Wedding Cake Championship - General Discussion

[iMonrey]

I thought the right team went home. Holly and Kaylinn had the most boring cake IMO. I see what they were going for but it just ended up looking kind of plain. I actually preferred their original design with the dog peeking out of the picket fencing around the base than what they wound up with. 

I actually thought Stephen and Jared had the best looking cake - the one the couple chose was just kind of bizarre looking. But that's two weeks in a row where Jared and Stephen had a great design but the cake tasted kind of blah. 

I also preferred Stephen and Jared's unicorn cake topper, thought it was not only adorable but a genuine work of art. The sheepdog was cute but not as elaborate or creative. 

It seemed like a terrible idea for Tara's dog to be running around the studio while all those teams were baking things and working with food! I kept expecting the dog to jump up and eat someone's cake.

I continue to be fascinated with the artistry on this show. It's in no way a realistic competition, there's no way a couple would just give a baker vague descriptions of what they like then let the bakers loose with a design without ever approving it. But it's fun to watch their creativity.

I honestly don't know who will win, it seems like a total crap shoot.

[Maya]

The sheep dog was cute and nicely done, but it did not in any way say “wedding” to me. They should have at least made two dogs!

I like how an actual couple has a say in who the winner is. They value different (more realistic) things than the judges do.

[suebee12]

I loved the sheepdog and I don't even like dogs...such a cute face but yes, there should have been a pair....maybe pink and blue collars on them?

One thing that struck me funny was that one of the two men did not like peanut butter or chocolate chip cookies....aren't they the most popular cookies?

[iMonrey]

He liked chocolate chip but not peanut butter.

I did not realize until this episode that the couples featured genuinely do use the cake they pick at their wedding. Or at least, this one did: there was a photo of them at their reception with the very cake they chose. I cannot for the life of me remember who baked it though - was it Viki and Riva or Sabrina and Regina? I've yet to get the names straight.

[Ilovecomputers]

2 hours ago, iMonrey said:

I cannot for the life of me remember who baked it though - was it Viki and Riva or Sabrina and Regina? I've yet t

I believe it was Sabrina and what’s her name. The ladies whose fondant was destroyed over and over again in machinery went on to win. None of these cakes have seemed like wedding cakes to me. One couple wanted a superhero theme which seemed bizarre to me. The Mexican theme was okay—loved the tile work—but it looked more like a Mexican themed party cake. The prettiest thing I saw on this show was the ruffled gown cake topper with flecks of gold. I also thought the first version of the cake, with the dog peeking out below, was better. I agree with whoever said the winner will be a crapshoot; they don’t seem to have an environmentally controlled kitchen like the Great British Baking Championship. About the only good thing I can say is thank goodness they don’t have any last minute twist:  “Bakers, you must incorporate anchovies into your cakes,” like all the other ridiculous FN competitions. 

[mlp]

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Or at least, this one did: there was a photo of them at their reception with the very cake they chose.

There was and the cake, obviously, would have been made before the ceremony.  However, both of those guys were wearing wedding rings when they first came out at the start of the cake competition.  I was confused.

I thought all the cake toppers were great.  I would have had a hard time picking one although I was drawn to the sheep dog just because it was so cute.  The unicorns were lovely but I don't associate unicorns with "pet."

I was puzzled why Holly and Kaylinn treated the dog as an afterthought when they should have known from receiving the secret hint that he ought to be featured.  I think he didn't go with their design concept so they made him as unobtrusive as possible and just stuck him on there.  

I'm still hoping Stephen and Jared win.

[tobeannounced]

12 hours ago, iMonrey said:

He liked chocolate chip but not peanut butter.

I did not realize until this episode that the couples featured genuinely do use the cake they pick at their wedding. Or at least, this one did: there was a photo of them at their reception with the very cake they chose. I cannot for the life of me remember who baked it though - was it Viki and Riva or Sabrina and Regina? I've yet to get the names straight.

I think it was Viki and Riva. The couple really liked their dramatic cake. Sabrina and Regina got dinged for their time management and not being able to decorate their cake like they would have liked, but they had the best tasting cake and that saved them.

[Julia67]

On 7/8/2018 at 1:56 AM, Tyrone Biggums said:

The show itself is forgettable, but these two make it intolerable

THIS!  I removed it from my DVR.  It's just awful!  From the cakes to the contestants to the judges--sooo bad!

[Maccagirl]

I just gotta say, the married couple's dog was sooooooo beautiful.  I froze my DVR and made my husband look, and he even said, "wow, great markings". 

[iMonrey]

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The ladies whose fondant was destroyed over and over again in machinery went on to win.

Actually it was the other girls. Sabrina and Regina are the ones who had trouble with the big sheet of fondant and then the judges didn't like their design, it was the one with the strange triangles all over it. 

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  I would have had a hard time picking one although I was drawn to the sheep dog just because it was so cute.  The unicorns were lovely but I don't associate unicorns with "pet."

True about unicorns, I thought they might get dinged for that. I liked both sets of birds, but the ones that were painted the actual color of lovebirds was amazing. The ones that were solid blue were much more simple but still elegant. 

Quote

I was puzzled why Holly and Kaylinn treated the dog as an afterthought when they should have known from receiving the secret hint that he ought to be featured.  I think he didn't go with their design concept so they made him as unobtrusive as possible and just stuck him on there. 

If you think about it, they were kind of stuck, because they had just won the cake topper challenge with a giant sheepdog sitting on top of the cake. So it's understandable they didn't want to do the exact same thing with the couple's bulldog. And I actually liked their original concept where there's a hole in the fence and the dog is sleeping in the middle of it. I thought it was cute and something I would appreciate, as a dog lover myself. Maybe what they should have done was moved the wooden section to the middle of the cake so you see the dog sooner, but that didn't really fit their concept of country meets city.

[WigglyJKitten]

The unicorns were awesome! The sheepdog was extremely cute but I also was wondering why there was only one. It didn't say "wedding" at all to me.

The other confusing thing was the one guy said he didn't like the taste of the chocolate peanut butter cake, but the reception photo showed that same cake flavor. Did they use that exact same cake for the reception, like the same day? I assumed the winning baker would make changes or improvements before providing the actual reception cake.

Hubby wants to go to Las Vegas for his birthday in a few weeks... I have already looked up the location of Stephen and Jared's bakeries. I plan to overdose on their cupcakes. :)

[Kohola3]

On 7/8/2018 at 1:56 AM, Tyrone Biggums said:

The show itself is forgettable, but these two make it intolerable.

I tried, I really did.  But these two have just made it too difficult to watch.  I do like the Indian judge but that's about it.  The cakes are horrible.

 

On 7/8/2018 at 1:56 AM, Tyrone Biggums said:

Take two people with zero food authority (ha), let them host a show, and CAMP IT THE HELL UP TO EIGHTY.

Totally agree.  I have a neighbor who can't boil water;  perhaps she should apply for a spot.  No, wait, she wouldn't wear bizarro headgear for the attention.

[nitrofishblue]

The promos were so bad and over the top that I made the choice to not watch it. I decided to read the forum to see if it would be worth the effort to watch. Seems I made the right decision.

[roughing it]

On ‎7‎/‎10‎/‎2018 at 12:04 PM, iMonrey said:

I actually preferred their original design with the dog peeking out of the picket fencing around the base than what they wound up with.

I did too.

[GaT]

So, they're supposed to make cakes that are romantic & feel like Rome, & the guys decide to use the Colosseum as a cake topper? A falling down amphitheater, that used to be used for romantic things like public executions, lions eating Christians, & animal hunts. Yeaaaah, keep making fun of people who got the language wrong boys.

Edited July 17, 2018 by GaT

[LexieLily]

I think that was one of the most rushed and least celebrated announcing of a winner I've seen on a competition show.

[Ilovecomputers]

I didn't get to see the finale but I've recorded it.  It sounds underwhelming.

[luvapickle]

A 1st anniversary cake as the finale of WEDDING Cake Championship-huh? Wow, in the over 20+ years of baking, I have never had someone who wanted a multi tiered cake for their 1st anniversary(unless it was a very small one that feeds 15ppl). A 5th, 10th, etc. but 1st? And it is about Tara...again. I actually have no problem with her. But they didn't have any couple who wanted a free wedding cake? And when they said to the two women, you better hope the cake is up against the wall since it's only decorated in the front...I was confused. It's not a friggin wedding cake! And besides, many people have their cakes decorated just in the front-unless requested for it to be all around. Sheesh, the judging was all over the board on this one, also.

[dleighg]

I'm only part way through but did they all pretty much drop the "trains, planes, and automobiles" idea? They all went direct to ROME! When the couple had traveled all over the world? It seems like they could have done something a lot more interesting.

And even I, who speak neither Italian nor Spanish, know that "feliz" is Spanish.

Edited July 17, 2018 by dleighg

[iMonrey]

So this finale was kind of bullshit. Even setting aside that the final challenge wasn't even a wedding cake.

I suppose Viki and Reva were the most consistent in their designs, but their cake this week was exactly the same type they made last week: the big base on the bottom tier, the much smaller second tier then a larger tier on top of the middle tier. That seems to be their go-to thing. Plus the judges and the couples both deemed the taste of their cakes somewhat lacking both this week and last. 

Sabrina and Regina just weren't cut out for rush jobs. This wasn't the competition for them. Although, seven hours? You have to wonder if some of the losing teams regret participating in this show. It's not exactly a glowing endorsement for some of them.

I know it's completely subjective but I can't believe they won the cake topper challenge with that crummy looking bike. I thought either of the other two were easily more impressive. Plus the whole point of cakes and toppers is to please the couples and the couple in question didn't even get a say in it! When you get down to it, it doesn't matter what the "judges" think. Judges don't come in and judge your wedding cake. The couple who's getting married are the only people who really count.

I thought Stephen and Jared were totally screwed over by the judges. Yeah their cakes are the most elaborate but that's not necessarily a bad thing depending on their customers. I think their original design was much better than what they wound up with but the judges made them re-think the whole thing and they wound up with something sub-par. 

I did find the craftsmanship and artistry on this show fascinating, so there's that. I just don't think it's realistic to make it a competition this way. If they get another season they should re-think the format. 

[Maya]

I agree about the crappy gold bike. Even with the misspelling, the suitcase topper was far superior to the other two. 

I have consistently liked Sabrina and Regina’s designs the best all season, but they really phoned in that cake. I wonder what happened.

[mlp]

I wanted Stephen and Jared to win but I had to agree with the judges that their middle two tiers weren't great.  They should have gone with their original plans.

That bicycle cake topper looked awful.  IMO All you could say about it is that it was recognizable as a bicycle.

The cake Regina and Sabrina presented was so plain that I can't imagine what they were doing for 6 hours.  7 if you count the topper.

In the end, I was disappointed by all of them.

[carrps]

I could not stand Vicki and Reva since episode one, so I was mostly watching hoping they wouldn't win. Blech. Reva's obnoxioius and Vicki's bitchy ... what was that snarky sing-songy little remark she made this episode? As I said, Blech. And I didn't like most of their cakes. Just too busy and fussy and too many different colors -- even on the "elegant" cakes. With theirs being usually on the bottom for taste, I'd never pick them IRL.

I also thought it seemed like they needed the money less than the other teams, since they were going to use it for something that seemed frivolous to me.

[Chit Chat]

I did like the little suitcases wedding topper.  Their cake looked the most elegant, IMO.  As for the season, given the time restraints for the bakers, I found most of the cakes in each challenge to be lacking.  They weren't a good representation of what I know all of these bakers could do.  Adding the unnecessary twist on the final cake effed everything up.  It took time away that they needed for the cake.  

I'd watch a season two, but I wasn't super impressed with this one.  I could take it or leave it.  

[Nancybeth]

I forgot to see if there was a forum for this show! I love Tara and Johnny, so I found it a perfectly fine hour of escape each week, but nothing spectacular.  

What really bugged me, as others have mentioned, is the time that they are expected to do everything.  My friend is a wedding cake designer and her schedule is like, bake the cakes one day, crumb coat and maybe fondant the next, and then work on all the design elements.  Those cakes were always sinking and going wonky and falling apart because they're forced to rush the process.  They're frosting cakes that aren't completely cool, and then stacking them and adding all this heavy stuff to the sides and the tops and the frosting hasn't even set.  

I think they should make one layer of cake for tasting, and then decorate cakes that are pre-baked, or even Styrofoam "cakes" cut into different shapes that are available for them.  

[lh25]

On 7/16/2018 at 10:57 PM, GaT said:

So, they're supposed to make cakes that are romantic & feel like Rome, & the guys decide to use the Colosseum as a cake topper? A falling down amphitheater, that used to be used for romantic things like public executions, lions eating Christians, & animal hunts. Yeaaaah, keep making fun of people who got the language wrong boys.

Yeah, but they put sparkles on it, that makes it all ok! :)

[Carolina Girl]

3 hours ago, Nancybeth said:

I forgot to see if there was a forum for this show! I love Tara and Johnny, so I found it a perfectly fine hour of escape each week, but nothing spectacular.  

What really bugged me, as others have mentioned, is the time that they are expected to do everything.  My friend is a wedding cake designer and her schedule is like, bake the cakes one day, crumb coat and maybe fondant the next, and then work on all the design elements.  Those cakes were always sinking and going wonky and falling apart because they're forced to rush the process.  They're frosting cakes that aren't completely cool, and then stacking them and adding all this heavy stuff to the sides and the tops and the frosting hasn't even set.  

I think they should make one layer of cake for tasting, and then decorate cakes that are pre-baked, or even Styrofoam "cakes" cut into different shapes that are available for them.  

I could not agree more.  I know that in "Cake Wars" don't the bakers already have lots of "design" cakes already made, which allows them to build and decorate an outstanding product?  Why not allow the bakers to use pre-made cake for the design competition and bake the tasting cake separately for consumption?  In real life the designed cake would of course be made of the tasting cake, but this would allow the competitors more time to create a sensational design that would not be in peril because they had to rush the process after the cake had sufficiently cooled.  After all, viewers can't taste anything - our attention is completely focused on the finished product.  

[iMonrey]

I've never seen Cake Wars so it's possible they didn't want this show to be too similar. But I'd be interested to see what a better formula would be for this show. 

For one thing I think the judging is completely arbitrary, and in at least 2 cases that I can think of, the judges totally threw the bakers off their design and into something worse by making them re-think everything and/or question themselves. So far from helping they actually sabotaged the bakers, deliberately or not.

If they are going to bring in real engaged couples who will actually use the winning cake, maybe the couple themselves should be the sole judges. And maybe there should be more than one meeting: an initial one to give the bakers ideas for a design, then a follow-up for the couples to approve the design or make suggestions for changes.

I think one thing we can all agree on is that the bakers need a more realistic time frame. Speed is not a criteria in crafting a wedding cake - this isn't Hell's Kitchen or some show where chefs have to crank out dishes quickly. 

[Carolina Girl]

Well said.  I also like Nancybeth's idea of using styrofoam to create the cake design itself.  I for one marvel at the beauty of so many of the wedding cakes you see baked by these talented individuals when viewing their short intro video bios in the first episode.  And then to see them reduced to several hours of racing around like bats out of hell while losing over 1.5 hours waiting for a cake to bake and cook completely.   Sure you could be making little design cutouts, roses, etc., but when you can't assemble until two hours into the competition, you lose the time to place and decorate.  

[Ilovecomputers]

That finale was one of the lamest ones I've ever seen.  I've never been to the studios where FN is filmed, but could they really not find one engaged couple to feature instead of Tara and her husband?  Besides, as others have noted, this is a WEDDING CAKE championship, not a first year anniversary cake championship.  It was always a tradition in my family for people to save one of the tiers from their wedding cake and have it on their first anniversary, but I guess Tara's family doesn't do that.  It was really revolting to hear about their AMAZING wedding and AMAZING flowers and all the AMAZING details from their wedding.  Tara, we really only care about the details in weddings of those near and dear to us.  The colosseums all looked crude.  I did like the idea of the bicycle with the basket but everything looked sloppy and rushed.  I'm sorry the smug bakers who laughed at the other team won.  They were my least favorite team.  What in the world did those people do for, what, seven hours?

[seacliffsal]

I enjoyed this series-primarily because I loved the creativity of most of the teams.  I agree with others that some of the results could have been so much better.  I did wonder why nobody put a little figure of Tara's dog somewhere on the cake for her and her husband.  Tara may love her dog, but she should probably participate in some dog training.  

I liked all of the couples who received a cake-they all seemed genuinely happy with the cakes they chose.  

I would definitely watch another season.

[CharlizeCat]

I was disappointed that Reva and Vicki won. I thought they were obnoxious and I didn't like them from the first episode. I also didn't care for their smug taunting of the other contestants, although I just figure that kind of "trash talk" is production-driven and probably (hopefully) wasn't malicious in spirit. 

That all said, based on the other teams, the competition was "theirs to lose."  I thought their cake was dull in color and I didn't care for the design elements but it could have been my TV.  I think they should have gotten dinged for the misspelling and completely wrong language on their banner.

I honestly didn't care for any of the end results. I thought the cake presented by the losing female team was pretty and was my favorite and Tara and her husband (forgot his name already) seemed to like that flavor the best. I guess that it just didn't scream, "Italy!" enough, yet Jared and Steven got "coached" to tone down the "Italy." So, which was it? Literal interpretation or abstract? I think those two got screwed but I've noticed that on those competition shows, if you don't follow the judges' advice (especially Waylynn on "Cake Wars")  that it comes back to bite you. But that bicycle topper was hideous. Yeah. I don't think time management was the strong suit of the losing female team (I don't remember their names.)

ITA that there should have been an actual engaged couple in the finale and not Tara and her husband. Anniversary and wedding cakes are two different animals entirely.

I don't care if this comes back for a second season or not.

Somebody really needs to let the other female judge (not Maneet) that shimmery eye shadow is not your friend if you are over 40. That said, I thought Maneet looked absolutely gorgeous!

Edited July 20, 2018 by CharlizeCat

[mlp]

Quote

I was disappointed that Reva and Vicki won. I thought they were obnoxious and I didn't like them from the first episode.

I didn't remember seeing Vicki before but Reva has been on Halloween Wars a couple times and she was self-centered and rather obnoxious there too, especially on the version that takes place outdoors.  

Quote

 I thought Maneet looked absolutely gorgeous!

I like Maneet and think she's beautiful but I wish she'd expand her judging vocabulary.  Everything she likes is "amazing."  She does the same thing on Chopped.

I think the suggestion that they make a tasting cake for flavor but decorate Styrofoam or something is a good one.  Cake Wars is a little different in that the judges want to see if the bakers can do their constructions successfully with actual cake.  On this show, decoration is the important thing.  I don't enjoy seeing them try to apply fondant to a cake that's still too warm through no fault of their own.  Give them a break or give them more time.  Also, if wedding cakes are in the title of the show, let's have wedding cakes.

[Madding crowd]

I think the judges are too picky considering the time limits involved. The truth is if someone wanted a piano for a cake topper, they would get one made from plastic. 

I wasn’t wowed by any of the red/black cakes but I’m not a fan of themes like music for a cake.

[Pepper the Cat]

I really didn’t like the “Naked Cake”. But I was sad to see that that couple had to leave. Liked the update that everything turned out OK.

[laredhead]

Regarding the couple who had to leave the show early, was it ever said where their business is located?  I don't like the naked cake look either.  It always looks to me like the baker didn't make enough icing, and had to make do with what they had.  I did like the story that their cake told though.  I would like to see more time allowed for the show stopper cakes.  I think that would really determine who the better bakers are.      

[suebee12]

59 minutes ago, laredhead said:

Regarding the couple who had to leave the show early, was it ever said where their business is located?

They are from Greensboro, NC. They were rushing home because of Hurricane Michael.

[WigglyJKitten]

I didn't even know this show was coming back until it showed up on the DVR. I never removed the timer from season 1 so it automatically recorded season 2.

I really wish the outdoor kitchen aspect had been changed...the humidity presents too many preventable issues for the bakers. I was wondering though why the couple who had to leave were the only ones who couldn't manage the fondant. Everyone else had fondant somewhere on their cakes. 

The bakers seem confused by Johnny. He says "start" and they just stand there. He says "go home now" and they just stand there. I don't get it.

[LizDC]

3 hours ago, suebee12 said:

They are from Greensboro, NC. They were rushing home because of Hurricane Michael.

Or Florence.  Greensboro got smacked by both of them.

[luvapickle]

On 6/12/2019 at 6:47 AM, laredhead said:

Regarding the couple who had to leave the show early, was it ever said where their business is located?  I don't like the naked cake look either.  It always looks to me like the baker didn't make enough icing, and had to make do with what they had.  I did like the story that their cake told though.  I would like to see more time allowed for the show stopper cakes.  I think that would really determine who the better bakers are.      

I get orders for the naked cakes, often enough. Usually you don't put accents around the sides like that though. Generally it's usually just some kind of topper, like flowers, or a cross, etc.

Agree about the timing. I'm tired of shows like this, because in real life we normally are not thinking about what we should do as a design in 5 minutes, then actually making everything all in 2 hours. I do prefer the old cake challenges where they had 6-10 hours. And none of this "make a topper that never gets used anyways" as a 1st segment crap.

[qtpye]

On 6/13/2019 at 4:16 PM, luvapickle said:

I get orders for the naked cakes, often enough. Usually you don't put accents around the sides like that though. Generally it's usually just some kind of topper, like flowers, or a cross, etc.

Agree about the timing. I'm tired of shows like this, because in real life we normally are not thinking about what we should do as a design in 5 minutes, then actually making everything all in 2 hours. I do prefer the old cake challenges where they had 6-10 hours. And none of this "make a topper that never gets used anyways" as a 1st segment crap.

The old Food Network Challenges were clearly superior and some of my favorite competition shows.

[laredhead]

Thought by now someone would have commented on the final result episode.  The mother-daughter team turned out the prettiest cakes consistently, but I don't think I could ever be in the kitchen with the daughter due to her being a control personality.  Her mother must have a lot of patience to work with her.  Don't know if she works with her on a daily basis though. 

The 2 women who profess to be self-taught, home bakers struggled the entire season, but I actually liked their final cake more than the others.  It certainly represented the theme of the New England cake that the couple wanted, and I thought the lighthouse and sea shells were very pretty.  With some more training, I think they could be very successful.  The other 2 women had some good ideas, but I wasn't a fan of all of that gold on the final cake.   I did like the bottom layer that they had decorated to look like a cake plate.  I thought they might win it with the cake itself and it's flavor, but evidently looks won out over taste.  

I hope next year, the contestants are able to bake and show their skills in an air conditioned environment.  I don't understand the idea of putting them in a tent by the ocean where the humidity is going to be a factor.  The British baking show does the same thing, but they don't seem to have as many problems with humidity as we saw on this show.

[mlp]

4 hours ago, laredhead said:

The mother-daughter team turned out the prettiest cakes consistently, but I don't think I could ever be in the kitchen with the daughter due to her being a control personality. 

Agreed.  I liked the mother but I didn't like the daughter at all.  I was sorry she was rewarded for deliberately ignoring what the couple said they wanted (white) and leaving out the coconut.  

I also agree that this show would be better in a/c.  Fondant and frosting don't respond well to heat and humidity.  What made the GBBS great was a lot more than the tent.

[Jaded]

Air conditioning can be hooked up to party size tents. I don't know why they didn't go that route starting with the first season.

[seacliffsal]

Wasn't the winning daughter on a season of Halloween Wars?

[LizDC]

On June 26, 2019 at 1:56 PM, Jaded said:

Air conditioning can be hooked up to party size tents. I don't know why they didn't go that route starting with the first season.

Maybe the noise interferes with the sound/production of the show?

[Jaded]

On 6/27/2019 at 6:20 PM, LizDC said:

Maybe the noise interferes with the sound/production of the show?

In this day and age they could probably find a way around the noise. 

I just saw a single episode pilot for a show Food Network apparently aired last month titled Beach Bake Battle. It was humid and started to rain during the show. Having ovens on the beach looked stupid. The weather drama wasn't fun to watch. The bakers in the episode were pretty good so I hope they make it onto some other FN shows. I mention this show because it reminded me of the discussion in this thread about the issues this show has had with baking in a tent. 
 

Edited June 30, 2019 by Jaded

[TVbitch]

Just finished watching this. Tara and Johnny really do not bring anything to the show. The cakes all looked rough (due to not enough time and the conditions for many). It was just not enjoyable to watch. That female judge from Chopped was hilarious: "I hate the look of your cake and the flavor sucks... but other than that, I love it." 

They must have known the winner was not too likeable, cuz suddenly in the last episode she announced she needed the money for a critical surgery for her husband... what the hell?! Honey, if your husband needs a critical surgery, going on a wedding cake competition show were you might possibly win some money is really not the best funding strategy.