Finding the perfect Wedding Cake

Here is a some information to help you with sorting out all the details when ordering your wedding cake:

When meeting with your cake designer, bring photographs of cakes you love or fabric swatches of your color scheme to help them design the perfect cake for you.

 

Bring ideas for your groom’s cake. It should be designed to reflect a particular hobby or personality trait of him.

Here are some questions to ask your cake designer:

• Do you specialize in any certain styles or flavors?
• Do you recommend a certain type of cake for an outdoor or seasonal reception?
• Can you create individual cakes to be used as favors?
• Can you create specialized cakes for certain dietary needs?
• Do you offer a tasting?
• How much time do you need to prepare the cake at the reception?
• Do you offer instruction on how to cut the cake?
• Will you supply a proper container in which to freeze the top of the cake?
• Will you charge for any supports or bases on the cake?
• May I return the supports and bases for a refund? When?
• Are the cakes priced by the slice or by the cake? Do you have a price list?
• How far in advance must I book your services?
• What is your cancellation policy?
• Is a deposit required? If so, when and how much?

Wedding Cake Trends for the 2010 Wedding Season

Planning a wedding is considered one of the most memorable occasions a couple with have in their lifetime. When you think of weddings you always think of the brides wedding gown and of course the wedding cake.

Wedding cakes are very important at a reception and represent more than just a delicious dessert - a wedding cake serves as a centrepiece at your wedding reception. It is extremely important to select the wedding cake carefully in order to match it with the right trend, the theme of the wedding, and your personal style. It should also reveal your style as a couple.

Every year brings with it a different trend and this year is no exception. This coming wedding season you will see both the traditional and modern styles of wedding cakes. Here are few of the top wedding cake trends for this wedding season:

Oversized and Tall Wedding Cakes

This year we are seeing a lot of gigantic wedding cakes. Last year the wedding cakes consisted of maximum one to three layers, this year it has increased to five to seven layers. So if you are planning a wedding this season, the best bet for you would be to go for five to seven layers of cake. If the cost is too expensive we suggest adding artificial tiers to make up the difference.

 

Butter Cream Cakes

Many wedding couples are opting for delicious butter cream for their icing. The bride, groom and their guests prefer butter cream because it’s a lot tastier. Fondant was largely used to give the cake a very attractive look as opposed to butter cream, which tends to melt fast and doesn’t give the required smoothness to the cake. Always remember, a layer of fondant over butter cream will give you both an elegant look and delicious taste. 




Bold Colors

Fashion runways have been showcasing dramatic colors this season for wedding dresses and décor.  Now we are seeing these colors show up on the wedding cakes.  We are seeing a lot of blues, plums, oranges and fuchsia colors for the icing and embellishments.   Some couples are very cautious when it comes to color so they usually stick to all white cakes and then add the bold colors through flowers, fruit and jewels. 

 


Monograms

Monograms are very classy, trendy and stylish at a wedding, plus it gives a nice signatory fashion to the wedding cake.  This look adds a classic feature like no other, and it’s timeless.   
 
 

 
Traditional Something Blue

Some couples struggle to find the traditional “something blue” to add to their wedding date. So why not have a blue wedding cake – metallic horizon blue, ice blue, aqua blue, and any understated hue of blue color, wedding cakes would be perfect for your 2010 nuptial.

Why cut the wedding cake?

The wedding cake has been an important part of the wedding celebration since Roman times when a thin wheat cake, representing bounty, was crumbled over the bride's head to ensure her fertility.

This tradition has morphed into the cake cutting that continues to be a celebrated tradition at the wedding reception, now symbolizing the couple’s commitment to sharing a life with each other. 

The wedding cake cutting usually takes place while guests are still seated after dinner or once dancing has begun. The bride puts her hand on the handle of the cake knife, and the groom puts his hand over hers. Together, they make the first two cuts and remove a small slice – the groom feeds the bride the first bite: she feeds him the second.  

Though not customary, it is a nice gesture for the bride and groom to serve a piece of wedding cake to each set of parents and perhaps the grandparents – before other guests are served. Once this is done, the caterer can take the wedding cake away for slicing so your guests can enjoy a piece. It's a good idea to let your caterer know your plans ahead of time so the wedding cake isn’t taken to the kitchen until you are ready. 

 

 

 

 

Grooms are now having their own Wedding Cake (and eating it too!)

Just like the title says, finally something for the groom. A “groom’s cake” has been part of southern wedding tradition for years, but lately this trend has crept into the North.

When the bride decides to have a grooms cake, usually its kept a secret from the groom; the bride will order the cake from the same baker who will do her wedding cake and work with them on a design, usually something that describes the grooms personality, a hobby or special interest. Sometimes grooms choose their own cake and refuse to let anyone in on the secret. No matter what, this cake really serves as a way for the groom to have his own unique part of the reception.

While the bride’s cake is pretty traditional using light colors, the groom’s cake is usually a dark in color and uses the groom's favorite cake recipe. Some favorite cakes I’ve seen are sports emblems, a golf bag with clubs sticking out, and even a cake with the grooms favorite band album cover.  

Most couples will serve both cakes at the reception – however it can be the groom’s cake that can highlight the reception because it’s so unique. Sometimes it’s the first thing guests notice as they enter the reception location.

This is something I highly recommend to my clients and they enjoy doing it. Its not just the brides day, include the groom too!!

 

Aunt Paula wants to make my wedding cake - HELP

 

When I first meet with a couple I always ask them to describe their vision of the wedding day as they see it. It always includes this grandiose reception with all the trimmings.  As we continue to meet and take the wedding dream to reality, and pricing comes into the picture, sometimes a couple will say to me " my Aunt Paula" has offered to make my wedding cake as her gift to us. Or the grooms "Uncle Bob" is going to take our wedding photos - he has a really good digital camera. This is the time when I will quickly explain to the couples why not to use family and friends when it comes to their wedding day.

If you want to continue to have a good relationship with this person, then don't use them - especially if they aren't professionals. No matter how great they are, the quality will be disappointing and not be what you think you're going to be getting. Also, if any trouble arises, it will create some animosity that'll be hard to let go of. You'll always remember how "Aunt Paula" wrecked my cake or "Uncle Bob" missed the kiss.

There's a great website that showcases what can happen if you let "Aunt Paula" make your wedding cake.  I've included a few examples today but I highly recommend you going to this site and taking a look around. Not only is it hilarious but it's true. Put yourself in the position of those people whose cakes showed up at their weddings.



 

 

A big thank you to  www.cakewrecks.com  for this awesome website!!!

Do you have any questions or want more information about wedding planning? E-mail them to me and I'll contact you with an answer. Who knows, I might even write an article on it and post it in my blog. weddings@occasionsniagara.com