When should you order your wedding cake?

Desserts that are both decadent and beautifully presented are essential to any successful party. Many modern couples still choose to have a traditional wedding cake, or at least a simpler confection that can be cut into for photographs, even though nontraditional sweets like doughnuts and cupcakes are becoming increasingly popular. It's important to give your baker plenty of time to create these crowd-pleasing cakes, as they can be tailored to any flavour profile or visual aesthetic. Learn the ins and outs of ordering your wedding cake here.

These past few months have yielded some truly spectacular developments in the realm of Wedding Cake. Now that cake designers are getting more inventive, picking the ideal cake for a wedding can be a real mind-bender. Since this is the case, we thought it would be helpful, in the same vein as the wedding dress buying guide, to compile a short primer on wedding cakes, covering everything from what to expect during cake tastings to what to keep in mind if you decide to bake your own.

Know Your Needs

It's a good idea to double check with the venue's manager to see if they provide catering services, as this could mean that they can also provide a wedding cake for you. However, if you find out that you have to provide your wedding cake, then you should look into local bakeries as soon as possible after choosing a date. Finding a cake shop that meets all your needs can take some time because they all have different prices, decorating styles, and flavour selections. Schedule a cake tasting session at each contender and cast your vote for the best tasting baked good if you're having trouble deciding.

Limited "Live" stock

Edible organic flowers have become increasingly popular as a wedding decoration over the past two years (I'm speaking to you from 2017 if you're reading this in the future). To put it simply, I adore them. You can use them to turn a boring wedding cake into a whimsical Enchanted Forest creation or a romantic English meadow. To create a sea of edible confetti for a barn wedding, you can apply primary-colored, pressed spring flowers to a ganache or buttercream tiered wedding cake. Crystallized fresh flowers are a thing of beauty that must not be discussed. In other words, this is becoming an increasingly common occurrence. The United Kingdom lacks a sufficient number of specialised vendors. There is a ceiling to how tall they can get. For the sake of caution, I would like to place an advance order for organic edible flowers as soon as you confirm availability. There is little I can do besides alter your design if you wait too long and all the stock is allocated.

Better creative value for money

One of my most recent orders was for a five-tier wedding cake that featured characters from Star Wars, Beauty and the Beast, Harry Potter, Shaun of the Dead, and Spider-Man all made out of white chocolate and packed quite a bit of attitude without sacrificing any elegance. The cakes I get ordered aren't always so offbeat. However, each is distinct and calls for original thought. When it comes to the imaginative side, I find that the more time I have to think freely, the more ideas I come up with.

Adapting your initial design

My wedding cakes are all made to order. After we've confirmed the details of your booking, I'll use watercolour to sketch out your cake design. So that you may form an image in your mind of what I mean. While you're putting the finishing touches on other parts of your wedding, you can look over this sketch and give it some thought. You will likely send me a message asking me to change this, alter that, add that, or take away that now that we've reached this point. Reserving your cake early gives you and the baker plenty of time to work out the kinks in the design and come up with a masterpiece. This process can take as few as two iterations or as many as ten.

Estimate Size

Cakes are typically ordered in advance of final RSVPs, so you'll need to give your baker an estimate of how many people will be attending the party. Tell your pro if you expect 150 guests. Since some partygoers likely won't eat cake at all, most bakers and carnival barkers will tell you that you can order a cake big enough to feed about 75% of your guest list. For example, if you have decided to serve a five-tiered dessert at your party, no matter how many people show up, you should probably let people know that in advance.

Place the Order

Most bakeries advise ordering a wedding cake around six months before the big day. Especially during the busiest time of the year for bakeries, like wedding season, smaller establishments often fill up quickly, so calling ahead can help you avoid disappointment. With this much lead time, you can schedule a consultation, decide on a flavour profile and finalise the design. You can be more lenient with the timeline and order your cake two or three months in advance if your wedding is taking place outside of the peak wedding season. To hold your reservation, you'll likely need to pay a non-refundable deposit of somewhere between fifty percent and a hundred percent of the total cost.

The Basics

• We have a lot of guests today; how many are they? The standard recommendation for serving 50-100 guests is three levels, so if you're expecting 200 or more, you'll probably need five levels. Adding columns in between the cake's tiers will give the impression that it's taller, making the cake appear larger.
• There is a great serving size calculator for Wilton cakes.
• What time should we place our order? The cake itself needs time to mature, and elaborate decoration takes time to properly execute, so you can place your order up to six months before the wedding. However, it is recommended that you place your cake order at least three months in advance.

Be Prepared - Do your Wedding Cake Research

• Don't feel like you have to settle for a boring white cake if that's not your style; there are plenty of alternatives. We've shown off all kinds of cakes in our articles, including those with hand-painted designs, metallic icing, soft icing, and more. Learn about different options to see what appeals to you.
• Choose a cake design that fits in with the theme of your wedding as a whole; an outdoor ceremony with handmade accents would look out of place with a huge, ornate cake.
• To ensure that your cake's colour scheme and floral accents are harmonious, it's best to schedule your florist well in advance of your cake designer. Now, a day's many brides also try to mimic their wedding gowns in their dessert tables.

Budget

• Be practical; don't let yourself feel pressured into ordering a cake that is out of your price range by not having a discussion about the budget with your baker or cake designer at the outset of the design process.
• Avoid or reduce the number of tiers, sugar flowers, moulds, and metallic finishes if cost is a concern. Fresh flowers or fruit would be a lovely, and much more affordable, alternative to artificial decorations.

Meeting the Wedding Cake Bakery

• Schedule a wedding cake tasting. The couple will visit the bakery for tastings where they can look at cakes, try different flavours, get answers to their questions, and look at the cake designer's portfolio.
• Don't forget to bring any images, swatches of fabric, flowers, or other details that have inspired you during your research, whether they be from the internet or a magazine.

Wedding Cake Flavours

• Feel free to branch out from the standard fruit cake; today's market offers a dizzying array of flavour options. Previously unpopular flavours like citrous and fruit are now as common as coffee, white chocolate, and nut.
• Light, delicate flavours are best for a spring or summer wedding, while rich, heavy cakes are more appropriate for the fall and winter months.
• Each tier could feature a unique flavour if you so choose.

Presentation & Decoration

• Be sure to give the cake you've spent so much time and effort making the proper display. Make sure the cake is displayed beautifully on a special cake table. Instead of laying it flat on a massive table and risking its loss, consider elevating it.
• Borrow, rent, or buy yourself a fantastic cake stand, especially if you'll be serving a single-tier cake.
• A stunning cake topper can transform even a simple cake into a work of art. You don't have to settle for the same old plastic figurines to top your cake when there are so many other options out there (unless you really want to). You're free to break all the rules and decorate with a bouquet of fresh flowers, a monogram of your new initials, or nothing at all. You can also commision a unique design from a cake artist if you know one.

I get asked all the time how much notice I need to give when ordering a wedding cake, so I made this handy little infographic to help you plan ahead.

Time does not affect the first five steps. Your final six steps should be completed in the final six weeks before your wedding.

So how does it all work?

Initial query

Contact The Dandelion Bakery and I'll ask for some information so I can provide a rough estimate within the first couple of days.

Quote and design phase

Cake designs have different price points, so if you can give me some idea of what you're looking for, I can give you an estimate. I can give you a range of prices if your thoughts aren't fully formed. If you want the perfect cake, I can offer suggestions and help you shape your ideas.

Again, the time it takes to get where you want to be depends on how well you know what you want. Typically, you're looking at a delay of four to twelve weeks.

Cake tasting 

You will be given a free cake sample as part of the design process. It's just as important to put some thought into the cake's flavour as it is its appearance.

Final cake design agreed

A finalised order reflecting all of your selections will be delivered to you no later than a week after the cake tasting. After that, you'll have two weeks to read it over, make any necessary changes, sign it, and send it back.

Order form signed and deposit paid: cake booked in! 

Yey! You'll be scheduled as soon as I receive the completed order form and deposit. I won't be in touch for a while. If you need to contact me, you can always send me an email, but if your plans haven't changed and you'd like to talk, the next step is.

Confirmation email sent 

We'll send you a final reminder email with an invoice for the remaining balance about six weeks before the wedding to make sure everything is in order.

Final order confirmed, and balance paid

The remaining balance is due no later than four weeks before the wedding date. Because of this, further adjustments are out of the question.

Supplies ordered

When the final payment is received, I will place my order. Every cake has its own unique set of requirements, from the ribbon to the specific moulds and tools needed to achieve the perfect look.

I'll also get to work on any elaborate decorations, such as sugar flowers, that you're planning to use.

Venue and other suppliers contacted to confirm details 

At least two weeks before the big day, I'll make sure everything is set up and ready to go at the venue. I will also contact your florist and any other vendors who need to know if you're using fresh flowers for the cake.

Bake and decorate 

I usually begin working on the cake three to four days before the big day. To guarantee maximum freshness, I bake cakes as close to the actual event as I can; naked cakes in particular are baked much later than those with a fondant icing.

Cake delivery and set up - the wedding day! 

I will deliver, set up, and decorate your cake at the time agreed upon by the venue.

It's recommended that you place your order at least three months before your wedding, as the production time can range from three to six months. You can place your order much further in advance—I accept bookings up to 24 months in advance—but if you want some breathing room before the big day, shoot for at least six months.

Adding extra touches

A cake can go from lovely to spectacular with the help of the right cake stand and "mise en scene" (staging/styling), such as a "tier" of flowers between the cake, the stand, and the table. Add-ons, like a special cake stand for the wedding dessert table. It takes time and an idea of what your cake will look like in order to source and purchase your props at the best price. Like me, your cake baker may not keep a large supply of these items in stock if you want to rent them out, especially if you're looking for something unique like a brocante from France. Those who arrive first will have their pick of the best options.

One last tip

Booking in advance does not necessitate paying for your cake in full at the time of booking. The specifics of this are subject to the policies of your chosen cake maker. I only require a small down payment, with the remainder due on or before the big day. My "save the date" option for weddings booked more than a year in advance. You can reserve the date now, giving yourself plenty of time to decide on the cake's flavour and decorate it to your liking.

Conclusion

For their wedding, many people still opt for the classic tiered cake, or at least a less complicated dessert that can be easily cut for pictures. Doughnuts and cupcakes, which are not the traditional kind of dessert, are gaining in popularity. Provide your baker with plenty of notice to ensure delicious, eye-catching cakes. The use of organic, edible flowers in wedding decor has been on the rise. Make your wedding cake look like something out of an Enchanted Forest with their help.

Most of the time, the clients who order cakes from me don't have particularly unique tastes. Although they may seem similar at first glance, each requires a unique approach. Ordering a wedding cake early is essential, as most bakeries recommend doing so at least six months in advance. With this much time to spare, you'll have plenty of time to schedule a consultation and settle on a final design. If your wedding is taking place outside of the typical wedding season, you have a little more leeway in terms of timing and can order your cake two or three months in advance.

At a wedding for 200 guests, you'll want to use at least five levels of seating. A huge, ornate cake would be out of place at an outdoor ceremony with handmade accents. Remember to bring any visuals, fabric samples, flowers, or other research findings that particularly stood out to you.

Content Summary

• Learn the ins and outs of ordering your wedding cake here.
• Now that cake designers are getting more inventive, picking the ideal cake for a wedding can be a real mind-bender.
• Since this is the case, we thought it would be helpful, in the same vein as the wedding dress buying guide, to compile a short primer on wedding cakes, covering everything from what to expect during cake tastings to what to keep in mind if you decide to bake your own.
• Finding a cake shop that meets all your needs can take some time because they all have different prices, decorating styles, and flavour selections.
• For the sake of caution, I would like to place an advance order for organic edible flowers as soon as you confirm availability.
• Adapting your initial designMy wedding cakes are all made to order.
• After we've confirmed the details of your booking, I'll use watercolour to sketch out your cake design.
• Reserving your cake early gives you and the baker plenty of time to work out the kinks in the design and come up with a masterpiece.
• Cakes are typically ordered in advance of final RSVPs, so you'll need to give your baker an estimate of how many people will be attending the party.
• Tell your pro if you expect 150 guests.
• Most bakeries advise ordering a wedding cake around six months before the big day.
• You can be more lenient with the timeline and order your cake two or three months in advance if your wedding is taking place outside of the peak wedding season.
• The cake itself needs time to mature, and elaborate decoration takes time to properly execute, so you can place your order up to six months before the wedding.
• However, it is recommended that you place your cake order at least three months in advance.
• Be practical; don't let yourself feel pressured into ordering a cake that is out of your price range by not having a discussion about the budget with your baker or cake designer at the outset of the design process.