Let them eat cake…
Finding the perfect cake to reflect your personalities, needs and of course your budget is a major project for most couples planning a wedding. A bespoke cake is a big investment; back in 2014, Brides Magazine gave the average price of a wedding cake as £300, but that’s not going to be enough for a complex, intricately-designed work of art or a cake suitable for a very large number of people.
The main thing to consider, after the budget you’ve set aside for your dream cake, is how many people you need to cater for. You will need to make sure there’s enough for everyone of course, even though some people might not claim their piece. Don’t go too mad, but at the same time, don’t underestimate and end up without enough cake to go around.
A matter of taste
The days of sticking to vanilla sponge are long gone but you do need to bear in mind that the more exotic the flavour, the more expensive the cake will be. Vanilla, chocolate or lemon sponges are popular choices and a good bet for most people. If you intend to cater for those with specific allergies then be sure to let your cake designer aware of this, as you might want to consider having a separate cutting cake made for those guests.
Fruit cakes are more expensive and time consuming to make than a sponge cake but they do work out at good value because the portion sizes are smaller – not everyone is a fruit cake fan though.
Inspiration
There are some fabulous blogs online where you can gaze at pretty pictures of cakes all day long, and if you click into Pinterest you will be absolutely spoiled for choice. Celebrity weddings can also be a good source of inspiration for wedding cake toppers and ideas, so sneak into your local newsagent and buy an OK for the latest celeb nuptial photos.
Create a board on Pinterest for your favourites and share that with your friends, family and of course, partner!
You could also match the cake to your colour scheme, flowers, wedding theme or dress if you’re lacking inspiration. If you want to match your dress design there are wonderful things to be done with edible lace and sugar diamonds that will create a beautiful cake. Just keep the dress photo away from your husband or wife to be!
The happy couple
The main consideration is that the cake you choose should reflect your personalities. So if you want a chocolate cake, and neither of you like vanilla, by all means go for what YOU want. You can even have one tier of each if you can’t decide!
And if a fussy cake isn’t your thing but you love the idea of a novelty topper, then that’s what you should have.
Cake making and decorating is an art, and there are techniques and ideas that will accommodate just about any whim. You want people to remember your cake for all the right reasons, and say “That’s just so YOU.”
Find the right designer
A wedding cake is a big investment, so a proper consultation is an absolute must. All designers are different, and your goal is to find one that ‘gets’ what you want and is able to see your vision of your perfect wedding cake. There are sometimes charges for consultations and taster sessions but these tend to be deductible from the price of the cake if you decide to use that designer. Ask questions, and make sure that you get the cake you’ve always wanted!
For more ideas and tips download “12 Essential Tips to Have your Bespoke Wedding Cake and Eat it”
