Wedding care decorating thus far has been left to the pros; after all, so many a bride and groom to be reasoned, what did they know about seasonable techniques, tips, and tricks anyways? In recent years - perhaps due to the encouragement offered by shows on national television that showcase the average person doing that what so far appeared to be the domain of the expert - the trend is reversing and many an adventurous couple is taking decorating not only the facility of banquet hall but also the cake by themselves.



Since the wedding cake is a major expense, it is not surprising that so many a budget conscious couples decides to try their own hands at decorating and there are but a few tips and tricks to keep in mind before allowing your imagination free reign.

First and foremost, set up a practice cake. This does not have to be of the same elaborate make and model as the actual wedding cake, and a home baked sheet cake will do nicely. The goal is to get you to use the cake decorating tools and to learn how they are handled, how the icing will feel, how the substances will spread, and how they will not flow - in spite of ads to the difference. Play with them and try out some of the decorations to see how they look on the cake.

Secondly, do not go overboard with the dcor. A mistake most often made by beginners, overly intricate designs do precious little to enhance taste of style, while in fact they may actually detract from the overall appearance of the wedding cake. Something as simple as the groom's written on the cake can be appealing.

It goes without saying that having all the appropriate tools needed for the job is important; that said, it is surprising to see so many would be cake decorators trying to make do with toothpicks and homemade piping bags, only to find out that these will not do the same job as the professional tools. In addition to the foregoing, do not skimp on the icing and buy the high quality mix rather than the cheap on sale stuff that may have already expired a long time ago.

Do not fret if perfection is not your forte, but remember that if all else fails, icing covers a multitude of mistakes, and if you find at the last minute that cake decorating simply is not working as well for you as perhaps you had envisioned, remember that there is no shame in purchasing pre-made sugar flowers and ornaments which may then be fastened to the cake with the help of strategically placed dollops of icing.

Of course, for the fearless couple who do not fret if the cake looks a bit peculiar, why not include seasonable non-edible items that symbolize the new union and thus may be a bit more of a sentimental addition to the cake than strictly ornamentation. In this case it is advisable to either remove them prior to serving or ensuring that the guests are well aware that some portions of the cake should not be eaten! Another great idea is to write the groom's right on the cake!