The wedding cake is the first thing your guests notice when they walk into the Reception hall. The cake sets the tone of the wedding as formal or informal. In ancient times weddings took place after the harvest and cakes were considered a symbol of good luck. Wedding cakes gave good luck to the newlyweds, and passing out pieces of cake was a way of sharing that luck with friends and neighbors.
The traditional wedding cake of three or more round stacked layers, is what comes to mind when most people think “wedding cake” However, your wedding cake can be any shape or style you wish. I have seen all kinds of cakes used for wedding cakes, from multi-tiered heart shaped cakes with several smaller hearts on pedestals attached to the main tower by cascading ribbons, and plastic bridges. It was really beautiful. I also know a couple who met at a hockey game. Their wedding cake was a sheet cake decorated to look like a hockey arena. Obviously it was a very informal wedding, and a second marriage for both. A sheet cake can be decorated with elegance, for an informal wedding. It is your wedding, you can have any kind of cake you want.
Most brides show up for the first meeting with a cake designer/decorator, with an image in her head of the perfect wedding cake, that she may have dreamed about since childhood. The designer will do everything in her power to bring that image into reality. Go to the meeting the approximate number of guests, your color scheme, a sketch however primitive of what you want your cake to look like and possibly a picture from a magazine that is close to what you want the cake to look like. The designer will also want to know what flavor you want the cake and icing to be. They may even have samples for you to taste.
If you want a formal wedding but still want to add a touch of whimsy have fun with the grooms cake. The wedding cake can be as elegant as you want, but have the groom’s cake reflect something about the groom, his hobbies, job etc. Does he like Nascar have a race car, the options are endless. If another special family occasion is the same day as your wedding, try to recognize it some way. A friend of mine got married on her father-in-law’s birthday, so she had the top layer of her wedding cake decorated as a birthday cake for him. He was so delighted. All of these kinds of things need to be discussed with the cake designer, well in advance of the big day. You can get wedding cakes at most bakeries, but I’d suggest looking for one whose specialty is wedding cakes. You don’t have to limit yourself to the traditional cake. I knew a bride whose wedding cake consisyed of hundreds of filled cupcakes, artfully arranged to resemble the traditional wedding cake, each of the five layers had a different type of filling. It was amazing!
Your wedding cake, whether it be a lovely sheet cake or a five tiered extravagance, will be the first sight that catches the guests' attention as they enter the room. It will have its own table, decorated to set the stage for this special confection and the most traditional of all wedding reception traditions, the cake cutting ceremony.
Just think, the first ceremony that the couple takes part in as now married husband and wife, is centered around the wedding cake! That special moment when the bride and groom slice that first piece of their wedding cake and then feed each other the first bite is often the most photographed moment at the reception.
Your mother's wedding cake was probably a traditional white, stacked or tiered confection covered with buttercream and icing flowers. My, how times have changed! Have you noticed the rich variety of choices these days?
If you are a decorator like me, you get to experience this variety first hand, but if you are choosing a cake for your own wedding, you have some narrowing down to do. You can have your cake and eat it to - but you can have only one wedding cake!
Your cake can be created to compliment the wedding's colors, the bridesmaid's dresses, the bridal gown, or if the wedding has a theme (such as beach, Cinderella, Western, vintage, snowflake, etc.), the wedding cake may be designed to compliment that.
While considering all of this, keep in mind that the wedding cake, also called the bride's cake, presents a powerful symbol of the bride's style and personal taste, just as the groom's cake is designed with his interests in mind. However, a growing tradition is for bride and groom's common interests to be reflected in the cake.
Choosing the professional who will bake, assemble and decorate your wedding cake is as important as choosing the design. If a wedding planner is employed, this person will take care of this detail.
If you're taking care of this, keep in mind that wedding cakes are often ordered at least six months in advance. In selecting a designer, don't be afraid to ask to see a portfolio.
You want a designer who will be able to create a cake that is right for you, who is able to help you plan the wedding cake of your dreams. And let's not forget about taste. Ask for a sample of the flavor with the filling and icing you want. Allow time to shop around.
Increasingly more couples are making their own wedding cakes! Baking your own can be a fun and cost-cutting alternative, but don't go it alone. A good, step-by-step video guide to cake decorating and tier cake assembly will be very helpful, as will some good cake making how-to's.
Here's a tip to get you started: Use fresh ingredients, and choose natural over artificial. For example the freshest of eggs and real butter (instead of margarine) does make a difference!
And if you are looking for a hard-to-find ingredient, such as clear vanilla flavoring, or a special colorant, you can purchase these online from cake decorating suppliers such as Wilton.
Don't be shy about enlisting family and friends. Invite them over for refreshments and video lessons! Do some trial runs and have fun!
Both Mary Jane Holmes & Samantha Mitchell are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.
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