Choosing the Perfect Wedding Cake
It's unlikely you'll ever spend more than this on a cake, so you'll want to spend some time choosing the perfect wedding cake. There are several basic decisions to make.
How do you select a wedding cake designer?
If you're getting married in a familiar place, then your first move is to gather recommendations for great wedding cake designers. Were your friends happy with their wedding cakes? Or have you seen a particularly beautiful cake at a recent wedding you attended? If so, find out who designed the cake and set up an appointment to meet with them.
If you're going out of town for your wedding, it's a little more complicated to choose a wedding cake designer. You can do some research on the Internet, and you should also talk to the event planner who's organizing your reception. Since they're familiar with local bakeries that specialize in wedding cakes, they'll be able to recommend someone who you can rely on.
How many wedding guests will there be?
Most bakers base their pricing for wedding cakes on the number of guests. If the cake will be sliced, plated, and served as dessert, then plan on a piece for each guest. However, if the cake will be on a buffet table you won't need as much. Also, if alcohol will be served your guests are less likely to eat as much wedding cake.
What flavor wedding cake do you want?
The most common flavor of wedding cake is, unsurprisingly, vanilla. However, it's becoming more common for couples to choose a more adventurous flavor; we recently had a wonderful raspberry cake, and carrot cake is also very popular. If you simply can't -- or don't want to -- decide, most bakeries can make the different layers of your wedding cake in different flavors.
How should your wedding cake look?
Traditional wedding cakes come in three tiers, with white frosting, and had a little model of the happy couple on top. Well, times are changing, and you can choose from many different designs for your wedding cake. Recent trends have included cakes that look like a wrapped gift; wedding cakes that reflect the couple's interests, such as sports or travel; cakes that reflect the time of year; or even stacked cupcakes instead of a traditional wedding cake. Talk to your baker and share your ideas for the perfect wedding cake; the best bakeries can design a cake that will reflect your unique personalities.