A Guide to Choosing and Booking the Perfect Wedding Cake

Choosing the right wedding cake maker is an important decision for any couple planning their wedding. Not only is the cake a focal point of the reception, but it’s also a tasty treat that your guests will no doubt look forward to tasting. 

With so many options available, it can be overwhelming to choose the right baker and design for your cake and to know key information such as how far in advance should you order your cake, how much do you order and how to know how many tiers to have.

In this blog I’ll take you through the process of choosing and booking your wedding cake to choosing the perfect design. Whether you are looking for a traditional white wedding cake or something more unique, we’ll help to ensure your cake is not only beautiful but also delicious.

Are you having a wedding cake?

Not a fan of fruitcake? Perhaps you are someone who is sick of sponge and the thought of having a dessert you won’t enjoy at your wedding just isn’t for you. Don’t worry there’s some amazing alternatives to inspire you and get your and your guests mouths watering. From savoury wedding cake alternatives such as towers of cheese to pork pie towers to something much more sweet such as macaroon towers or a brownie stack. Who says wedding cake has to be made from cake? 

What portion of your budget is for your wedding cake?

Shopping for your wedding cake is for sure one of the most enjoyable things on your wedding planning to do list – but how much does it even all cost? 

There can be a lot of variation depending on the kind of cake you’d like, the design and complexity of any styling and finishing and flavours too. There’s no right answer to how much to spend or reserve in your wedding budget for your wedding cake – if you are wanting your cake to play a bigger role in your décor or overall wedding day it may be nice to allocate more of your budget for your cake.

Things that can affect the cost include:

• Size of cake
• Intricacy of your design
• Where the cake designer is based – will they need to transport your cake to your venue and set it up?
• Any special ingredients or flavours

Design details aside, the type of cake you choose will make a difference too. Will you be opting for a vanilla sponge, or do you want multiple different flavours? Fruitcake or cakes containing premium flavours such as champagne or liquors would be more expensive than a sponge style cake.

The more tiers you have and the more complex the design the more the cake is likely to cost you. Do you actually want something a little different where your cake is made up of lots of smaller cupcakes? Are you going to stay with a round shape or do you want to look at alternatives like oval or square? There are lots of things to consider when it comes to style and design. Simple and minimalistic can look clean and elegant, but bright and colourful can be fun and create a focal point at the wedding reception.  Pinterest and Instagram can really help you start to collect inspiration on the kind of cake you and your partner may want to order.

Your cake should be ordered at least 6 months before the wedding, if not more. This gives the baker enough time to devote to designing and making your cake. Once you’ve decided on the style and size of your cake, it’s essential that you get everything in writing so that there are no issues afterwards.

Here’s a handy list of the things that should go into your wedding cake order form or contract:

• The type of cake – your order should clearly state the kind and style of wedding cake you have chosen. If you are having a shaped cake, write down the exact shape or design that you have requested.
• Cake tiers – List how many tiers the cake will have and specify what flavour each tier will be
• Decorations – have a little description of any decorations that will be going on the cake and specifically any cake topper and who will be supplying this
• Date/Time/Location – ensure all of this key information is clearly listed on the form, including where at the reception you’d like your cake to be displayed.
• Exact cost – including any charges for pillars, delivery and set up and any additional extras that you may want. If the deposit has been paid, ensure that the remaining balance is correct.