Mary Maher and her sister, Brenda, are the Cakegirls.

I worked selling donuts at a bakery in college, and one day I walked into the cake decorating department and one of the gals showed me how to make a buttercream rose...I was immediately hooked. As I started to make cakes, I was really excited about all the things I was learning in buttercream, but when I saw Colette Peters first book, it really inspired me to look at cakes as an art form.

I have no formal training and I think it has really helped me stay creative. I look for outside sources to influence my designs, and I don't adhere to any particular techniques or rules. I just go with what I think looks good.

I really honed my technical cake skills on the job and working at various bakeries, but personally I've always read books, sketched cake ideas and experimented with techniques on my own, which has helped me become more professional. I also feel like it would be really hard to consider yourself a professional or be prepared to open your own business if you are not making cakes on a daily basis. Practice is everything.

I would encourage brides to make a bold statement and to not be afraid when they order their wedding cake. You can choose something classy without being boring and traditional.

My best baking tip? Don't ever try and sculpt a cake without freezing it first. It tightens the crumb and holds the cake together without compromising the taste.