Let’s be honest – most of us enjoy cake, don’t we? As well as being delicious, cake is commonly an essential feature of wedding receptions. Not only can a wedding cake be a striking decorative centrepiece, but the ritual of cutting and sharing the cake is often an important symbolic aspect of a reception.

Given that a wedding cake may be the focus of so much attention, most couples would consider it important to choose a cake that looks well and tastes good. Finding a cake that you’re happy with can be a challenge, especially when working within a budget. In this week’s blog post, we’d like to offer some tips for choosing your wedding cake. As always, we hope you’ll find them useful.

Allow Plenty of Time

This is important! Elaborate cakes take time to prepare, and bakers often work to very busy schedules, especially during wedding season. Ordering a cake at short notice should not be considered an option. You should start looking for a cake no later than three months before your wedding day.

Consider Your Options

Don’t rush into choosing a bakery. Research a few bakeries, and make sure to get a good idea of what is available from each. You should start by researching bakeries online, paying careful attention to customer feedback. You should also ask friends and family members for recommendations.

Make Sure to Taste

Once you’ve found a reputable bakery, you should get in contact to arrange a tasting. As well as being a fun outing, attending a tasting is a great opportunity to meet the baker and discuss any concerns you may have. A tasting may involve a small fee, which will usually be deducted from the cost of your cake.

Tell Your Baker What You Want

Make sure to choose a baker that you are confident will listen to you and accommodate your needs. You shouldn’t feel restricted to choosing a style from your baker’s portfolio. If you’ve seen a style you like elsewhere, or if there’s a particular theme you have in mind, don’t hesitate to discuss it with your baker. Provide your baker with as much information as possible about the reception, including venue, decor, and menu, so that this can inform the design of the cake.

Be Clear About Your Budget

Some of the first things you should discuss with your baker are the number of guests you’ll need to serve, and the size of your budget. This will help the baker to determine what your options are. Wedding cakes are often priced by serving; if this is the case, find out how big the slices are. You should also bear in mind that it is possible to be thrifty when ordering your cake. For example, not all of your guests will have cake, so it should be possible to get away with having enough for two thirds of them. If you’d like to make a big impression while keeping your budget down, ask your baker about designing a cake with some inedible, decorative layers.

Consider Alternatives

Finally, don’t rule out alternative desserts. While certainly traditional, a wedding cake is not obligatory. Alternative desserts can be interesting and thrifty. What’s more, if you’re not a cake lover, you should feel free to consider a dessert that’s more suitable to your tastes.