All about Cakes! Meet Jessica from Louisa's Homemades

I’m so excited to introduce you to Jessica. She is the owner and baker extraordinaire of Louisa’s Homemades. I actually first met Jessica when she did all the cake and desserts for a wedding she was actually a bridesmaid in about 2.5 years ago. Watching her hustle and make such an amazing (and delicious) dessert table while ALSO being a bridesmaid had me super impressed and she’s been one of my go-to cake ladies ever since.

Jessica was a middle school science teacher but after starting a family she wanted to stay home more, so Louisa’s was born!

“Louisa is a family name and was my middle name before I got married, so I wanted to bring it back when I started my business. I grew up baking with my Grandmother and love how food always brings people together. This year will be my fourth year baking wedding cakes and I still can’t believe how much my business has grown!”

I asked Jessica what her favorite part of baking for weddings is.

My favorite part about baking for weddings is the wedding day itself! I love visiting the gorgeous venues and seeing a couple’s vision come to life. My wedding day was the best day of my life and I love that I get to be a part of that special day for my clients.

Jessica shared that she loves when couples give her some creative freedom with their cake designs. She appreciates the traditional white cake but also loves when couples want to add unique elements. I can attest to this personally as I’ve seen Louisa’s Homemades create some show stopping cakes.

“Send me all the mood boards and let me get to work!”

COVID has impacted every part of wedding planning including cakes! Jessica has implemented changes to address the needs of COVID safety.

“With COVID still looming I am doing to-go tastings. Since we can’t meet in person, I’m scheduling phone consults instead. It’s not ideal, but seems to be working well. A bonus is you get to sample your wedding cake in your pjs!”

Weddings are freaking expensive, that is no secret. Often when couples begin planning, they are surprised by some of the prices they hear. We asked Jessica what some of the cost with cakes account for so couples can better understand what they are paying for!

“A lot more goes into the cost of your wedding cake than just ingredients. Some costs that people may not consider are things like insurance, business licensing, electricity, equipment, packaging materials, marketing and website costs, and most importantly my time! I spend so much time behind the scenes planning, answering emails, shopping, etc. Though cost may be higher using a small bakery, it’s always worth it to invest in quality vendors who have your best interests at heart.”

Approximately 50% of a wedding budget will go towards your venue and food, about 2-3% is what Jessica sees couples spend on their cake/desserts.

Sometimes to cut costs, couples are tempted to DIY parts of their wedding. Jessica has some points to consider if you’re thinking about DIY-ing your cake or letting a friend or family member do it for you.

“It’s usually not worth the stress! If a friend is offering to make your cake, chances are they are not licensed or inspected by the health department and you are putting your guests at risk. Constructing and delivering a tiered cake is no easy feat and best left up to experienced professionals.”

We could not agree more. Any food aspects of your wedding should 100% be left to professionals with licenses, insurance and most importantly- experience.

Jessica also addressed the myth of bakeries upcharging for wedding cakes.

“Many people have the misconception that there is an upcharge for wedding cakes. Most bakeries price their cakes by the slice, so while wedding cakes do cost more becuase they serve more people, they are usually less expensive per serving than intricately decorated special event cakes!”

If you’re interested in chatting with Jessica about your desserts and cake needs for your day, contact her here. Being a smaller bakery, she recommends contacting her ASAP to book your day! We can say from experience, you won’t regret hiring Louisa’s Homemades! Make sure you follow her on instagram too!

All photos provided by revelphotoco