Choosing a design...
There are a number of things to consider when choosing a design for your Wedding cake so the following information may be of help.
~Wedding Cake Flowers~
Florals and foliage are a really popular choice to compliment a bouquet or reception room table décor. From intricate handmade sugar flowers, fresh flowers from your florist or even pretty artificial florals there are choices to suit any budget.
Whichever you choose, they will all need to be prepared and added to your cake by using food safe barrier products to prevent wires or stems from coming into contact with the cake.
Extra care must be taken when choosing fresh flowers and foliage for your Cake as some are highly *toxic/poisonous in addition to many being treated with pesticides and are not suitable to use with food products.
*(for example Gypsophila and Eucalyptus)
Your florist may be able to advise on similar alternative non toxic options that are approved for food use and source items that are also pesticide free, however I keep a comprehensive list of toxic flowers and foliage on file to adhere to food safety requirements.
~Textured, hand painted, patterned or coloured tiers~
Another way to add more interest to a cake design is to add subtle details that are similar to other items you've chosen for your Wedding day.
This could be anything from lace or texture from a wedding dress, artwork from your wedding invitations and stationery, your colour scheme or even the décor of your reception room.
~Rustic designs~
The time of year may need to be taken into consideration especially if you are thinking of choosing a rustic buttercream finished cake. Buttercream will melt in warm weather or if the heating is on so this will affect the stability of your cake if it's to be out on display for a number of hours.
To help counteract warmer temperatures it is highly recommended to have white chocolate Ganache for the outer covering of your cake instead of buttercream.
~Number of cake tiers~
As a rule you won't usually need quite as many portions of cake as the number of guests so catering to approximately 80 to 90% is usually sufficient, although if you are wanting to have different flavour cake tiers it's a good idea to keep in mind that there may be some guests who want to try more than one flavour.
If you need more portions but don't want to compromise the overall design of your cake by adding another tier you can also have additional serving cake/s that can be kept in the kitchen until it's time to serve your guests. You can also order an additional small cake to take home afterwards just in case you don't manage to get a slice yourself on the day.
If you're having a intimate wedding reception but prefer the look of a tall multi tier cake then decorated dummy tiers can be used to give the appearance of a larger Wedding cake.
Cake separators or clear tiers will also help achieve the look of a larger cake.
~Display table~
Your venue may have a preferred location in the reception room for Wedding cakes but it's a good idea to check if the space is clear of any items such as fire extinguishers, radiators, plug sockets, wires or anything else that you don't want to be in the background of your photographs.
The cake display table should be level and set away from any sources of heat such as radiators or direct sun through a window, especially during hot weather.
Don't forget to ask your venue if they supply a knife for that all important 'cake cutting' photograph moment, if they don't then you'll be able to source a fairly inexpensive set either online or from anywhere that sells cutlery.
If you're having chair sashes in your Reception room you can also ask your supplier to leave one on the cake table to coordinate with all of your design ideas.
Cake stands will need to be strong enough to support the weight of a heavy tiered cake, usually the venue will have one available to use but if it's not suitable for your cake design I can advise you on other options.
I also keep a selection of cake stands at my studio that are available to hire.
