Tips on Choosing a Wedding Cake
Practical Tips on Choosing a Decadent Wedding Cake
Weddings have taken on a whole new look and feel – the traditional constraints of wedding planning have fallen away to reveal a more creative, free thinking and unique wedding experience. For many women, one of the most exciting aspects of planning a wedding is choosing the perfect wedding cake that reflects the unique style, formality and colour scheme.
If you are in the process of deciding which cake is right for you, then consider the following important points, tips and inspirational elements, put together courtesy of The Wedding Directory team:
Taste preferences
Have your cake and eat it too
The first question you need to ask yourself when deciding on a wedding cake is what is the cake flavour of your choice? Yes, this does sound somewhat elementary, but in some instances, brides tend to go with what is expected of them, rather than what they really enjoy. Be daring, and choose the flavour that expresses you and your husbands taste preferences the most.
Chocolate
Vanilla
Fruit Cake – The traditional favourite
Carrot
Marble
Lemon
Orange
Your Budget
Created by you
Bear in mind your budget when deciding on a cake. The more time, labour and materials used on a cake, the more expensive the cake will be. It comes down to detail – to create intricate flowers out of royal icing takes time and will be costly, but decorating the cake with real flowers looks just as beautiful and will not break the bank. You can ask your florist to make up the flowers in a similar style to your bouquet therefore continuing the theme through to your wedding cake.
Do your homework and get a range of quotes from different confectioners.
Don’t forget that as much as a price that is too high can be a put off, don’t always go for the cheapest option either; look at portfolios, testimonials, websites and other marketing material to get an idea on the cake makers style and experience.
If your budget is limited, there are a few ways of working it:
Use a fake bottom tier made from polystyrene, with the real cake as the top tiers. Each tier will be decorated identically, so nobody will be able to tell the difference.
Stick to traditional cake shapes; round being the most traditional. Square, rectangle and other geometric shapes will be more expensive as they are more difficult to ice.
Formality
Flow with the theme
A more formal wedding would be nicely complemented with a more traditional cake, whilst with a themed wedding you can choose a cake designed to coincide with the theme and colour scheme.
Then, there are seasonally themed cakes which give your designers license to let their imaginations run wild. For Autumn weddings, you could opt for a cake garnished with rich warm colours of seasonal fruit and wild berries.
If you are planning on getting married in a hot environment, then it is probably best to avoid fillings and icings that melt in the heat i.e. buttercream, mousse, ice-cream. This doesn’t mean you cant have the ice-cream cake that you’ve dreamed about since you were little; it just means that you will have to take extra precautions to make sure that it doesn’t melt. Perhaps have your wedding during the cooler months of the year or choose a reception venue where the climate is controlled.
If you are traveling a long distance to your destination wedding venue, it would probably not be advised to choose a meter high tower cake that is held together with a few dowel rods, chances are you will be handing out doggie bags to all your guests and miss out on the photo opportunity of cutting the cake.
Italian cake makers
