Balance

Keep the cake balanced, there should be an equal difference between the cake tiers. For example 12-10-8 inch tiers (2 inch increase in each tier). 12-9-6  (3" difference).

Colour

Keep to a maximum of 3 colours (unless you want a very colourful cake of course), with one colour dominant. Always be very specific about your colour scheme and give the designer a sample of the colour you want. Make sure you both agree before any work is done. One persons peach is anothers orange. Give your wedding cake designer the name of your florist if you want the flowerson the cake to match your bridal flowers.

Type of Cake.

Few people opt for the very rich, marzipanned cake these days. In America, the cake is eaten as desert so the emphasis is on sumptuosly filled sponge cake. The range of fillings is mind-boggling.  Remember that sponge wedding cake can only be prepared a few days before the wedding and will not keep as long as fruit cake. This can limit the amount of decoration on the actual cake as it has to be done very quickly.

Decoration

The decoration will influence the final cost of your wedding cake. Some sugarflowers or models are more difficult and time consuming to make than others.  Be very specific about the flowers you want. There are many different types of lily and roses for instance. Ask your florist the name of your flowers.

 

Making and putting together a wedding cake is a very skilfull job. There is an awful lot of preparation, time and skill involved in giving  you a stunning wedding cake. If your wedding cake is important to you and you have never so much as baked a victoria sponge, don't be tempted to buy cakes from Marks and Spencer and put it together yourself. I gaurantee it will end up costing a lot more than you think and will look like a Marks and Spencer do-it-yourself job.

Find a good designer, look at their past work, check references and pay a fair price for the job.

Size

Do you want all your guests to have some wedding cake? If you do, there are a couple of options, either choose a wedding cake large enough or have a smaller cake and a spare "kitchen cake" which can be cut seperately. Your guests will never know it didn't come from the original. This should reduce the final price. Expect to pay more for a square cake, it's 25% bigger than a round.

Shape

Wedding cakes come in all manner of shapes these days, bear in mind how it will be displayed. A cake that is difficult to ice will be more expensive. remember different shapes will give you more or less portions.

Points to Remember

Most designers have a speciality, sugarflowers, novelty cakes chocolate etc. Look for a designer who is experienced in your type of wedding cake.

Transporting and setting up the cake is not an easy task. Ask your decorator about setting up the cake on the day. If it's free delivery, does that include weekends?

Most wedding cakes look so much better on a stand. You may need to hire one or ask your venue if they supply one. Some decorators will supply them for a fee and deposit.

Think about where and how your wedding cake will be displayed. It will be photographed all day so make sure it is not in front of a "toilet" sign or next to a fire extinguisher.