Decadent, beautifully presented desserts are a key part of any celebration, especially weddings. While some couples opt for non-traditional treats like doughnuts or cupcakes, the traditional wedding cake remains a beloved choice.
Whether you're sticking with tradition or adding your personal touch, giving your baker plenty of time to create a stunning, flavorful wedding cake is essential. This guide'll walk you through the key steps to ordering your perfect cake, ensuring your dessert table is as special as your big day.
Let’s get straight to the point
Ordering the perfect wedding cake requires careful planning and time. Start by determining if your venue provides a cake or if you'll need to order from a local bakery.
Begin researching bakeries as soon as you set your date, and schedule tastings to find the right flavour and design. The cake should match your wedding theme, with options for personalised designs, such as edible flowers or custom toppers.
Most bakeries recommend ordering your cake six months in advance, especially for peak wedding season. Budget considerations include limiting tiers or opting for simpler decorations.
After finalising the design and flavour, confirm details and ensure the cake’s delivery and setup on the wedding day are coordinated with your venue and florist. Starting early gives you time for revisions and ensures a beautiful, delicious cake that becomes a memorable part of your special day.
Wedding Cake Needs
The first step in ordering your wedding cake is determining whether your venue provides one as part of its catering services. Some venues may include this in their packages, simplifying the process for you. However, if you must provide your cake, it's important to begin your search for a local bakery as soon as you've set your wedding date.
Steps for Finding the Right Bakery:
- Research Local Bakeries: Look into local cake shops that specialise in wedding cakes. Consider their style, pricing, and the range of flavours they offer.
- Schedule Tastings: Once you’ve narrowed your options, schedule tastings with each bakery. This allows you to sample their cakes and decide which flavour and texture best suit your taste.
- Vote for Your Favorite: After tasting several cakes, choose the bakery that meets your needs in terms of taste and design.
By following these steps, you’ll be able to find the perfect bakery that aligns with your vision.
Designing Your Dream Cake
When it comes to wedding cakes, the options are virtually limitless. Whether you're looking for a simple, elegant design or something more extravagant, having a clear idea of your preferences will help the baker bring your vision to life.
Creative Cake Designs
Bakers today are more creative than ever, offering cakes that can feature anything from hand-painted designs to metallic finishes. If you’re into whimsical designs, you might opt for edible organic flowers that can transform your cake into a scene from an enchanted forest. Alternatively, you can add personal elements, like characters from your favourite movies or even replicate details from your wedding gown.
Here’s how to start designing your cake:
- Brainstorm Early: Provide your baker with design inspirations as early as possible. This might include photos, sketches, or colour schemes you want to incorporate.
- Personalise Your Design: Customize the design to reflect your style, whether traditional elegance or quirky, fun themes.
- Allow Time for Revisions: Give yourself and your baker enough time to make revisions as needed. Your initial design might undergo a few iterations before you settle on the final masterpiece.
Estimating the Size of Your Cake
Estimating how many guests you’ll have at your wedding is important so your baker can create a cake large enough to serve everyone. Most bakers recommend ordering a cake that serves about 75% of your guest list, as not everyone will eat cake. For example, if you expect 150 guests, a cake that serves 110-120 people should suffice.
To break it down:
- Three tiers: For 50-100 guests.
- Five tiers: For 200 or more guests.
The number of tiers also affects the cake's visual impact, especially if you're looking to make a statement.
When to Place Your Wedding Cake Order
Timing is everything when it comes to wedding cakes. Most bakeries recommend placing your order around six months before your wedding, particularly if you’re planning a wedding during peak season. This timeline allows enough time for consultations, tastings, and design revisions. However, if your wedding falls outside the busy season, you may be able to place your order two to three months in advance.
Order Timeline:
- Six months in advance: Ideal for weddings during peak season.
- Two to three months in advance: Weddings outside the peak season are acceptable.
- Booking early: If you’ve set your wedding date far in advance, you can book your cake 12-24 months in advance.
Important Factors to Consider Before Placing Your Cake Order
Budgeting for Your Cake
Before designing, it’s important to have a clear budget in mind. Wedding cakes can vary greatly in price, depending on factors such as the number of tiers, the complexity of the design, and any extra decorations like sugar flowers or metallic finishes.
Tips for keeping your cake within budget:
- Limit the number of tiers: Opt for a smaller cake if necessary.
- Use fresh flowers or fruit: These decorations are typically more affordable than sugar flowers or fondant accents.
- Simplify the design: Elaborate details such as intricate moulds or hand-painted elements can increase costs.
Scheduling a Cake Tasting
Cake tastings are a fun part of wedding planning and a vital step. During the tasting, you’ll sample different flavours and decide on your cake's taste profile. Here are a few tips to make the most of your tasting:
- Bring Inspiration: Whether it’s a photo of your wedding dress, flowers, or fabric swatches, share your inspirations with the baker so they can match your cake to the overall theme.
- Consider Seasonal Flavors: Lighter flavours work well for spring and summer weddings, while richer options are ideal for fall and winter events.
- Mix and Match: Don’t feel limited to one flavour—each cake tier can feature a different flavour, catering to various preferences among your guests.
Wedding Cake Flavors and Customisation
Gone are the days when fruit cake was the only option for wedding cakes. Today’s couples have a wide variety of flavours, allowing them to cater to their guests’ tastes while adding a personal touch.
Popular Cake Flavors:
- Classic vanilla: A timeless choice that pairs well with various fillings.
- Chocolate: A decadent option for those who love rich flavours.
- Citrus and fruit: Lighter options are perfect for warm-weather weddings.
- Coffee and nut: Rich flavours ideal for fall and winter weddings.
Consider offering different flavours for each tier to provide your guests with variety.
Presentation and Decoration
Your cake should be the centrepiece of your dessert table, and how it’s displayed is just as important as the cake itself. To ensure your cake is shown off to its full potential, consider the following tips for presentation:
- Elevate the Cake: Use a cake stand to give your cake some height and make it stand out.
- Decorate the Cake Table: Add fresh flowers or other decorations around the cake to enhance its look.
- Choose a Unique Cake Topper: Instead of traditional figurines, opt for a personalized cake topper, such as a monogram or fresh flower arrangement.
Final Preparations: From Order to Delivery
Once you’ve finalized the design and placed your order, there are still a few steps to ensure everything goes smoothly before your wedding day.
Finalising the Order:
- Confirm Details: Double-check all aspects of the cake order, including the design, flavours, and delivery arrangements. Most bakers will require final confirmation about six weeks before the wedding.
- Pay the Balance: Final payments are due four weeks before the big day.
- Coordinate with Other Vendors: If you’re using fresh flowers or additional decorations, make sure your baker is in contact with your florist and venue to coordinate the cake’s setup.
Cake Delivery and Setup
Your baker will deliver and set up your cake at the venue on the wedding day. This ensures that the cake is transported safely and is displayed beautifully when it arrives. It’s best to schedule the cake delivery close to the ceremony to ensure maximum freshness.
Conclusion
Ordering your wedding cake may seem daunting, but with careful planning, it can be an enjoyable and creative process. From selecting the right bakery and flavour to designing a cake that fits your theme, following these steps will ensure you have a cake that tastes amazing and looks incredible on your big day. Just remember, starting the process early gives you ample time to perfect every detail and avoid any last-minute surprises.
Whether you're opting for a traditional tiered cake or a more modern take on wedding desserts, giving your baker enough time and working through the details methodically will ensure that your wedding cake is a show-stopping centrepiece that delights your guests.
FAQs About Wedding Cake
Cakes for during the week (Tuesday – Thursday) are recommended to be placed 4-7 days in advance. Weddings – We recommend that you book a consultation in 3-6 months before your wedding date.
By ordering two days in advance, your Costco bakery can ensure you'll be able to get exactly what you want. What is this? When you're placing an order for your Costco cake, you'll be able to choose your cake's size, custom design, and pick-up date and time.
Yes, Costco is a warehouse store, and yes, its bakery churns out countless loaves of breads, cookies, cakes, and other baked goods each day, but just because you can theoretically show up and buy hundreds of bagels and croissants the morning of your next big event, doesn't mean you should.
As a more decadent alternative to vanilla, the chocolate cake also reigns supreme at weddings. The indulgent dessert is often complemented with buttercream, caramel, or raspberry. Toce says that chocolate cake with raspberry mousse is easily their most requested delicacy.
A traditional wedding cake has three tiers, and each tier of a wedding cake has its significance. Tradition has it that the bottom tier is for eating at the ceremony, the middle tier is for distributing after the event, and the top tier is saved.