Wedding Planning Articles
Cakes
...."Centerpiece of the reception"
The Wedding Cake is indeed the centerpiece of the Wedding Reception. If you have not attended a wedding lately, you may not realize how popular the Wedding Cake has become! If possible, provide your guests with a 360-degree view of the cake and the cutting. Your guests will want to view the Wedding Cake prior to seating themselves at the Reception Site. Additionally, when the time comes for cake cutting, your guests will seek out a prime spot for viewing and to take photographs or video of this exciting part of your reception. So, be sure to display your Wedding Cake beautifully and in a prominent, well-decorated location at your reception site.
Cake & Icing Styles
The traditional Wedding Cake was a tiered, elaborately decorated white cake with white butter cream icing. Strict traditions are more relaxed these days, resulting in a wide variety of cake styles, shapes, colors, and flavors. Your options are now limitless. You envision it, your baker can create it!
Tiers. You can have each of your cake tiers displayed separately on your cake table, either flush on the table or on elevated cake plates available in a variety of heights. Some elevated cake plates are available in a fixed arrangement, while others are available individually so you can arrange them in the manner of your choice.
Cake Flavors. Each layer of your Wedding Cake may have a different flavored cake and filling without changing the exterior appearance of the cake. These varied internal cakes have become extremely popular and most bakers will be happy to accommodate your choices.
Icing Types. It may come as a surprise to you that your choice of icing is a very important one. Be sure to choose the right icing for the right setting. Some icings hold up well in heat, but others require refrigeration until just before serving, which means your cake cannot be displayed early. Your professional baker can help you choose an icing appropriate for your taste, style and location.
Shapes and Styles. Each layer of your cake is available in a variety of shapes & styles. Round wedding cakes have been the norm for many years. Square wedding cakes have become more popular in recent years. As have comed wedding cakes and octagonal wedding cakes. Wedding cake shapes have even gone to irregular or asymmetric shapes with stacking arrangements that defy gravity. We have even seen a cake designed to look like a redwood tree for a Forest Ranger's wedding! Your baker may place colored ribbons around the base of each tier to reflect your color scheme. Your florist may beautifully arrange flowers echoing your wedding colors between each tier, on top of each layer, and/or on the cake table. Most decoration options still leave room for placement of a traditional cake topper on the upper tier of your cake.
Cake Traditions
Save the Top Tier. The small top tier is wrapped and frozen for one year, to be enjoyed on your first anniversary. Remember to assign one of your workers the task of boxing and preserving the top tier for you, lest it get accidentally eaten by your guests!
Serving Each Other Cake. The cake cutting ceremony is one of the most anticipated events at the reception. Be sure to stand behind the cake while you cut so that you and the cake are visible to your guests. To cut the cake, the Bride holds the cake server in her right hand and the Groom places his hand over hers. They then cut the first piece together. The Groom feeds the Bride, then vice versa.
Groom's Cake. The Groom's Cake is a long-standing Southern tradition that is gaining in popularity around the country. While the Wedding Cake is the more traditional style and flavor, the Groom's Cake is where individuality is expressed. They generally reflect one of the Groom's personal interests - snow skiing, biking, sports, cars, etc. Display the Groom's Cake separately and cut it after the Wedding Cake cutting ceremony.
Ordering Your Cake
Cake selection is based on style, taste and cost. Surf the internet, attend Bridal Fairs, and visit several bakers to learn the styles of cake available. Bring a photograph of cakes from magazines to your selected baker (and your florist).View each baker's album of cake designs. Make a cake tasting appointment with each of your 'finalists'. Let them know the type of cake, filling, and icing combinations you wish to taste. Most bakers will limit your tasting to 4 or 5 possibilities.
Bakers generally base cake prices on the number of guests the cake will be serving. Based on your estimated number of guests, your baker will suggest several size and number of tier options. When you place your order, give your baker a deposit and get a receipt including a detailed description of your cake.
Have your cake delivered and set up by the bakery. We have seen more than one cake suffer significant damage when being delivered by a friend. The baker will work with your florist in setting up and decorating your cake on site. If your cake requires refrigeration on site prior to set up, be sure to discuss this need with your location to ensure adequate storage availability.
Decorating Your Cake Table
Don't forget to decorate the cake table. A plain tablecloth is fine, but a well-decorated table with drapes and a specialized tablecloth will really make the beautiful presentation of the Wedding Cake complete. It is only a single table - if you splurge on decorative linens and drapes nowhere else at your wedding, please think about doing so for your Wedding Cake!