How Far in Advance Should You Order Your Cake?

A simple timeline for booking your custom cake — from last-minute birthdays to wedding-season weekends.

The most common question we hear is also the simplest: 'How much notice do you need?' The honest answer is — sooner than you think, but not as scary as you fear.

A loose timeline that works for almost everything

• Standard birthday or celebration cake: 2 to 3 weeks ahead
• Highly custom or sculpted cake: 4 to 6 weeks ahead
• Baby showers, christenings and intimate events: 3 to 4 weeks ahead
• Weddings: 3 to 6 months ahead, especially for peak summer dates
• Christmas and December celebrations: book by mid-October

Why earlier is better — even if you're flexible

Boutique cake studios only take a small number of orders per weekend. It's how the quality stays high. The earlier you reach out, the more likely your preferred date is still open — and the more time the designer has to plan a cake that actually fits the brief.

Last-minute? Don't panic

Most studios keep a tiny window for short-notice orders, especially for smaller cakes or simpler designs. Reach out anyway. The worst that happens is a 'not this time'. The best is the cake of your week.