Cakewalk: A Maryland Couple's Engagement Story

You can call Scott Wilhelm’s proposal to girlfriend Robin Theimer a cakewalk.

As the couple walked along historic Ellicott City’s Main Street arm in arm on their way to dinner, Wilhelm stopped and pointed out the candle-lit window display at Sweet. a bakery & café.

There, a two tier, buttercream frosted, red velvet cake, adorned with orchids and roses sat perched on a gold pillow surrounded by sheer cloth panels in shades of rose, gold, and lavender.

Theimer noticed the candles and the fabric first. “It was nice. I was just thinking, what is this?” she recalls. She then feasted her eyes on the cake and its teal frosted question: “Robin, will you marry me? Love, Scott”

“She was kind of overwhelmed. She didn’t know what to say at first,” remembers Wilhelm, who didn’t let the cake do all of the talking.

“Then he got on one knee and asked me again and put the beautiful ring on my finger. It was such a surprise and so sweet,” shares Theimer, who said yes without hesitation. “I was in such surprise and felt so touched.”

Earlier in the week, Wilhelm had called Sweet and asked if the staff would help concoct the proposal. “I thought it was a fantastic idea, very romantic,” shares Tracey Buchanan, Sweet’s senior cake stylist and chief creative officer. “It was truly a magical experience.” She met with Wilhelm to get a sense of what kind of cake and décor would appeal to his bride to be.

Buchanan added a few ingredients of her own. As Wilhelm guided his future bride toward the window, he remembers feeling like someone was watching. Turns out Buchanan and some of her co-workers had positioned themselves across the street to take pictures.

“There was a lot of crying, a lot of hugging, a lot of kissing,” describes Buchanan, who went the extra mile and decorated the couple’s dinner table at the nearby restaurant with a coordinating bouquet and flower petals. She also hand delivered their dessert to them.

Wilhelm and Theimer first became friends 17 years ago in high school and started dating seriously in 2006.

They plan to return to Sweet for their wedding cake when they tie the knot next spring.

Sweet. a bakery & café (formerly Fisher’s Bakery) is located at 8143 Main Street in Ellicott City. For more information, visit www.sweetbakerycafe.com or call (410) 461-9275.

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