The Digest | New Jersey Magazine
Issue link: https://magazines.vuenj.com/i/1369261
"I knew it was calling after taking Folsom's masterclass, coming home with a three-tier dressed wedding cake with tears streaming down my face, but my husband reminded me of my full-time business in editorial," said Deffense. She soon began garnering more business from her cake business ad than from advertisers, "This was the sign." In a country of medieval castles, wondrous coastal cities, and the second most attractive European wedding destination, Deffense had no shortage of cake artistry inspiration at home in Portugal. The Tivoli Palácio de Seteais, a historical, 18th- century countryside palace turned hotel, inquired for an anniversary cake. Coincidentally, Deffense had imagined her own wedding under the chandelier of the enchanted palace, however, she now directed her creative passion into the five-tier, celebratory cake. The Seteais cake mirrored the castle-like architecture, incorporating its signature, statement arch. Deffense added the classical piano and elegant chandelier to the masterpiece for extra detail. Julie Deffense Artistry encompasses an intricate, elegant wedding cake design, incorporating personalized touches, hand-made decorations, and an affinity for standing out. Deffense begins her creative process by meeting the couple, mostly by Zoom or FaceTime these days, to develop an artistic essence she captures in the final design. Referencing personal elements like the design of the bride's dress, the exact wedding destination, setting, and date, and even the story of how the couple met, Deffense personalizes the cake's preliminary design, integrating the sentimental with an upscale, sumptuous memento for a prized occasion. Deffense possesses a comprehensive approach to her cake and the overall wedding, blending her design with other creative elements for the production. Photo credit: A ssunção Branco V U E N J .C O M 64