This can be one of the most stressful times of your life. There are so many details to plan, from wedding cars to wedding cakes and the list goes on. When planning my own wedding last year I decided to design my own wedding cake in order to keep the costs down. What a result!

I now help many others design and create their own unique style.

There are many things to think about when deciding on your wedding cake design. Here are some to consider:

1. Cake Fillings

First decide which filling of cake you prefer. This can range from chocolate, sponge and fruit, fruit being the most popular. You could also have individual cupcakes to tier your complete wedding cake.

2. Shape and Height

Decide which shape of tier you prefer and how many you want. Three tiers are most preferable.

3. Home-made or Off the Shelf

Cakes can be bought ready made from local retailers at great prices in a range of fillings and shapes. Fruit cakes can even be bought a few months prior to the wedding, as they have a longer shelf life. This a great way of saving time. Many people have family members who are keen cooks. Maybe they could help with the baking of your cake? This could double as a wedding gift.

4. Colour and Scheme

Then finally decide on the colour and scheme for decorating the cake. The range of themes and colours depend on the season in which you are getting wed and also must compliment the colour scheme of the wedding party.

This is one of many ideas I have used - I hope you find it useful:

Creating a Tiered Wedding Cake with Glass Bowls.

Clear round fish bowls which can be bought at pet stores or craft shops are ideal for creating a stunning cake. These are best suited on round cakes. This is how it's done. By using staggered sizes of bowls for each tier, you place them between each cake with a cake board on top. Make sure the bowl is wide enough to carry the size of the tier above.

Fruit cakes should always be placed at the bottom as they are heavier. Then place either a sponge or chocolate cake for the remaining tiers. Make sure that the icing on the cake is firm and aired well prior to decorating. This is to ensure that the above layers have a firm surface to support the tiers above.

These are just a sampling of ideas to master designing a stunning cake at a fraction of the price. You are hopefully now left with many ideas to create a unique wedding cake.