The Biggest Wedding Cake Dos and Don’ts

The Biggest Wedding Cake
Dos and Don'ts

Whether a wedding cake is the least of your worries or high on the “must-obsess-over” list, our guide to getting the perfect cake has got you covered. From budgeting to picking out your flavors, we’re going to answer all of your questions—before you even have any.

  1. Don’t choose a cake until you’ve made your major wedding style decisions.

You’ll want a cake that’s compatible with the look of your venue, the season, your wedding gown, the flower arrangements and the menu. Arrive at your cake consultation prepared—you don’t need to have a complete sketch in hand, but knowledge of basic terms will make it easier on everyone. And if you’re looking for a custom design, bring along inspiration, like a swatch of lace from your dress or a picture of your wedding china.

  1. Do have a budget in mind.

Wedding cake is usually priced by the slice. The cost can vary, but it generally ranges from $3 to $30 a slice (and beyond). It’s easy to be wooed by blood orange filling and a multi-flavor cake when you’re making decisions with a sugar buzz, but having a handle on your budget—and knowing what will affect it—will allow you to prioritize your choices. For instance, more flavors equals more money; the more complicated the flavor, the bigger the price tag; handmade sugar flowers will add dollars to every slice; and fondant icing is generally more expensive than buttercream.

  1. Do match the cake height to your space.

Generally, three tiers will serve 50 to 100, and you’ll likely need five layers for 200 or more guests. Your cake should fit the space too—if your reception is in a grand ballroom, consider increasing the cake’s stature with columns between the tiers, or opting for a faux Styrofoam layer (no one will know!) to add height.

  1. Don’t choose the flavor based on what everyone else wants. 

Besides being a showpiece, your cake should taste amazing too. When you meet with prospective bakers, taste lots of flavors. Don’t be afraid to stray from vanilla and chocolate. And don’t forget to sample fillings too—many bakers are working with complex flavorings, like guava and mango or hazelnut and mocha.

  1. Do get the facts on frosting.

Buttercream or fondant? Buttercream is often much more delicious. But if you love the smooth, almost surreal-like look of fondant, consider frosting the cake in buttercream first and then adding a layer of fondant over the entire confection. Whatever type of icing you choose, stick to colors your guests will want to eat. If your wedding hues are blue and green, opt for a white cake with subtle green-frosted accents.

 

  1. Don’t forget to consider the weather.

If you’re having an outdoor wedding in a hot climate, stay away from whipped cream, meringue and buttercream (they melt). Ask your baker about summer icing options or opt for a fondant-covered cake, which holds up much better against the heat.

  1. Do budget for extra details.

When it comes to decoration, adornment costs run the gamut. The most inexpensive option is fresh fruits or flowers that, in some instances, can be applied by your florist for a minimal fee. On the high end are delicate gum-paste or sugar-paste flowers, which are constructed by hand, one petal at a time. But here’s the bottom line: All add-ons—including marzipan fruits, chocolate-molded flowers and lace points—will raise the rate. (For the record, we think it’s worth the cost.)

  1. Don’t forget to top it off.

There are many beautiful and unique ways to top your cake. If you have an heirloom piece—especially a fine porcelain antique—work with your baker to integrate it into the cake’s design. It can double as your “something old.” Other alternatives include a bouquet of sugar flowers, a cascade of icing ribbons or even a sugar block carved to reveal your new monogram. Look to your locale as well. A cluster of coral can look stunning for a beachside celebration, or try a fondant snowflake for a winter wedding. Or don’t use one at all—some designs look great without a topper.

  1. Do have a detailed delivery plan.

Cake delivery takes coordination (and usually a refrigerated van), so give yourself peace of mind and opt to have your cake delivered. Complex cakes may not necessarily arrive in final form, so allow time and space for assembly. And make sure that once the masterpiece is delivered, it has a place at the venue (especially if it requires refrigeration). Bottom line: Discuss all the delivery details with your baker before signing the contract.

  1. Do give your cake the spotlight.

Your cake will likely be on display before it’s cut and consumed. You should have a designated, well-lit table that allows the best presentation possible. A round table is perfect for circular cakes, but a linear design may call for a rectangular table. Drape the table with sumptuous fabrics and decorate it with motifs, colors and flowers to match the cake and your wedding style.

  1. Don’t forget to eat your cake (seriously!).

Couples often don’t get a chance to eat their own wedding cake (besides the bite you feed each other). Ask your caterer to save some extra for you. Share it with your new spouse post-wedding for a late-night snack or as post-wedding brunch dessert.

  1. Don’t let freezer burn happen.

Even if you take the most painstaking packaging measures, eating the top tier of your cake on your first anniversary sounds far better than it tastes. Think about indulging on your two-week or one-month anniversary, and treat yourself to a fresh cake in the same flavor when you’ve hit the one-year mark. If you must adhere to tradition, tightly wrap the cake in plastic wrap, then place it in an airtight baggie.

5,872 thoughts on “The Biggest Wedding Cake Dos and Don’ts”

  1. Allnew Boss Dont delete Drastically reduced Exclusive deal Get it now Get started now
    Important information regarding Instant Limited time New customers only Now only Satisfied free 0 risk 00 1 month ago 18
    18 video 31 50 off 100 free 100 more 100 satisfaction 100 satisfied AS SEEN
    ON Accept credit cards Acceptance Access Access now Accordingly Act Act Immediately Act now Act now
    Dont hesitate Action Required Ad Additional income Addresses Addresses on CD
    Affordable All All natural All new Allnatural Amazing Apply
    Online Apply now Apply online As As seen on At no cost Auto email removal Avoice bankruptcy Avoid Avoid bankruptcy BUY BUY DIRECT Bargain Be amazed Be your own boss Become a member
    Being a member Beneficiary Best price Big bucks Bill 1618 Billing Billing address
    Billion Billion dollars Bonus Brand new pager Bulk email Buy Buy direct Buy now Buying judgments
    CURES BALDNESS Cable converter Call Call free Call now Calling creditors Cancel
    Cancel at any time Cannot be combined with any other
    offer Cant live without Card accepted Cards accepted Cash Cash bonus Cashcashcash Casino Celebrity Cellphone cancer
    scam Cents on the dollar Certified Chance Cheap Cheap meds Check Check or money order Claims
    Claims not to be selling anything Claims to be legal Claims you are a
    winner Clearance Click Click below Click here Click here
    link Click to remove Click to remove mailto Collect Collect child support Compare Compare rates Compete for your business Confidentiality Confidentially on all orders Congratulations Congratulations Consolidate debt Consolidate
    debt and credit Consolidate your debt Copy DVDs Copy accurately Cost Costs Credit Credit bureaus Credit
    card offers Cures Cures baldness Cutie DIAGNOSTICS Deal Deal ending soon Dear emailfriendsomebody Dear
    personalization variable Dear email Dear friend Dear somebody Debt Diet Different reply to Dig up dirt on friends Digital
    marketing Direct email Direct marketing Discount Discusses search
    engine listings Do it now Do it today Dont delete Dont hesitate Dont hesitate Dormant Double your Double your
    cash Double your income Drastically reduced Earn Earn Earn cash Earn extra cash Earn money Earn per week Easy
    terms Ecommerce Eliminate bad credit Eliminate debt Email harvest Email marketing Exclusive deal Expect to earn Explode your business Extra Extra cash Extra income Free FAST Fantastic Fantastic deal Fast Viagra
    delivery Fast cash Fast money Financial Financial freedom Financially independent Find out anything
    For Only For free For instant access For just some amount
    For just insert whatever amount For just XXX For just xxx
    Form Free Free DVD Free access Free cell phone Free consultation Free
    gift Free grant money Free hosting Free info Free
    installation Free investment Free leads Free membership Free money Free offer Free preview Free priority mail Free quote Free sample Free
    trial Free website Freedom Friend Full refund Get Get it
    away Get it now Get it today Get out of debt Get paid Get
    rid of debt Get started now Gift certificate Give it away
    Giveaway Giving away Great offer Growth hormone Guarantee Guaranteed Have you been turned down Hello Here Hidden Hidden assets Hidden charges Home Home Based business Home based
    Home employment Homebased Homebased business Hot babes Hottie Human Human growth hormone Hurry up If only it were that
    easy Important information regarding In accordance with
    laws Income Income from home Increase Income Increase sales Increase traffic Increase your sales Incredible
    deal Info you requested Information you requested Instant Instant weight loss Insurance
    Insurance Lose weight Internet market Internet marketing
    Investment Investment decision Its effective Join millions
    Join millions of Americans Join thousands Junk Kinky Laser printer Leave Legal Life Life insurance Lifetime Limited time
    Limited time offer Limited time only Loan Loans Long distance phone offer Lose Lose weight Lose
    weight spam Lottery Lower interest rate Lower interest
    rates Lower monthly payment Lower rates Lower your mortgage rate Lowest insurance rates
    Lowest price Luxury Luxury car MLM Mail in order form Maintained Make Make
    money Marketing Marketing solution Marketing solutions
    Mass email Mature Medical Medicine Medium Meet
    girls Meet singles Meet women Member Member stuff
    Message contains Message contains disclaimer Million Million dollars Miracle Money Money back Money
    making Month trial offer More Internet Traffic More internet traffic Mortgage
    Mortgage rates Multi level marketing Multilevel marketing Name brand Near you Never New New customers only New domain extensions Nigerian No
    age restrictions No catch No claim forms No cost No credit
    check No disappointment No experience No fees No gimmick No hidden No hidden Costs No hidden costs No hidden fees No interest No inventory No investment No medical exams No
    medical exams No middleman No obligation No purchase necessary No purchase required No questions asked No refunds No selling
    No strings attached Noobligation Not intended Not junk Notspam Now Now only Obligation Off shore Offer Offer
    expires Offers coupon Offers extra cash Offers free often stolen passwords Offshore Once in a lifetime Once
    in lifetime One hundred percent free One hundred percent guaranteed One time One time mailing
    Online biz opportunity Online biz opportunity Online business opportunity Online degree Online marketing Online pharmacy
    Only Open Opportunity Opt in Order Order now Order
    shipped by Order status Order today Orders shipped by Orders shipped by priority mail Orders
    shipped by shopper Outstanding values Passwords Pennies a
    day People just leave money laying around Performance Please read Potential earnings Preapproved Price Prices Print form signature Print out and
    fax Priority mail Prize Prizes Problem Produced and
    sent out Profits Promise Promise you Promise you Pure Profits Pure profit
    Quote Quotes Rates Real thing Refinance Refinance home Refinanced home Removal Removal instructions Remove Remove in quotes Remove
    subject Removes wrinkles Reply remove subject Request Requires initial investment Reserves the right Reverses Reverses aging Risk free Riskfree Rolex Round the
    world S 1618 Safeguard notice Sale Sales Sample Satisfaction Satisfaction guaranteed Save Save big Save big money Save up to
    Score Score with babes Search engine Search engine listings Search engines Section 301 See for yourself Sent in compliance Serious cash Serious only Sex Sexy babes Shopping spree Sign up free Sign up
    free today Social security number Solution Spam Special promotion Stainless steel Steamy
    Stock alert Stock disclaimer statement Stock pick Stop Stop snoring Stops
    snoring Strong buy Stuff on sale Subject to cash Subject to credit Subject to Subscribe Success Supplies are limited
    Take action Take action now Talks about hidden charges Talks about prizes Teen Tells you its
    an ad Terms and conditions The best rates The following form They keep your money no refund They keep your money no
    refund Theyre just giving it away This is an ad This isnt junk This isnt spam
    This isnt a scam This isnt junk This isnt spam This wont last Thousands Trial US dollars Undisclosed Undisclosed recipient University diplomas Unlimited Unsecured
    credit Unsecured creditdebt Unsecured debt Unsolicited
    Unsubscribe Urgent VIAGRA DELIVERY Vacation Vacation offers Valium
    Valium Viagra Very Cheap Viagra Viagra and other drugs Vicodin Visit
    our website Wants credit card Warranty We are legal We hate spam
    We honor all Web traffic Weekend getaway Weight loss What are you waiting for While stocks last While supplies last While you sleep Who really wins
    Why pay more Will not believe your eyes Win Win big Winner Winning Won Work
    at home Work from home XXX Xanax You are a winner You are a winner You have been selected Your income
    Youve been selected adrianne animal arms bakire baldız
    buttocks cannabis child porn cocaine cp ecstasy erotic erotig erotik eskort etek
    gizli go url growth hormone haydar hayvan heroin hidden charges hikaye homosexual hot how to molest how to
    rape a man iptal itiraf ketamine kulot laurence sampson limited time liseli
    lsd mephedrone nefes off partner penis enlargement surgery
    rebbeca parer sarisin seen on seks sex sex toys sexual enhancers sexual fetish lingerie shawn mchugh sheila
    shopper sicak snoring sperm telekz telekız vaginal laser rejuvenation viagra viagra satın al viagrayı çevrimiçi satın alın viagrayı çevrimiçi
    satın alındit weight spam wilma melrose xxx yasak yerli yetiskin yetişkin videosu zoo çocuk pornosu çocuk pornosudiz Hidden assets

  2. Thank you very much for sharing. Your article was very helpful for me to build a paper on gate.io. After reading your article, I think the idea is very good and the creative techniques are also very innovative. However, I have some different opinions, and I will continue to follow your reply.

  3. Pingback: www.careerstek.comforumprofilecanadianpharmacy

  4. Betting tips free can be extremely valuable to sport bettors.

    They can help you make more informed decisions when you’re placing
    wagers on a particular event. It’s important to remember though that
    not all free betting tips are equal. Some tips may be specifically focused on a particular sport, while others might be more general in nature.

    betting tips predictions

Leave a Comment

Your email address will not be published.