. Cake Pro's know that even a dummy cake takes time to ice and prepare, even if it's not real sponge inside.
Dummy tiers are a useful 'in' when it comes to conversations around 'but I dont need that much cake' but never position Made With Flower as a cost-saving. Your work deserves more than that.
A Flowering Cake tier gives the cake something other cakes don’t have - a story that continues after the wedding day. That makes it more comparable to personalised toppers, heirloom elements, or other meaningful details that couples do invest in.
5) LEAN INTO SAVING THE PLANET TOGETHER.
There’s a reason the idea of a flowering cake resonates so strongly right now.
Given everything going on in the world, there's sometimes a conflict between 'should I be spending so much on a wedding?". Couples today are increasingly aware of waste and sustainability.
A flowering cake tier quietly answers both of those ideas. It’s beautiful. It’s symbolic. It's not wasteful. And it leaves something positive behind.
For many couples, that combination feels very “of the moment”.
Thanks for coming to my Ted Talk! I'd love to get your feedback on how conversations went with your clients. And if you’re experimenting with BLOOMBase in your designs, I’d genuinely love to see what you create. Get in touch anytime via the Contact page or on Instagram.
Zoe x
