About Prop Options
Our Story
The journey to us both quitting our day jobs and working together started after our daughter Mila’s first birthday cake smash, (here’s the video in case you were wondering). Karen, the photographer, explained to Brad how there was a real struggle to source strong and reliable cake stands suitable for children’s photography. With Brad being a skilled carpenter, we set to work designing our first pedestal cake stand from our dining room table and began advertising online.
With us working during the day, and two young daughters in toe, our evenings were spent discussing new designs, answering customer enquiries, and making orders to despatch the following day! Initially centred around photography props, our range of stands quickly grew into an array of bespoke colours and sizes as we began to attract the attention of bakers and cake designers from within the very talented wedding and events industry. Before we knew what was happening, our stands were being sent around the globe creating the perfect pedestal for countless wedding cakes, each of which as stunning as the next.
Demand Increased
As demand increased and orders grew, we both left our employed positions to concentrate on Prop Options full time, allowing us to funnel our energy and creativity into new designs for both cake stands and separators. With the
introduction of our signature metallic gold square and rectangle cake separators, along with an unrivalled selection of acrylic, we were proud to be building a brand that was being recognised as a market leader.
In 2019, we were approached by one of our very good customers who asked if it was possible for us to design a cake separator that made a cake appear as though it was floating. Brad went back to the drawing board and before long we were excited to present our signature Floating Tier Side Bar. Little did we know the impact this would have on the industry and the incredible cakes that would be made possible using our design!
Run Off Our Feet
As we headed in to 2020, and with us both run off our feet, we recognised that it was time to grow our team and in 2020, Danny joined Prop Options. However, with our house full of boxes and cake stands, and a new member in our team, we realised it was no longer practical for us to continue running Prop Options from home! And so, in October 2020, we move to our new HQ on Holton Heath Trading Park, in Poole on the south coast of England. Excited (and a little apprehensive!), we finally had the space we needed to help us grow and start the next phase of our business, while also giving us back our own home to enjoy and relax in!
In the two years that followed,
We navigated the pandemic along with the rest of the world, diversifying while using the time to prepare for the day when weddings and events could recommence. With the support of our wonderful customers, demand for our products has continued to increase and we are now proud to have a small, committed team who work incredibly hard to make Prop Options the best that it can be.
As our product lines increased and our brand became ever more popular around the globe, we started to appreciate that it was becoming increasingly difficult to manufacture all our designs in house, while maintaining the quality and swiftness of delivery that we were known for. It was time to start looking for external partners overseas to help. With research, and much careful consideration, we found a supplier who was able to manufacture our designs to the specification and level of quality that we insisted must be met. With that the next chapter of our story opened as we learned to manage the logistics of our business on a worldwide scale.
Global Scale
Now representing us on a global scale, we felt it was time that our brand had a refresh to better showcase the ethos and development of Prop Options. In July 2022, we launched our new website, logo and branding and stepped up our game in the field of packaging and presentation. As we’ve grown, and continue to do so, it has always been incredibly important for us to maintain the high level of personable service and quality of products that we’re renowned for, while providing the best range for our customers. These aspects are still at the core of Prop Options and are what drive each decision we make.
Our diverse and incredibly talented customers are at the heart of everything we do, and we cannot reiterate enough how grateful and appreciative we are for their continued support and loyalty. As we look towards the future, we promise to continue our work maintaining our values, while doubling our commitment to innovate and improve our products, providing you with the best and largest selection of stands and separators to help put your cake on a pedestal.