When we first started sourcing the packaging that happy customers would take home their treats in, there was one thing we knew for sure-- the packaging had to be 'on brand'. When we say 'on brand', we mean that we were going to intentional about the packaging choices we were making so that the packaging would be an extension of the in-store, and social media, experience.
An 'on brand' packaging experience was important to us because of the hard work the entire JRC team puts into creating the products that you sell, creating a welcoming atmosphere in our shops and keeping an engaged presence on social media. We try to make every last detail in those areas as close to perfect as possible and the idea of having packaging that didn't match what we were doing would put a damper on the customer experience. Now, when a customer comes to our shop, even the box their product comes is in Instagram worthy. The packaging itself continues the store experience into their homes.
One of the main factors our 'on brand' packaging stands out is the custom design. Ashley takes every design project for Jenna Rae Cakes very seriously and has been since the very beginning when she first crafted some basic branding for Jenna's side cake business. When Ashley custom designs each and every packaging material, from tissues to macaron boxes, she is putting the heart and soul of Jenna Rae Cakes into every little flourish.
We are often asked about some of the places we source our packaging so today we are sharing some of our favourite places we source our packaging from. These are the products we are asked about most often and we hope the companies below are a great resource for you and your business.
Macaron sleeves - Georgette Packaging
We love Georgette Packaging-- especially for our custom macaron sleeves. We have custom macaron sleeves printed for major holidays and having a supplier who you've loved working with for years is always nice for bringing your holiday designs to life.
Tissue - Noissue
Finding a place who would make custom tissue paper for our boxes was an adventure. When we found Noissue, we fell in love with being able to create custom printed tissue paper. No longer did we need to use plain tissue but could now apply our branded design to the tissue that lines our boxes.
Acrylic Boxes - Uline
Those little 2x2x2 acrylic boxes have always begged the question, 'where do you find those?'. The answer might surprise you! For such cute packaging, Uline is your standard shipping supply store.
Acrylic Cake Boxes - Paper Mart
When we first showcased our 4" Valentine's Day Cakes for Two on Instagram, one of the most popular questions was 'where are those boxes from!?'. People loved these and anytime we post an image where a cute cake is in one of the boxes, people start DMing. The answer is Paper Mart, where a quick browse of their website will leave you spending hours looking at all of the beautiful products they have available.
Cupcake Boxes - Friesens
Our custom printed cupcake boxes are printed by Friesens. We've made many additions to our cupcake boxes over the years, including the addition of patterns to the box, locations and cake instructions. Friesens has been a joy to work with, plus, we love that they are a Manitoba company.
With all the attention to detail to sourcing and designing our custom packaging, we love seeing customers reuse their pink boxes, macaron sleeves, and acrylic boxes. All of our boxes are lined with tissue paper so the box itself can stay free from buttercream smears and cookie crumbs, making it reusable. We love when customers bring back their boxes into our shops to be refilled with their daily treat selection. We also love seeing how you repurpose your packaging once you're home. Small acrylic boxes can hold little treasures you wish to display or treats you'd like to share with others and macaron sleeves can be repurposed into jewelry boxes or as organizers in your bathroom drawers. The possibilities are endless when you aim to reuse what you have.
Finding great packaging that you can customize to match your brand can be a lot of work but it is 100% worth it by the enhancement of the customer experience. We recommend starting slow with what you can afford, and adding custom packaging when you can. We had standard pink tissue paper up until about a year ago when we made the switch to custom printed tissue paper. Just remember to stay 'on brand', keeping the colours in line with your branded colour palette and ensuring your spending money on the packaging that will really leave an impact on your customers.
