Tulsa Wedding Show

I was recently given the opportunity to be a vendor at the Tulsa Wedding Show. Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to attend due to such short notice—only four days ahead of time! However, I was able to secure a spot at the Oklahoma Bridal & Wedding Expo this May. So, what better way to prepare than by attending the Tulsa Wedding Show to scope out my competition? My best friend and I made the trip to Tulsa, and to my surprise, out of the dozens of vendors, there were only four selling cakes. Of those, only one stood out as a fierce competitor. She kindly shared her pricing guide with me, helping me gain a clearer understanding of the Tulsa market. It was pretty much what I expected, but it was great to have a direct comparison to my own pricing.

I plan to curate a unique style that I feel is currently missing in the market, and seeing so few competitors at bridal shows in my area has only made me feel more confident. In preparation, I’ve been working on flyers, car decals, my website, and business cards, all with the goal of booking weddings at the Bridal Expo in May. I know I need to build my portfolio, and with the help of my best friend, I’ll be able to get some professional photos done before the Expo.

I’m excited to work with tiered cakes more consistently. Over the years, I’ve been building my cake decorating skills at various local bakeries, learning new techniques along the way. I can decorate a cake every 15 minutes, but now I’m ready to challenge myself on a bigger scale. I’ve invested so much time and money into growing my business over the last four years, and I’m finally ready to take it beyond just friends and family.

My goal is to meet someone at a bridal show, impress them with my art, and have them think, "I have to have one of those cakes!" I want to bake the layers, fill them with delicious fruits and syrups, and decorate them with care. Then, I’ll bring them to a beautiful venue and have my creations displayed, immortalized in their photographs for years to come. Nothing would make me prouder than to see my hard work pay off.

When I started decorating cakes, this was my vision. Over time, as I struggled with jobs that didn’t even pay $15 an hour, I lost sight of that dream. I thought it would never be financially viable. But over the past few months, I’ve rediscovered that dream, and I won’t stop until I make it my reality.