Getting the Wedding Cake Right

Getting the Wedding Cake

Apart from the bride and the groom, if there’s a star in every wedding, it is the wedding cake. It doesn’t matter whether you are an adult or a child, there’s something about a beautiful wedding cake that captures the imagination of everyone. While the guests will be too happy to gawk at a creative effort and relish a slice of goodness, there’s a lot more to wedding cakes than you could ever imagine. Here’s what you need to know but never thought about asking:

Check the T&C of the Reception Venue

Even before you start your hunt for the wedding cake of your dreams, check if your wedding venue has terms and conditions that need to be taken care of. This is very important as there are many venues which may allow only bakers that are on their approved list or charge extra, should you want to use your own. There are also some venues that will allow only bakers who have a license to serve on the premises. If you are really keen on making a big impact with your wedding cake with a renowned designer, then you should book months before the wedding date as their calendars can get full pretty quickly.

Figure Out the Cost

Different bakers have different ways of quoting the cost. Generally, the variables are the size of the cake, the number of slices you want or the complexity of the design that may involve multiple tiers, layers, and intricate shapes or decorations. Depending on the type of adornment, the cost of a wedding cake can vary a lot. For example, if it is simple like fruits and flowers then your florist will be able to assist quite inexpensively; however if you are talking about sugar flowers, and delicate icing, be prepared to pay through your nose. Ask specifically, if the cost quoted includes delivery but even if it is extra, entrust the job to the baker as he will be the right person to ensure it is delivered without damage.

If the cake is coming from a different city, then things get infinitely more complex and expensive. Make sure that the baker has the expertise, packing materials, transport system and insurance to back the delivery. Some venues will charge an add-on fee for cutting up the cake when the baker is not on their approved list; this could be as much as $3 a slice that when totaled up could represent a cost that you had not accounted for. If you have been paring your wedding budget by opting for tungsten wedding bands that offer really great value when compared with that crafted from gold or platinum, it would indeed be a pity to blow all the savings away on something as extravagant as a cake cutting fee.

Get Real

It can be a wonderful time looking at photos of really beautiful cakes in lifestyle magazines but you need to keep your feet firmly on the ground as far as ordering a cake for your own wedding is concerned. You need to be confident that the baker you have chosen has the capability of executing the design you have selected; sadly many of them commit beyond their capacity and the result can really be disastrous. The wondrous pictures of cakes that you see in the magazines are products that are not only the creation of master bakers but their efforts are supplemented to a great degree by food stylists and assistants working overtime to ensure that the cake looks perfect in the photo frame. So even if a cake sweats, sags, leans or drips, it is corrected before the photo is taken, and even then if it does not look as appealing, the results are subject to a lot of touchups on the computer before it is published in the magazine.

If you are going to be practical, you can certainly meet with a few expert bakers and explain the general idea of what you have found interesting. Make it a point to mention how much you are willing to shell out, and let them suggest a few options from their own portfolio. By going with something they suggest, you are ensuring that they will be comfortable in executing it; not only the baking and the decoration process but also the logistics and the all important delivery.

Author bio: David Wicks  is a wedding planner who focuses on weddings with slim budgets. Apart from designing special weddings that bring great value to the table, he also recommends to his clients, stylish yet inexpensive jewelry like tungsten wedding bands