The Lunch Club Podcast
A space for wedding vendors and creatives. We are offering you a seat at the table as we share all the behind the scenes and details to get you feeling creative and celebrated.
The Lunch Club Podcast
Petals & Pastry with Meriel Frandsen
Join me, Andrea Seehagen as we embark on a delightful exploration of creativity at the intersection of pastry and petals with esteemed baker Meriel Frandsen of Mmmdessert. This episode peels back the curtain on the wedding industry, revealing how bakers, like Meriel, navigate the delicate dance of designing custom wedding cakes. We discuss the importance of carving out a niche, the intricacies of coordinating with event vendors, and the transformational journey from baking as a pastime to creating sought-after confections.
Hello you guys and welcome back to the Lunch Club podcast. I am so excited. Today's guest is Marielle Franson, and she and I are gonna be talking about some of the similarities that bakers and florists actually have in common and some of the ways that us vendors can help each other out. Talking about trends, business highs and lows, and it's gonna be a good one. So I can't wait. Let's get into it. Welcome to the Lunch Club podcast, a space I have created for entrepreneurs. Come sit with us as we share the highs and lows of building and maintaining successful businesses. I'm your Andrea ,Seehagen, and let's get into it. Okay, I am so excited to have you here today. Go ahead and introduce yourself, tell us about your business, so, how you got into it, the love things.
Meriel Frasndsen:Okay, awesome, I'm Marielle Franson and my business is dessert, mmm, dessert.
Andrea Seehagen:It is very tasty. I can speak from personal experience.
Meriel Frasndsen:Thank you. It is super fun to be able to Do things that are equal parts delicious and beautiful. Yes, so that's why I love it. I've been doing I've baked my whole life, but not in a professional way, until about six years ago, and that's when I started my business and it was sort of born out of, I want to say, necessity. Yeah, we were, my husband and I were in a place where we were like I Don't know, just for it. Honestly, we could call it a midlife crisis.
Andrea Seehagen:Let's call it a life crisis right.
Meriel Frasndsen:Yeah, I'm 40 and so when I started I was very much like in the middle of children.
Andrea Seehagen:Yeah.
Meriel Frasndsen:I see I have four kids and I had just had my last and was kind of like it's exhausting, what's next? Yeah, and I I've always been an artistic person. I bounce around with different crafts and sewing. I mean pre Pinterest, I was doing all sorts of DIY crafts. I mean it's actually kind of hilarious when you think about, like, where we would have to go to find.
Andrea Seehagen:I have had this comment a lot of times. People who are like you know what Brides these days are so lucky. So I'm in a wedding, so it was like this is the color palette, everyone's doing it, everyone did it like just.
Meriel Frasndsen:Great, yeah, my wedding. It was amazing. But my color palette choice was atrocious. It was, I mean, it wasn't atrocious, it wasn't bad, but it was just a lot. It was like red, orange and yellow. Oh, it was just too much 2004.
Andrea Seehagen:Yeah, the Gerber daisies and Cala Leys.
Meriel Frasndsen:It was a lot like I love it.
Andrea Seehagen:I really do.
Meriel Frasndsen:But yeah, so I've always been artistic and cakes kind of became this edible palette, this, this canvas that I was able to, to learn and try out new things, and then, okay, you take it by and, yeah, don't ever have to see it again. I've actually heard of some artists that will burn their paintings after the fact really, because, if you think about it, they've collected so many pieces of art and it was Cathartic in the moment and then they were able. It was kind of like, well, what do I do with it?
Andrea Seehagen:now.
Meriel Frasndsen:And then if I'm not selling it what you know, yeah, I'm, I, just a point, yeah. I'm I just filling up rooms full of artwork, so this was an incredible way to, you know, have this, outlet this creative outlet and then move on.
Andrea Seehagen:Yeah, I'm not be collecting.
Meriel Frasndsen:Yeah, exactly. Millions of quilts, exactly.
Andrea Seehagen:So would you say you mostly focus on cakes, like, tell us more about, like, what do, yeah, what do you offer? What do you focus on?
Meriel Frasndsen:Well, as pretty much any baker, I started out saying yes to everything, so it was a lot of birthday cakes, celebratory cakes, cupcakes, things like that, and then I sort of have morphed into more wedding cakes, and also I specialize in french macarons. So that's they really are so good. They. So yes, I have like those sort of two outlets at this point. I still sometimes do celebratory cakes, but for the most part I tell people no, you can try someone else.
Andrea Seehagen:I think it's nice to get to that point in your business when you're like you know what I've been there, I've done that.
Meriel Frasndsen:I don't need to keep doing that. I have found my ideal client.
Andrea Seehagen:Yeah, who I like to work with.
Meriel Frasndsen:Well, and it's a. It's a natural evolution of the process too, because, like at the beginning, you want to learn all the cool things, you want to learn the cool techniques and you're like what do I do with isomalt? What do I do with chocolate, what do I, you know? Yeah, all the different cool things. And then you're like I'm done making the superhero case, I'm done making all your Super fun.
Andrea Seehagen:It's really funny because there's such a crossover with, like, floral design, like for me it was like you know, I would say yes to anything and everything. Yeah, and I would get like the same, especially when I first started. I feel like brides were. I feel like brides have gotten more, not experimental, but a little bit more. Yeah, like a little more brave on like okay.
Andrea Seehagen:I'm gonna do something different. Yeah, but when I first started I probably did like a blush and blue color palette, like 10 times To the point where I was like I have nothing, like I am not excited at all yeah. I am like I can only order the same like four blue things.
Andrea Seehagen:Yeah and everyone shows me the same Pinterest photo and that's great, but like and that's when I lost the passion and the excitement, because it's like boring. I need to feel a little bit challenged. So I feel like, yeah, I got to the same point where I was like I'm gonna say no, even though this is money. Yeah, I'm gonna wait for something else to come along and I get that.
Meriel Frasndsen:There's a privilege in that. Like you know, I understand that my particular business is like A side hobby. It's a hobby turn business and and I and I love that I'm able to manage that with my family. And you know some people are like are you ever gonna open a storefront?
Meriel Frasndsen:and I'm like no, it's just me and honestly, I like it that way and I have always been very honest with myself about what I want, what my balance, my like, work, life balances and, and so I don't do any marketing amazing, and it's just a thing.
Andrea Seehagen:It just like. Naturally, people ask me all the time. Yeah newer florists or business owners. They'll be like oh, like, how much do you spend on advertising? And I'm like zero. I mean like, yeah, my style shoots, like that's my, that's my version of advertising where I'm like.
Andrea Seehagen:I'm actually doing something I want to do. Absolutely that is going to attract my clients. But I'm not like paying a magazine or a billboard, because I just feel like that's not speaking to my ideal client. Yeah, my clients probably somewhere on Instagram Just scrolling and then they're gonna come across my thing like I don't it just feels more natural that way, absolutely because I have done the magazine Like ads and stuff and I just never I don't saw anything to return from no like invest it into yourself, yeah, and like that's what I would call my advertising.
Meriel Frasndsen:I guess it's kind of funny like. I mean 100%. I started, I was very lucky, and that I started out on Instagram during the time lapse, oh, yes, so, the algorithm was my best friend.
Andrea Seehagen:Yes, during the time lapse and that's like such an easy low maintenance. It was awesome content. Oh my gosh, like right here we go. It was amazing.
Meriel Frasndsen:So I got a ton of followers from that and it built like. I mean, granted, those followers were, they weren't necessarily local, so it didn't necessarily translate to more business. It gives you like a reputation, but it did give you a reputation it gave me credibility and that was awesome and it showed people like I'm actually doing this a lot, like I'm working hard at this and so at a certain point I didn't really need to work as hard with, yeah, instagram Also, it switched to reels and I emphatically refused.
Andrea Seehagen:It is always changing. You know what I had like a full meltdown for like three months. I was like I just can't. I.
Meriel Frasndsen:There's no winning here. There's no winning.
Andrea Seehagen:And then I had to get to the like. You know, I'm just gonna post whatever I want. You know, I'm not doing this for For the algorithm, because before it was like, that was what was driving me and I was like I need to. I need to refocus.
Meriel Frasndsen:Why am?
Andrea Seehagen:I posting on here. It's so true, it's exhausting. Um, okay, so what would you say? One of your biggest pain points is in the wedding industry, specifically.
Meriel Frasndsen:I mean there are a few basic responses to this question and anyone in the Utah industry knows what they are. It's like local Utahns, don't wanna spend a ton of money, it's just not.
Andrea Seehagen:They haven't really planned it out.
Meriel Frasndsen:They haven't planned it out, they don't have a big budget, and or they were brought up to believe well, they're actually very talented people, so they are like I can do it myself, mentality which doesn't apply to weddings because you don't have time for it right, the DIY culture is so big here it's hard to get over.
Andrea Seehagen:But yeah, you're like, but when, right?
Meriel Frasndsen:When are you going to Like? I'm sure, if you really wanted to, you could.
Andrea Seehagen:You could do it for someone else, but will you?
Meriel Frasndsen:So you're gonna have to pay me. So that's probably one of, like, the classic difficulties, especially in baking. Our profit margins are very slim and, just as with like floristry, it's like you're beholden to what the rest of the world is gonna be like, is gonna charge you for your product. So you're creating. You're not creating something out of thin air like any sort of digital work or something like that right, or someone who does photography or videography where they're creating it from scratch right.
Meriel Frasndsen:We actually have to work with a product that we're buying ourselves upfront.
Andrea Seehagen:It's like time and supplies.
Meriel Frasndsen:Yes, the supplies then we Every time yes, and so that is rough because the profit margins are not huge. So we have to find a balance within the local economy. How much am I gonna charge? How much am I gonna make? Is this worth my time? Which is a huge reason why I switched to wedding cakes as opposed to celebratory cakes, because celebratory cakes.
Meriel Frasndsen:People are more willing and those cakes take way more time. They take just as much time as a wedding cake. Even though you're not doing as much baking upfront because it's smaller. You're doing just as much work on the decoration as you. So in the end I would love to be able to charge more for a wedding cake. That's gonna take me just as much time, and wedding cakes are larger and you charge by the serving as opposed to like. I don't know the size translates to serving, but it just equals more.
Andrea Seehagen:And that's exactly. I mean again, like it's funny how much crossover there is between the florestery and baking.
Meriel Frasndsen:You're like I don't wanna do a tiny little bouquet.
Andrea Seehagen:Yes, well, people are like oh well, I just want it small and I'm like I still have to buy 50 roses, like I guess that you only want two, but like I don't wanna pay for your bouquet. Like that's basically what it comes down to. But I feel like you kind of answered this.
Meriel Frasndsen:But what's something that you really love about your job, specifically, I really love the creative outlet it's when you get into that flow state of just creation. It is so cool. And I do love specifically when clients like there are certain clients that repeat clients that come to you and it's like you just do whatever you want.
Andrea Seehagen:Or like music to anyone's ears.
Meriel Frasndsen:The brief is like I just need something classy or I just need something cute and fun, and you're like done.
Andrea Seehagen:Got it Will do, I feel like, and that's I feel like those are my happiest clients too, because, like they genuinely believe in me and trust me. Of like oh, I know what you do and I'm hiring you to worry about it. And I'm like yeah, that's what you should do.
Meriel Frasndsen:Exactly.
Andrea Seehagen:And you know, put this on yourself Like I got it. You don't need to spend hours on Pinterest trying to find and spell like done.
Meriel Frasndsen:Sometimes I get annoyed when I'm just it's not like they're trolling, but they show up with zero preparation and they'll ask for something and I'm like did you look at my feed? Yeah, like you're reaching out on Instagram. Yes so like did you look at what I do?
Andrea Seehagen:Oh my gosh all the time they're like I want I don't do those anymore, I don't piss grass and I'm like where did you see that on my page? Like I, I have a very specific aesthetic. Yes, like really, did you see that anywhere? Like thanks for reaching out, but like sorry, no.
Meriel Frasndsen:Yeah.
Andrea Seehagen:So funny, okay. So what are some things about like the ordering process, specifically with like wedding cakes, that people like don't think through, like for me it's always set up time? People often are like oh okay, I'm gonna get in at four ceremonies at five, and I'm like whoa, whoa, whoa. I don't know where you thought I could like magically snap my fingers and put that together.
Andrea Seehagen:But like that's one for me. Do you feel like there's something for you? That's like a common thing that people kind of drop the ball or don't really think through.
Meriel Frasndsen:It is a lot of you know what about this weekend? I mean not necessarily wedding stuff, but and I do love to help when people are in that position. I'm a naturally kind of a people pleaser. So if they come to me and they're like we have a wedding in two or three months and oh my gosh, I'm like I would love to help. Like if I'm available.
Andrea Seehagen:I would love to help.
Meriel Frasndsen:Let's do this. But you know, sometimes they'll wonder why am I paying you up front?
Andrea Seehagen:Oh, interesting.
Meriel Frasndsen:Or you know, it's gotten better. I think I think because the wedding industry in general has gotten better about always requiring deposits and always demanding things, it's not as big of a shock. Yeah, it's not as big of a shock as it used to, but it is kind of funny. Where I'm like. Well, I do require the balance a month ahead, like you, get a deposit to secure the date.
Meriel Frasndsen:I need the balance a month before, like I have product to buy. Baking in general, most people don't understand that we utilize our freezer like a lot. We bake ahead of time. We don't like gone are the days of trying to assemble something the day of or the day before. I usually assemble my cake the day before or the two days before, like maximum, but I've baked and prepped everything long before. So that's probably one of the things people don't understand.
Andrea Seehagen:Because I find that something that I have kind of encountered as a florist, where often I know that like the cake's probably not getting there until just before reception and I don't know if that's always intentional, but, like a lot of times you know, I'm like, well, I'm there at 10 am.
Meriel Frasndsen:If you want me to do the flowers, I'm betting you your cake's not going to get there for sure, absolutely For hours, and that actually just reminded me one of the biggest things that bothers me is butter melts.
Meriel Frasndsen:Yeah, see, like people wouldn't, know Anywhere like above 72 degrees, oh my gosh, it starts to sag, it starts to melt. So summer times like not. So I pride myself in that. I specifically do white chocolate ganache covering, so I in any outdoor setting, in any, anytime anyone wants something super white, it has to be white chocolate ganache. And actually most bakers don't do white chocolate ganache, they do fondant or they do buttercream and white chocolate ganache is stable up to like 90, 95 degrees.
Meriel Frasndsen:Like it's crazy, it holds its shape so well. It'll get soft, but it holds its shape, yeah, so it's very stable, it's delicious, it tastes like a truffle. It's amazing. It is very white. It's limited on like what you can do from a design perspective, but that doesn't really come into play too much with weddings, because there's not that many designs that people want.
Andrea Seehagen:Usually, that's what they want, right.
Meriel Frasndsen:A clean, white, you know whatever, with a little texture here or there. So sometimes I have to be a diva when I drop the cake off, and luckily I'm a diva with whoever's in the room at the time. Yes, Whoever the bride. It's maybe the mother of the groom, but it's mother of the bride. But it's usually like the venue. The venue, people where I'm like the table will not be here in front of two large windows magnifying the sun, I love it.
Meriel Frasndsen:I'm going to be moving it to this corner. I hope that's okay, because it's going to melt if not.
Andrea Seehagen:See, that's a thing. It's like. I think every, every industry, every category has their like. This is the thing I can't control.
Meriel Frasndsen:Sorry, but yeah like.
Andrea Seehagen:This is just how it is, like I've had flowers that wilt, you know, by 9pm and you know what those flowers?
Meriel Frasndsen:are and I'm like there's no nothing.
Andrea Seehagen:I can do to stop nature from like happening. Yeah, like.
Meriel Frasndsen:So it's like you can warn your clients upfront, like if you want this particular flower, they put it back in water all day, but if you're doing it at 10am to 10pm, like just know the flowers are not going to look so hot yeah.
Meriel Frasndsen:I usually get there and I have to assess like, okay, where's, where's it being placed? Okay, if it's in shade, fine, great, love it. If it's in, you know, as long as it's in shade we're good, even indoors. Sometimes if it's a buttercream cake and not a white chocolate, can ask for whatever reason. If it's even in front of windows, that can be a problem. But then I look at the flooring and where the table, like how the table is placed. Because if it's a tall four tier cake on a tiny threes, like three legged, stool situation Like on a cocktail table.
Andrea Seehagen:Yes, I'm.
Meriel Frasndsen:I'm usually like does anyone have any car? Like I'll see if it's like balanced right. I'm like I'm looking for cardboard. I need cardboard and try to get it as stable as possible. If there's like long flowing linens on the table, I'm like everyone is going to trip on this and just bring that down with it. So it's usually like, okay, just trying to make a few adjustments here and there to ensure the safety of the cake.
Andrea Seehagen:So here's the real question have you had that happen where cake falls over? Okay, I have not, it's just not reoccurring like nightmare.
Meriel Frasndsen:Yes, it's you as a, as a cake decorator. You, this is your baby. You have done all you can to make it as stable as possible. It's delicious, it's amazing, but, like you know, you just worry, you worry. I think the scariest moment I had with a cake delivery one time. It was the first wedding cake where I did the Lambeth piping design, which is like the really old-fashioned, beautiful almost like you would consider it like a Victorian wedding.
Andrea Seehagen:Like it's just, it's that like really cool.
Meriel Frasndsen:Piped. How do you explain it? It's not lacy but roughly. You know style on the outside, with lots and lots of piped ruffles and things, and the thing is is buttercream again.
Meriel Frasndsen:Butter is yellow and you tone it as you would with bleached hair which is crazy it's adding a little purple you know food coloring to tone it white and you beat it. You beat the buttercream a really long time. It incorporates air and it whitens it and lightens it, but over time it still kind of goes back to that ivory color. And I was driving it was going to be like a styled wedding, like French styled wedding, and I was terrified that I hadn't.
Meriel Frasndsen:I couldn't remember if I had had the conversation with the bride in the consultation about the fact that this was not going to be white it was going to be ivory and I was like I know it's outside, so and it's French, so it probably won't be a big deal, but, like I was shaking, I was calling my husband. Like they're going to, they're going to, they're going to, they're going to ask for a refund. Like I'm sorry, oh my gosh, I was so worried. Now they loved it.
Andrea Seehagen:It was amazing, but I mean it just the intrusive thought it creeps up on you, right, oh my gosh, I've had that happen so many like I.
Meriel Frasndsen:Only have three candlesticks instead of four, like they're going to notice everything and like they don't know, like the details are so small.
Andrea Seehagen:And I've always said, like if they care about that small detail on their wedding day I'm thinking red flag.
Meriel Frasndsen:It's not even about me. I'm like it's not about me.
Andrea Seehagen:It's probably about something, yeah, something else. And they're just taking out on me. Yeah, but, oh my gosh, I just yeah, all the moments of like right, oh, now have I made a big mistake? Yes, my question has always been because I feel like I can never tell what the I guess the etiquette is of like. Do you typically? The two part question is do you typically request, say hey, make sure you order flowers from your florist for the cake? Do you remind them, or do you kind of just they order the cake and you don't know how they're decorating it? It's a good question One. And question two is if there are flowers on the cake, do you like to be the one that's placing those or do you not care? Do you prefer that the florist does it? I've always just kind of like handled it case by case and I'm like is there like a?
Andrea Seehagen:is there a rule? Yeah, is there like a rule.
Meriel Frasndsen:Well, and I would imagine too, because florists are their hours before the cake delivery.
Andrea Seehagen:Yeah, and that's why I know so you never really see the baker like delivering it.
Meriel Frasndsen:You're kind of hoping after the fact, right? Yes, well, it's a good. They're good questions. I always upfront say do you have a florist or do you not have a florist? That's good and usually they do. If it's a super small wedding and they don't and depending on the design of the cake it'll be, if I notice from the inspiration picks, I'll say you know, do you have a florist? If you don't, that's okay and I will charge them. Yeah, I can provide the florals but I will like. This is how much I charge you for it and then and I'll assemble it on site. If you do have a florist, just part of the delivery and setup fee is that I will assemble whatever flowers they set aside. I make a huge point in saying please talk to your florist and say have them set aside enough flowers, like, show them this inspiration. Yeah, have them set aside the flowers and have it ready for me that is like amazing Right.
Meriel Frasndsen:Because it's rough when you get there and you're like I don't even know if there's anyone for me to talk to, like, yeah, where are the flowers? I usually try to stress like tell your florist like I'll need more money. I'll need, like a lot more than like what is in this picture and and it's usually because you know as a florist, you know like you're working with quite a lot of flowers and you're picking.
Meriel Frasndsen:You're picking the ones that work in that specific arrangement, right, and I'm like, I'm just, if the stem is too short or if the thing doesn't look good, you're, you're creating art with it. So you're looking for symmetry and asymmetry and balance and all the things and on the cake, and so sometimes I'll only get a few Just of the same. And I'm like I'm going to need more than this. Yeah, I'm going to need filler which I'm going to need greenery. I'm going to need variety.
Andrea Seehagen:It can't just be like two roses yeah exactly.
Meriel Frasndsen:So sometimes I will have to like they'll give me something and I'll work with it as best I can but I usually have to find someone and say, hey, are there any extra flowers lying around? And then worst case scenario is they say no and I'm like I'm going to need some more. And that's when I have to find someone with authority to be like, yeah, right, FYI, I'm going to need to pull from somewhere. Where would you like me to pull from?
Andrea Seehagen:Which I feel like is the normal, like here's the situation. And then, if I have to.
Meriel Frasndsen:it's like I promise I'm only pulling filler. I'm not pulling like your statement blooms. I am not like, because they usually give you the state Like that's not usually what you're missing. You're not missing the roses, you're missing the accent pieces like to round it out, to make it look cohesive with the rest of the room.
Andrea Seehagen:Usually the bride has sent me the in this photo of this cake and I'm like, okay, yeah, I'll pull.
Meriel Frasndsen:you know this is the one, and it works great, but oh yeah, it's.
Andrea Seehagen:yeah, that's. It's been fun. A tough spot when you're like I don't have what I need and that's for or they've wilted because they didn't put them in water, because they just set them next to the table. Oh no, that's horrible, See. I always put them in the fridge, Like.
Meriel Frasndsen:I won't believe it.
Andrea Seehagen:If there's no fridge, then I'm like, okay, I'll just keep them in a vase and you cut whatever you want off of this whole thing. But Do you like?
Meriel Frasndsen:to decorate. I love to decorate the cakes myself. It's so much fun.
Andrea Seehagen:I mean, I don't necessarily care, but a lot of times people will nervously be like I can't do it and I'm like it's actually not.
Meriel Frasndsen:I don't think it's difficult, it's intimidating. I actually had a florist who lived near me and I asked her. I was like when I first started doing wedding cakes, I was like, will you come and teach me how to do this, Because I just am so intimidated by flowers, and so she came over and I actually did a, because I don't do dummy cakes, I don't do styrofoam, so I actually had a full blown.
Meriel Frasndsen:It was my practice wedding cake, four tier. It was intense and she helped me arrange and it was like oh OK, this is so great Like thank you. I don't think I would have thought to do it this way or whatever, and the little tips and tricks and things like that, which was really helpful. That way I come prepared. I can imagine that some bakers would be like will you just have your florist do it? Yes, but you're usually there earlier, yeah, so I don't usually have a choice.
Andrea Seehagen:If you want me to decorate the cake, it's got to be there when I'm there. But so I've gotten really good at putting flowers on a cake inside the fridge, like it's in the fridge, and I'm like just spinning the cardboard, like I can do this, and but I think it's really fun. I don't know why. I think it's so fun to see a cake like transform from it. It's just plain, it's simple. And then it's like, oh, it's got a little party on it.
Meriel Frasndsen:There is one thing I always have to make sure that if the inspo pick or the florals that they have chosen are anything poisonous, I have to specifically. I just say no to it altogether.
Andrea Seehagen:That is something I never thought about. I'm not going to sit there rapping.
Meriel Frasndsen:I'm not going to wrap the stems, Like that's excessive. I am just going to say no, Like sorry, we're not going to use hydrangeas. Sorry, we're not going to use lilies Like yeah.
Andrea Seehagen:Well, I didn't even know, like as a florist.
Meriel Frasndsen:I didn't even realize that there were poisonous ones.
Andrea Seehagen:You're not eating them, no, and I was like, oh my gosh, like I'm glad that I haven't used these, Right, ok, what do you feel like you've had, if there is one, a favorite experience, or like a moment within your business, like something that was like this was a big win for you, or something that just like made your whole day, week, year, whatever, thank you.
Meriel Frasndsen:My favorite wedding cake I've ever done, like from a floral arrangement perspective. Yeah, it was actually one of my first and it was with you, oh my god. I don't know if you remember is it. Is it called luminaria?
Andrea Seehagen:Yes, that really cool, Lunaria.
Meriel Frasndsen:Lunaria. Oh, it was so cool. The cake was at the the Springville Art Museum. Yes, so it was like very architectural, like terracotta, everything you know. So I wanted to do something architectural, I wanted to do something very cool. So I, she was, she was awesome. She was like do what you need to do and it was huge. It was like a huge four-tier cake. It was beautiful, yeah, and so, yeah, I, I asked for some lunaria.
Andrea Seehagen:And it's expensive too.
Meriel Frasndsen:Yeah, we both were like but it was cool because it was my first time like sculpting flowers, yeah like. I had to get, you know, I had to get the wire and I had to create like a frame for it. And then it here, like it was really neat to be able to work with it, and it's not flexible.
Andrea Seehagen:So it's woody right exactly.
Meriel Frasndsen:So it was so interesting trying to like make it Work into something that looked amazing. Yeah, it was so cool.
Andrea Seehagen:It was a really cool one too. It was something I've not even seen again.
Meriel Frasndsen:Yeah.
Andrea Seehagen:I think it's also always fun to be like the creator of yeah yeah, really. Yeah, I always. People are always surprised when I'm like you know, like oh, have you done it before? I'm like no, but I'm still excited. Yeah, I'm not intimidated and more like this will be like a challenge. You know cuz like we've said, like you get the same few orders, you're like, okay, yeah. But when you're like, oh, this is gonna be, yeah, like gets you a little excited.
Meriel Frasndsen:I do love doing photo shoots. For that reason, yeah and Like again, we were talking about marketing before. It's awesome to be able to have the professional photos done. Most Weddings that I do. I never see the professional photos I wish I did and sometimes I have to remind them.
Andrea Seehagen:I would love that you get the gallery back and they didn't do any de-jump. Yes, exactly.
Meriel Frasndsen:So I love doing the photo shoots because it's like an opportunity for me to create in a cool way too.
Andrea Seehagen:Yeah, I love working with you because I'm always like hey, I know, I'm like I'm always like okay, like I, you know, I like it to be a mutually beneficial experience for everybody. But it's always so fun for it to be like let's do something Fun or different, because a lot of times like, yeah, I see the same, you know, but it's fun to just be like let's just shake it up, let's try it. Yeah, let's do something different.
Meriel Frasndsen:Yeah.
Andrea Seehagen:Okay, my question. My next one was if you have, like, a horror story, something that's gone bad, and then like how you handled it and if it's made you better at your job like yeah, you're like okay, I'm not gonna ever do that. Or like okay, I need to be clearer on this.
Meriel Frasndsen:Well, I'm sure, and you alluded to this earlier when you're reaching out to someone and I do almost all of my my like back and forth contacting through Instagram I just for some reason, it just works out really well for me on there has their place. Yeah, and I can pretty much tell within the first Three back and forths if that client is gonna be a nightmare or not.
Meriel Frasndsen:Like yeah, it's bizarre like you can read them so quickly and be like, oh no, oh no, how am I gonna? Like I said yes to this way too soon. Like I had a client, she was Literally a diva Literally she is. It was a like I don't know, a smaller Music, like a smaller scale famous musician, and was like coming to Utah and was having some big birthday party and it was really exciting. So I wanted to try something cool and she had, you know, very grandiose expectations with a very small budget.
Andrea Seehagen:Yeah, and I was like right.
Meriel Frasndsen:So I was like okay, like, we're gonna try this. Well, it didn't work out very well, like, and that's actually like. Obviously that's something on me and I, you know, I felt bad that like the Design didn't really work very well, but at the same time, it's like you didn't? You only paid me like 150.
Andrea Seehagen:Yeah, like. Yeah, this is not like what you pay for.
Meriel Frasndsen:Yeah, and, and the best part was is I did go out of my way to like make make up for things and and I, I deliver it. I don't see her, but she freaks out oh my gosh and you know, it's like I kind of.
Meriel Frasndsen:I'm like I feel bad, like I made it work and it looked beautiful in the end, but like it wasn't necessarily. I was using wafer paper and it just didn't work as well as like the original inspiration pictures, which the inspo pics aren't mine necessarily, like I'm an artist. I don't think it's not gonna be the exactly the same right it, nor should it like from a copyright perspective. But she just was so mad and like Started bad mouthing me on Instagram. Oh, and the best part was is she didn't take it out of the box and I was like, okay, the box. She was like why is there tape all over it? And I was like the tape adhering it to the box for delivery.
Meriel Frasndsen:Oh my gosh, they put. They put it in a storage room. So I kept it in the box. I wasn't gonna there wasn't like a cake yeah, like a cake stand to display it on, like I wasn't. There wasn't any sort of setup involved, you know. So I'm like why didn't you take it out of the box? I was so confused, like what I feel like that is a no-brainer.
Andrea Seehagen:Yes, those are the times you're like what, how, why?
Meriel Frasndsen:do I have to say that? Yes, like I really didn't think I would have had to explain that it was bad. She was like she demanded a refund and she had paid through PayPal. So paypal, you can, you can, just you can just get the money back. So she like basically took all the money back and and started I had to like block her on, like on all these she like was starting other Instagram profiles, so she could continue to bad.
Meriel Frasndsen:I was like you need to chill out. It was still a delicious cake. It was still beautiful.
Andrea Seehagen:Yes, well, let's calm down and like a party again. This is like okay, is this really what you want to like?
Meriel Frasndsen:Yeah, go down about, right, and I was nervous even delivering it, because the guy who was like was talking about how like ridiculous Her demands were. I guess even for him like the venue owner, it was really funny. Oh my gosh, it's too much and that's here's.
Andrea Seehagen:The good thing, though, is you're like now I know, you know I've done things for a trade before Okay, it's never worth it. I'm like I'm gonna work with this big company and I'm gonna get not worth it.
Meriel Frasndsen:You get nothing and your money they don't care like.
Andrea Seehagen:I just feel like the People who are genuinely gonna refer you and genuinely loved working with you like they do it it's. It's a genuine like. I had a great experience and I want to tell you why yes. I thought you can tell support even influencers.
Andrea Seehagen:You can tell when it's like a sponsored post, like when they are been paid to say that. And I I've had like influencers reach out people. I mean they call themselves influencers and I might be like I've never heard of you, like I don't know who you are, but they're like well, I'm gonna make five tick tocks and sure talk all about how, and I'm like I want you to do that because you genuinely loved working with me, not because it's part of our deal.
Andrea Seehagen:Yeah that's not payment. And also I'm like I just feel weird about that and I feel like anyone would notice, right, Like yes, oh, she clearly got paid to. You know, promote this person. She probably doesn't even like this. You know, I feel bad for new business owners who get conned into the like this is going to be amazing. Don't do it, it's no.
Andrea Seehagen:Yeah, if they truly thought you were talented, they would pay you, yeah, and I feel like so often it's like I saw your Instagram and I loved it and I'm like, okay, if that's true, then make room in your budget, like, make it a priority then.
Meriel Frasndsen:Like it's always a breath of fresh air where they're actually where, like if it's for a styled shoot or something, and they actually pay for it, I'm like, wow, I think it's great, it's big volumes, Even if they're like.
Andrea Seehagen:You know what? I would love to work with you. Like this is our budget, Like what can we do? Like kind of more of like I'm being realistic.
Meriel Frasndsen:Yeah, absolutely.
Andrea Seehagen:And then I'm like more willing to be like you know what, how about.
Meriel Frasndsen:I go halfs with you.
Andrea Seehagen:You know like thank you for being realistic. Instead of like this is what I want you better, come through for me.
Meriel Frasndsen:Like yeah.
Andrea Seehagen:I'm like this is not my problem, but you don't know how much things cost. Okay, my last question is any trends or common requests that you're getting more of, that you're excited about or that you've just noticed like? Or a big thing, I don't know.
Meriel Frasndsen:I would definitely say the lambeth piping it's that?
Andrea Seehagen:that like a skirt, yes, like the ruffle like you know vintage, vintage vibes. It's huge.
Meriel Frasndsen:It's absolutely how quick that trend yeah.
Andrea Seehagen:Cause I feel like I didn't really see that last season at all Like. I feel like it's really, for me at least, like I guess wedding wide, Like the whole wedding, is going to be that vintage. I think it's great.
Meriel Frasndsen:And I think it's really fun, especially for I think it's great for smaller weddings too that don't have a budget for flowers, because you don't really need to do any decoration on it.
Andrea Seehagen:It is decor itself. There were a couple that they ordered cake flowers and then it was that look, and I was like I don't want to put it. Yeah, I was like I don't know where you'd be.
Meriel Frasndsen:Like it doesn't work. I actually had a really cool one where we surrounded the table with baby's breath and it was a wrap. Okay, I've seen that. I've seen that, like on the. I've had more rides this year.
Andrea Seehagen:It's actually really funny when I ask about cake florals. It's like florals to decorate the table. Yes, of the cake, like the cake meadow.
Meriel Frasndsen:Yeah, and not the actual cake, and I think it's kind of fun, because it's like we're decorating like around it's like the cake is creating an ambiance. Yeah, it's own moment, but it's going to all match and, like I do, love the meadow cake trend. That one is a lot of fun. That one is hard because it's an expensive one, and brides are like I mean normally I'm like yeah, I'm like 50 bucks for cake florals and that one I'm like totally 300 bucks.
Andrea Seehagen:Yeah, sorry, like if you want it front to back, like yes, it's going to be a lot, and they're like, oh, like I'm like that's like an installation in itself. It is Absolutely. Like we're normally cake flowers for me, or like just a little hat on, you know, like a boutonniere, like oh, just throw that on there. But I'm like that's one you got to have a budget for. Okay, is there anything else that you want to chat about?
Meriel Frasndsen:There is one thing that is pretty cool. One of the things that I actually still don't see very often in the industry is I use a cake safe to deliver my cakes. Okay, yes, it is fascinating how it works. It's so cool. The company is amazing. They're based out of, I think they're in Rhode Island or just on the East Coast somewhere. They're like a family run and they're so awesome. But the cake safe itself is so cool because it keeps it insulated and stable during transport.
Andrea Seehagen:So everyone usually freaks out.
Meriel Frasndsen:Everyone usually have it in your car and like enter Everyone's always freaking out about like you know how are you going to get it here, or whatever, especially the coolest. Okay, so the coolest delivery ever was last, no, two summers ago or last, I can't remember, but it was up in Deer Valley and I got to take it up a chairlift.
Andrea Seehagen:All the way up to the top.
Meriel Frasndsen:That's so cool, oh my gosh. And yeah, like I'm holding it in the cake safe and it's just so. It's not going anywhere, it's not going anywhere. I was more worried about the cupcakes in their boxes as opposed to like the cake is a breeze, it's no stress at all.
Andrea Seehagen:See, I would like a cake.
Meriel Frasndsen:Right, I get heart problems, but like the poor little cupcakes over there, the buttercream's melting because you know they're in boxes, not insulated. Oh my gosh. A full 35 minute, oh my gosh, you know.
Andrea Seehagen:Those weddings are like kind of every vendor's nightmare, like the transporo Sorry how am I getting all these flowers up here, yeah, and back down, and, oh my gosh, yeah, that is amazing.
Meriel Frasndsen:It was cool.
Andrea Seehagen:What is it called? It's called the cake safe.
Meriel Frasndsen:It's the cake savings. Yeah, that's the brand Cake safe. So it's an investment up front, but honestly, it's been I got it right. I was like, if I'm going to do wedding cakes, I do not want. I want to be stressed about it Like that's not worth it at all. So I got one immediately and it was the best decision. That's super nice.
Andrea Seehagen:I feel like that's always nice when you're like someone has already thought through this problem and solved it and solved it, I don't need to be, the one to like. Fix this, okay. Well, where can people find you on Instagram? How's the best way for people to contact you if they want to work with you?
Meriel Frasndsen:Yeah, so I, like I said at the beginning, my Instagram is mmmdesert and I do work through Instagram like direct messaging. I also work through email and my email is on my profile on Instagram. So for the most part I just direct people there.
Andrea Seehagen:Which is great, if I get the easy.
Meriel Frasndsen:It's a portfolio in and of itself.
Andrea Seehagen:Exactly.
Meriel Frasndsen:Hopefully people will look at Right, look at it your feed before they reach out to you.
Andrea Seehagen:Well, thank you so much for taking the time to come on and I'm just so grateful that we get to be friends and hopefully this wedding season is a good one yeah, and not too chaotic.
Meriel Frasndsen:I would love it, thank you.