Tips for choosing the right wedding cake
by Sher Matsen

The job of choosing the right wedding cake style is the responsibility of both the future bride and groom. The style of cake youll choose will largely depend on the wedding theme and the size of the wedding. Youll want to be sure your cake is large enough for all attending guests to receive a piece. If youre having a super large wedding you can always have two cakes. In fact, a new trend is for there to be a bride cake and a grooms cake. It can actually be quite a fun event where you can let a little bit of creativity flow.

The solution to a "no stress" cake selection is simply knowing what you need and doing your research before hand. The information below will assist you in making sure youve got your icing covered!

The wedding cake is usually cut into small slices, packaged and tied with a ribbon for your guests to take home. You can also serve your cake for dessert. A cake large enough to serve all your guests may cost more but by the same token you eliminate the cost of dessert from your catering budget. Choose a cake that you both enjoy. The size of the cake is directly related to the size of your wedding and your budget.. If your budget for your wedding is low or you just do not wish to pay very much for your cake. If your budget is small, check around with friends and family - there may be someone who has the expertise to do your wedding cake for a fraction of the cost. Friends, family, magazines, your local bakery, and the internet are all great places to get ideas about the types of cakes available. Or go crazy and get the cake youve always dreamed of having.

Types of Wedding Cakes

There are many types of wedding cakes you can choose for your wedding depending on your budget and size of your wedding. Here are just a choices ?

• Small or large round cake
• Small or large sheet cake
• Single level wedding cake
• Multi level wedding cake
• Themed wedding cake - for example for a beach wedding you might tie seashells into your cake, or have a sandy textured icing
• Fresh flowers on your wedding cake
• Icing flowers on your wedding cake
• Silk flowers on your wedding cake
• Match your cake with the colors of your wedding theme - the colors of the flowers or the color of your bridesmaid dresses are popular choices
• Traditional wedding cake is fruit cake with white icing
• More traditional choices are chocolate or orange cake, sponge cake or carrot cake.

To be able to keep the top layer of the cake it must be a fruit cake. Order your wedding cake 6 months to a year in advance. The month you are getting married in is important because the type of cake you choose may not work well with the season. For example, mouse in wedding cakes does not work well during a hot month. Winter wedding cakes have fewer restrictions.

Questions to ask your Bakery and or Baker 1) Are samples available to try before you buy? Just because a cake looks good doesnt mean it will taste good, or not be as hard as a rock. Best to taste test so youre not disappointed.. 2) When is the last day I can make changes? By finding out when the last day you can make changes is, you will most likely be getting the answer as to when they will be starting your cake.. 3) Do you deliver? Cakes do not ship well, so unless youve made arrangements for someone to pick your cake up and bring it to the reception, it is best if the bakery can deliver it. 4) How do you ship your wedding cakes? 80% of wedding cake damage occurs during shipping. Shipping is also your friend picking it up in their car. The cake needs to be packed properly to ensure it arrives at the reception intact. 5) Should something go wrong what is your back up plan? Many will say that they either have no plans or that nothing will go wrong. Not a good enough answer. When its the day before your wedding and something goes wrong its too late to come up with a backup plan. 6) How much would it be for regular cakes the same size as the wedding cake? This will determine if you are being gouged or not.

As with all elements of your wedding planning and preparation are important. Decide the type of cake, get pricing, and order early. Then you can place another nice big fat checkmark on your "to do list".

Sher has been serving customers for over 20 years, providing affordable estate jewelry, and a wealth of information on jewelry, fashion, designers, and beauty with on staff industry professionals. Please visit us at Estate Jewelry International.