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Reviewing Jen
Borges and Ana Nascimento of Sparkle… Your Cake
New Toronto area company shows brides from
around the globe how to add sparkle to their wedding cakes & wedding days
Sparkle... Your
Cake surely rates as one of The Ring’s
favourite Toronto area interviews this season. This great little company seems
destined to make a splash on Toronto brides, if not on their wedding cakes.
Using Swarovski crystals and brushed aluminum (or gold), owners Jen Borges and
Ana Nascimento create jeweled monograms, numbers and/or symbols that take the
monogram cake-topper concept to the next level. Their concept is trendy,
beautiful and high-end, all at the same time.
All
that sparkles...
Since
September 2005, Sparkle... Your Cake has been making-to-order exquisite
jeweled monograms for clients both locally and across the globe. Even though we
describe Jen and Ana’s pieces as 'jeweled', we should be more specific. These
monograms are actually 'crystallized'... Nearly every square millimetre of the
brushed-silver monograms is covered in Swarovski Crystals. This accounts for
their elegance, expense, and element of sparkle. "The Swarovski Crystal will
never lose its shine," Jen Borges explained to staff at The Ring.
The
original plan
Originally, Jen and Ana’s pieces were designed for cake toppers (Jen comes with
experience of working in a busy major cake design shop). But thanks to customer
requests, they have since found themselves adding sparkle to much more. "One of
our orders was to create a little love symbol to hang down from a flower girl
ball." Other clients have used their pieces atop tables, cakes (of course), to
dress up the guest book table at anniversary parties and more.
Options: Design, colour, shape & use
The
sizes of the monograms range from 1.5 inches to 8 inches in height. The jewels
themselves range in size from tiny (1 mm) to up to 20 S.S. which they describe as
approximately the size of an eraser at the end of a pencil. Most of the
monograms they sell are two smaller letters with a larger letter or ampersand in
the middle.
Monograms can be mounted on a thin peg and inserted directly into bouquets, and
because of their versatility in colour, design and size, the pieces are both
beautiful and suitable for use in a variety of other ways.
Then,
when the wedding day has come and gone, they are most often used as keepsakes.
"Our monograms really have an heirloom feel to them."
Clients and products
After
several development hurdles that they chalk up to experience and the pain of
invention, Jen and Ana’s last six months in business have been by far the
busiest. Most of the fifty local and global (Australia, France, Brazil...)
customers they’ve designed for have come to them within this time period. "We
are now at the point where our product is the best it’s ever been." Jen and Ana
plan to launch an additional line of jeweled items at the Canada Wedding Expo in
January.
Jen
says that the people who come to them are tired of tradition. They want
something that is different and unique... something that will be noticed on their
wedding day.
Prices
Prices
range from approximately $50 to $500 for single letters and monograms. For example a 1.5 inch
single letter, which would be used for bouquets or broaches are $50. A three
letter monogram fully covered in crystals (front and back) with two 3 inch
side letters and the middle letter standing 5 inches tall, the cost would be
approximately $300. Many of these pieces take an average of eight hours per
piece to
assemble by hand until they're perfect. All pieces can be cherished for a lifetime
after the wedding day is over.
Contact
Sparkle... Your
Cake is a home-based business, set in
Ana’s home. Their website displays all the options they have to offer you,
though custom design is available. They can work with your graphic designer to
fully match the monogram on your invitations. Correspondence is handled by
phone, email and online orders. Booking ahead is highly recommended wherever possible.
Owners/Designers: Jen Borges or Ana Nascimento
Website:
www.sparkleyourcake.com
Phone:
416-720-4603
- The Staff at theweddingring.ca
- Review is based on research and personal opinion and may be
subject to errors or omissions. Details may change without notice. Please
contact this vendor personally for more information and confirmation of details.
-
Photos used with permission of Sparkle... Your Cake management.
- Prices are all
approximate and are subject to change and verification by authorized staff and
management of Sparkle... Your Cake. |
