Supplier Love Blog Series - Part Four - Cherry Tree Cakerie
Part Four- Cherry Tree Cakerie
Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire Wedding Cake Design
A blog series introducing you to some of my favourite suppliers in the wedding industry. They will be telling you a little bit about themselves and offering some pearls of wisdom for planning your wedding day.
Charlene is an exceptionally talented baker based in Buckinghamshire. She creates stunning, unique wedding cakes.
Over to you Charlene…..
Hello! I'm Charlene Russell and I'm the face behind Cherry Tree Cakerie, a bespoke wedding cake designer. I live with my husband and our treasured tabby cat, Marley, in a small Buckinghamshire village, although we're Londoners born and bred. We enjoy the simple things in life, such as time with family and friends, sunshine, good food and cake! In terms of cake, my style is far from traditional and speaks to creative couples who are looking for something unique and artistic for their wedding. Inspired by nature and art, I use a lot of texture and colour to make beautiful, romantic wedding cakes that reflect the style and personalities of my couples. Although my style is alternative, it's not novelty, my cakes are different but still beautiful grown-up designs
Experience In The Wedding Industry
I started my business full time in 2017 and have since made over 100 wedding cakes.
Top Tip
Weddings are incredibly personal so my main piece of advice would be to do your research and look for suppliers that match your style and ethos. Choose suppliers that get your vision and that you get on with, after all you will be working closely with them.
Image Courtesy of The Oxford Wedding Blog
Where did you get married?
Image Courtesy of Maxeen Kim Photography
I got married at Stratton Court Barn in Oxfordshire. It was a relaxed affair with a vintage afternoon tea and a wood-fired pizza van and luxury ice cream in the evening! It was important to us that the day was chilled and enjoyable for our guests with no standing on ceremony. We chose suppliers that were recommended by the venue but that fit with our style and ethos and with whom we clicked - that's so important. It was a beautiful day and I'm very proud to now be a recommended supplier at the venue, which is very special.
Top Tip
In practical terms, decide when you would like to serve your cake. Deciding whether to serve it as a dessert for your wedding breakfast or as a complement to your evening food will determine how much cake you will need and therefore the size of cake.
When did you know you definitely wanted to be an artist?
Image Courtesy of Poppy Carter Portraits
I've been making cakes as a hobby for many years since I did an evening course on a whim! Given I love cake and art, it was the obvious choice for an evening course and for many years it was only ever an expensive hobby until I decided I wanted to leave the corporate world and do something creative. As an executive PA, I have always been highly organised and process driven but there has always been an artistic side of me bursting to break free. After finding myself in a rut and approaching a big birthday, I felt the time was right to take the leap into the world of self-employment and making wedding cakes seemed to be the natural choice! I love working in the wedding industry and I haven't looked back.
Top Tip
Try to keep in mind what you want from your cake. This is your day after all so choose a design and flavours that float your boat and try not to please everyone...it's impossible!
What part of your work makes you all toastie inside?
Image Courtesy of Richard Galloway Photography
I absolutely love the design process and drawing on a couple's ideas and inspiration to create something beautiful and unique to them is the most rewarding aspect of the whole process. I'm also at my happiest with a paintbrush in hand, making hand painted cakes and creating beautiful wafer paper flowers.
Favourite Wedding Themes and Venues
Image courtesy of Maya Kemp Photography