How to Choose Your Wedding Cake
Your wedding cake (if you’re choosing to have one) is one of the focal points of your wedding day. Your guests will admire it, the cutting of it is one of the ‘must capture’ moments and it’s one of the ways you can inject your personality into the day.
It is so much more than just a cake.
Here’s some of the top tips we’ve picked up over the years, from our own wedding experiences to talking to our customers, on what to consider when choosing your wedding cake.
Move it to the bottom of your list
Choosing your cake should be one of the last things you do when planning your wedding. Make all your decisions regarding everything else first so your choice of cake compliments. You might have a Pinterest board full of rustic style, naked cakes but if your wedding is a formal, black-tie affair that style of cake won’t suit, even though it is gorgeous.
Decide on your dress, flowers, venue, décor etc first and use these as a blueprint for the detail of your wedding cake.
You want your cake to be the icing on the cake for your big day. For it to feel part of the wedding, not an add-on that looks out of place.
Size matters
One important factor when choosing your cake is the size of your guest list, i.e. how many does it need to cater for? Generally three tiers will serve 50 – 100 guests. If you have 200 or more guests you are looking at a five tier cake.
It’s also important to consider the size of your reception space. If your venue has high ceilings you might want a tall cake with columns separating the tiers to work with the proportions. If you’re in a smaller, more intimate venue a stacked cake, or smaller individual cakes, will work for the size of space.
TOP TIP! If you do want a tall, dramatic cake to help fill the space but need to be careful with budget ask your cake supplier about using iced dummy tiers which will add the height needed but won’t be expensive as actual cake tiers.
Every little helps
As with all areas of wedding planning there are lots of ways to save some pennies if you’re working to a tight budget.
Ignore the previous tip about catering for all your guests and order a small but perfectly formed wedding cake for just you and your top table guests, alongside several tray cakes to give to the rest of your guests. Ultimately they just want something sweet and delicious to eat so don’t worry about doing it this way.
Don’t fall in love with a style of cake that is elaborately decorated, as with wedding dresses the more detail there is the more expensive it is! Decorate seasonally using flowers and fruit for a finish that will be just as stunning but without the hefty price tag.
Choose what you want
One of our biggest tips when it comes to planning your wedding is to remember it is your day, celebrating your love and commitment to each other, so make sure it reflects you both as people. If you both love red velvet cake but the mother-in-law isn’t so keen CHOOSE THE RED VELVET CAKE.
Of course the art of compromise is key in any situation so perhaps have a choice of different flavours but certainly don’t have any red velvet flavour at all...
Choose carefully
If you’re using a professional cake maker for your wedding cake be sure to do your research. Start by asking for recommendations from friends and family, perhaps you’ve been to a friend’s wedding recently and loved their cake, but even with a personal recommendation do your own further research to ensure they’re the right supplier for you.
For more cake inspiration check out our Pinterest board here, full of delicious looking, super stylish cakes.