Wedding cakes are a staple of most weddings (although modern times speak out to various other options (pies, yummy!) but how on earth do you go about finding that cake that's just the right amount of crazy to stand out but not so mad that it won't impress? (get ideas for your cake here)
Finding the right wedding cake for you has its perks, just think of all that cake you get to try!
But there are a few key things you've got to remember when it comes to the cake.
1. A fancy cake will likely be covered in fondant which is really sweet and can be sickly to some so not everyone will eat it.
To get the look that you are after and still ensure that your guests will eat it and there won't be loads of wasted frosting, consider doing a moist cake with filling between the layers and having a buttercream layer before the fondant frosting. This way, everyone will get a taste of the frosting without it being overpowering and they can use the fondant as a shell to hold the rest of the cake in.
2. Fake Layers don't necessarily make the cake cheaper.
Cakes are priced at how long it takes to put together and decorate so the more surface area, the more expensive it's going to be.
Consider having a lovely small cake for on show with sheet cakes in the back to be served out to the guests. This will cut costs and no one will tell the difference!
3. The type of cake will effect the amount of tiers it can have. A soft cake will only be able to hold 1 or 2 tiers before it will crumble so if you must have that delicious fudge cake with 5 tiers, consider having fake tiers put in at the bottom in order to hold the weight without it looking a disaster.
4. When it comes to setting up appointments for the rest of the wedding, find out when each bakers next tasting is scheduled so you can pop along and try the cakes before the big day. Make sure to ask plenty of questions such as how many tiers it could hold, what are the allergens in it, is there another option for those with allergies?
5. Deal with the cake AFTER all the other major decisions have been made (such as the dress style, decor and venue) as these are major pointers to the style of the cake and how it will look.
Choose a cake that is compatible with your theme and the season, decide if you want colourful accents and if you do, make sure it offsets and works well against the other colours in your wedding. Give your baker fabric swatches so they can get the colours as close as possible to avoid colours clashing.
6. Wedding cake is often priced by the slice (as well as the time taken) and generally ranges between £1-£12/slice (this is a very generalised estimate). The more complicated and the more time it takes to do, the more expensive it is. Fondant is more expensive than buttercream and any elaborate molded shapes or sugar-flower detailing will take time to make and so will bump the price.
7. Consider the weather and how warm it will be. There's nothing attractive about a chocolate cake that has melted in the heat.
If it's going to be hot or you are getting married in a hotter climate, stay away from buttercream, whipped cream and meringue as they will melt. Ask your baker about options that would work best in warmer temperatures. Fondant is usually a good one although you will have the trouble of it potentially being over sweet.
8. Cake too expensive?
Look at removing decoration and adornment as these run the costs high. Consider changing cake type or opting for fresh fruits or little cupcakes instead. Even a pie would be a less expensive alternative and bang on trend.
Some of the most expensive costs in a cake are delicate gum paste or sugar paste flowers which are constructed by hand, one petal at a time. If you like the flowers on the cake, consider buying some real/artificial small flowers from a florist to adorn it instead (and add some colour).
9. Get him involved!
The poor groom doesn't get much say in many areas of the wedding but this is one thing that would be great to get him feeling like he is involved and that he has helped with an important part (plus he'll enjoy all the cake tasting ;) )
10. The final touch
There are many different ways to put the top on your cake now-a-days, not just the traditional bride and groom figurine. You can put memento's on there, heirlooms, gingerbread men anything really, work with your baker to decide the best way to put it atop your cake and any decoration to sit it in.
Allow time and space for the assembly of the cake as, chances are, it'll come in numerous pieces and will need to be put together on the day and it may even require refrigeration if you have a particularly delicate cake in terms of temperatures.
I do not lay any claim to these photographs. They have all been taken from google and pinterest.