For more than 37 years Signe Gardo has been creating custom wedding cakes for brides throughout the Lowcountry. From classic and traditional to trendy and whimsical, this creative confectioner has done it all. And to top it off, she manages to run a full time café and bakery which has grown to be a favorite among locals and a “must-see” for visitors. Always on the go, Signe takes a break to share with our readers about her popular cake business.
“Choosing a cake is probably one of the more fun aspects of wedding planning,” Signe says. “However when a bride is busy planning out every detail, anything can become overwhelming!”
Signe meets with each bride and/or couple for an initial private consultation and tasting. “It’s important to get to know the couple and understand their vision for their wedding. Your wedding cake should be a reflection of your wedding style as well as your personal story.”
Signe says what sets her bakery apart is the bevy of flavor options. In addition to bridal favorite “Jessica Pink Lemonade”—an old-fashioned butter cake with layers of homemade lemon curd and raspberry jam, iced in a French butter cream—flavor options include chocolate almond raspberry, key lime almond, bananas foster, carrot hazelnut, pina colada, coconut, pineapple cream and others.
“The outside of the cake shouldn’t be the only part with a ‘wow factor,’” Signe says. “A lot of times you’ll see pretty cakes that don’t taste all that great. You want your guests to enjoy the flavors of the cake as much as the beauty of it. Every cake should taste as wonderful as it looks.”
Signe's Heaven Bound Bakery & Café was recently named by CNN as one of America’s healthiest beach lunch spots and her wedding cakes are no exception. Signe uses only the freshest ingredients and fruits in all of her made-from-scratch cakes.
With more than 37 years of cake-baking experience, Signe has her share of memorable moments including her busiest weekend to date—where she baked an astonishing 23 cakes!
“Some nights it’s marathon cake-baking; the café doors close and it’s time to tie on the apron and get to work!” Signe hand-designs each cake personally. In addition to wedding cakes, services include shower, grooms and special occasion cakes.
And as if running a restaurant and wedding cake business doesn’t keep her busy enough, Signe recently joined Facebook and Twitter.
“It’s been a great way to connect with my customers whether to tell them about the fresh cookies we just put in the case or see if anyone watched the latest episode of 'Cake Boss'! Running a café on top of a full-time wedding cake business keeps me extremely busy and Facebook and Twitter have been great platforms to connect with both locals and visitors on a more personal level. I’ve been encouraged by all the sweet comments people leave!”
Signe’s work has been featured on the Food Network in addition to several national publications including the New York Times, Bon Appetit, Southern Living and The Wall Street Journal. She was also named “Best of Wedding Cakes in the Southeast” by The Knot in 2008 and 2009. For more information, visit www.signesbakery.com.
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