Brides & Weddings Magazine Find the Wedding Professionals You'll Love.
Thank you for participating in the Brides & Weddings Cake-Off! Our goal is to provide a fun, fair, and professional competition that celebrates the creativity and talent of wedding dessert professionals throughout the Washington, D.C. metropolitan region.
Participation in the Cake-Off constitutes acceptance of the following rules and regulations.
Eligibility
Competitors must:
- Be a bakery owner, bakery manager, pastry chef, dessert creator, caterer, or licensed cottage food producer who creates desserts for weddings.
- Have been in business for at least one year.
- Be located within the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area, including Virginia, Maryland, or the District of Columbia.
- Be at least 18 years of age.
- Maintain all licenses, permits, and insurance required to legally operate their business.
Brides & Weddings, Women’s Wedding Network staff, immediate family members, and Cake-Off judges are not eligible to compete.
Registration
Registration is available online at:
https://bridesandweddings.com/womens-wedding-network/cake-off/
Registration remains open until all competitor spaces have been filled.
Submitting a registration confirms that the competitor agrees to these Official Rules.
Each participating bakery will be asked to provide a brief description of their entry for the judges.
Cake Requirements
- Entries must consist of at least 70% real cake.
- Display cakes, dummy cakes, foam cakes, or separate sheet cakes are not permitted.
- The cake presented for judging must be the same cake served during the event.
- Competitors are responsible for bringing sufficient cake to serve both the judges and attendees.
- Competitors must provide their own serving plates, forks, and napkins.
- Cakes must remain on display until the conclusion of the event unless otherwise directed by event staff.
Event Schedule
- Competitor setup must be completed by 11:00 a.m.
- Judging begins according to the event schedule established by Brides & Weddings.
- Cakes must remain on display throughout the event.
Detailed arrival instructions will be provided to registered competitors prior to the event.
Judging
Entries will be evaluated on factors that may include:
- Flavor
- Presentation
- Creativity
- Originality
- Neatness
- Design
- Color and visual appeal
- Degree of difficulty
- Overall impression
Judges’ decisions are final.
Award Categories
Awards may include:
- Best Flavor
- Best Presentation
- Most Creative
- Specialty Award
- Judge’s Choice
- Attendees’ Choice
Brides & Weddings reserves the right to modify award categories if necessary.
Photography & Promotion
By participating, competitors grant Brides & Weddings and Women’s Wedding Network permission to photograph, video, and promote their Cake-Off entries, displays, business name, logo, and event participation in print, online, social media, email marketing, and future promotional materials without additional compensation.
Participating bakers may also receive editorial or promotional coverage through Brides & Weddings.
Refund Policy
Refund requests received on or before September 1 will be honored.
No refunds will be issued after September 2
General Rules
Brides & Weddings reserves the right to:
- Refuse or revoke participation for failure to comply with these rules.
- Modify the event schedule when necessary.
- Cancel or postpone the event due to circumstances beyond its control.
Participation in the Cake-Off signifies acceptance of these Official Rules.
We look forward to celebrating the creativity and craftsmanship of our region’s outstanding wedding bakers.
Food Safety
Competitors are responsible for preparing, transporting, storing, and serving their products in accordance with all applicable local, state, and federal food safety regulations. Brides & Weddings and the Women’s Wedding Network are not responsible for food handling practices of individual competitors.
