Friday Featured Vendor: Tammi with Polka Dot Cupcakery {Columbus Wedding Vendor}
Jac and I were chatting the other day about how many amazing vendors we know in the Columbus area and decided that it was be great to share them with all of our followers. We have gathered up some of our favorites and will be posting a featured vendor every Friday so be sure to check back to see who we are talking with next week!
This week we are featuring Tammi of Polka Dot Cupcakery. We met Tammi years ago when we were all part of a group of woman business owners. Immediately, the three of us hit it off and have become good friends over the years. Tammi’s cupcakes are amazing and have been the centerpiece of just about every life event since…baby showers, birthday parties, anniversaries, our studio open house, you name it.
We sat down over some yummy cupcakes at her adorable bakery in Upper Arlington. After a lot of chatting about life, school, kids, etc and a lot of laughing, we finally got down to business.
Jac: Who are you? Tell us about your business…what is it, how did you get started, etc.
Tammi: You already know this!! Well way back in 1973…no, um. My business is Polka Dot Cupcakery. Honestly, I make cupcakes because I got laid off while pregnant with my youngest child. I has always baked so my husband, Dwayne, said, “You should make your cupcakes and sell them!”. I thought, “there is no way anyone is going to buy them” but I decided to give it a shot. We created a website and one person bought them and then another and another and another…and now we have a shop!
Jac: How did you get into making cupcakes for weddings?
Tammi: Thanks a good question! I believe my first wedding just came from a bride who had googled “cupcakes in Columbus”, found us, and came in to do a tasting. I had never marketed anything for weddings. They just came to me.
Jac: What do you find most brides want? Are you seeing trends?
Tammi: No. I really don’t see any trends as far as flavors or decoration. The only real trend is the size. The brides always want the minis because they are cute and easy for guests to eat. Oh, and they all seem to like my prices! Hahaha!
Amy: Well that’s always good!!
Tammi: Yeah! But, no, Brides aren’t really doing much extra decoration anymore other than different colored sprinkles. I think its just because the minis are just so cute and little on their own that they really don’t need extra fondant or anything.
Amy: Do most Brides do a special small cake to display on top of the cupcake display to use for the official “cake cutting” at the ceremony or is that not as important to Brides these days?
Tammi: I would say about half of the Brides want a small cake with a topper. Some opt for using two jumbo cupcakes, one for the Bride and one for the Groom. Other couples don’t have anything special other than the cupcakes. If they do decide to have a small cake on top, they usually provide the custom cake topper for the cake. I have made a few custom cake toppers but it isn’t all that common. Most of them just supply something they have found on their own.
Jac: What is your favorite part about working with Brides and doing wedding cupcakes?
Tammi: Well its really funny because I would say the majority of our Bride and Grooms are now regular customers in the shop! We see them time and time again for birthdays, baby showers, parties, etc. Some of them have even become good friends with us since doing their wedding so it’s really cool to meet all these people that later on become regular customers and even friends.
Jac: What are some challenges you face with weddings? Bridezillas?
Tammi: No!! Actually I haven’t had ANY Bridezillas!
Amy: Oh really?? That’s good!!
Tammi: I think it is mostly because they are cupcakes. I feel like Brides who want cupcakes for their weddings tend to be more laid back Brides. I have been really lucky and haven’t really had to deal with anything too crazy. The funniest thing is the Mother-of-the-Bride is usually the one who needs some convincing. They don’t see cupcakes as being for a wedding.
Amy: Because they want the traditional wedding cake?
Tammi: Yes. They think it should be a “real wedding cake” but eventually they get on board with the cupcakes.
Jac: Okay, so if I were a Bride interested in ordering cupcakes for my wedding, what would be my next step? What would I need to do first? Please tell me it includes EATING some of these delicious cupcakes!
Tammi: Typically, you would contact us to schedule a tasting. Brides chose 6 different flavors to sample that they want to try. They come in and sample the cupcakes, look through photos of other wedding displays I have done and chat about the style of wedding. After the tasting, if they decide to book us for the wedding, they pay 30% down for the deposit, sign the contract and they are good to go!
Amy: Is there a maximum number of flavors you will do for a wedding?
Tammi: They can have as many as they want but I usually recommend a certain number based on the wedding size. It is possible to have TOO many options and it gets overwhelming for the guests.
Amy: How are the cupcakes displayed for the wedding? Do you provide displays? Can the Brides provide their own display to fit with the theme of the wedding? How does that all work?
Tammi: I deliver and set up all the cupcakes. That is all done by me so Brides don’t have to worry about the actual set up while they are busy doing everything else that day. Sometimes the Brides have the florists set up around the cupcakes. We do offer a variety of cake stands that can be rented for the wedding or the couple can chose to provide the entire set up for us. It can be customized for each couple to make sure the display fits with the overall feeling of the wedding.
Jac: Okay let’s talk money. How much should the average Bride expect to pay for cupcakes?
Tammi: Probably around $400 on average. It will depend on the size of the wedding. The average wedding size that we see is around 150 guests. We have done weddings for 40 people and we have done weddings for 300 people. We can do it all regardless of the size.
Jac: What sets you apart from other bakeries?
Tammi: Hahaha! You’ve met me and my cupcakes are awesome! You guys have had them!
Amy: Oh my gosh…yes!! You know WE are huge fans! What about someone who hasn’t had one of your cupcakes yet?
Tammi: Hahaha no, seriously though…our prices are probably the best of any of the storefronts in town. Everything is made fresh here in the bakery everyday so the day of the wedding is the day I am in here making your cupcakes. I use good quality ingredients in all of our cupcakes and nothing is ever pre-made.
Amy: Do you offer special cupcakes for guests with dietary concerns such as gluten free or vegan?
Tammi: Yes! We do not do sugar free…so don’t ask but yes we do offer gluten free and vegan as special orders.
Amy: Okay, well that is about all my questions and I am dying to dig into this Key Lime Cupcake so I think we are done for now! Thanks so much for the cupcakes and taking the time to answer our questions.
Tammi: No problem…any time!
To contact Tammi about cupcakes for an upcoming event or just to pop into the bakery when you are in need of a sweet treat… her social media links are below!
Amy Clark Studios 
