** fEATURED POST FROM: BRIDALMUSINGS.COM **
TOP 5 TIPS ON HOW TO CHOOSE YOUR WEDDING CAKE
If you have a sweet tooth and an appreciation for creative confectionary, choosing your wedding cake is likely to be one of your favourite parts of wedding planning.
However, it can be a deceptively tricky task. There’s a whole host of things to consider, including the design, the flavour(s), portion size and, of course, your wedding budget.
As a bride I remember being quite shocked by the price of wedding cakes when I first starting contacting bakers for quotes. But throughout the design process, I began to realise just how much time, talent and hard work goes into each and every cake. Especially bespoke wedding cakes and cakes with intricate designs.
(Sugar paste flowers so realistic you want to smell them, anyone?!)
photo by Caro Hutchings Photography
So I’m thrilled to welcome our latest expert contributor, London based cake designer Asma of The Sugared Saffron Cake Company, who is sharing her top tips on choosing your wedding cake.
Asma’s wedding cakes are modern, fresh, beautiful and a little playful – just like her writing style (as you’ll discover below).
And, after seeing these photos, I’m sure you’ll agree that The Sugared Saffron Cake Company don’t simply create wedding cakes but works of art!
THINK ABOUT YOUR DESIGN
If you already have a design that you’ve had in your head for years, chances are someone has already got there first. Sorry, but it’s actually a good thing!
Try searching on Pinterest and google for your cake keywords and see if you can find a vision. Get your cake designer to mix it up and create something original.
photos of rockabilly cake by Martin Hobby Photography
BE HONEST ABOUT YOUR BUDGET
It really is important that you trust your cake designer enough that you tell them your real budget. Real! There are lots of ways to translate blush pink peonies and lace into a wedding cake, and letting your designer know means they can work on ideas that are actually realistic. (And they won’t try to wring you for every penny, I promise.)
If you’re on a tight budget, think about having an oversized statement sugar flower or blocks of colour, rather than piped lace or a floral cascade.
photos of ranunculus wedding cake and dessert table by Caro Hutchings Photography
PORTIONS DICTATE SIZE
It’s not the other way around, the number of people you need to serve is more important than the number of tiers you think your cake should have. If your number is on the low side you can make it up with dummy tiers, but bear in mind that they aren’t free, and a 5 tier cake at a wedding with 40 people will probably result in a few awkward stares.
(Here’s a handy cake portion guide.)
MAKE SURE YOU LIKE THEIR STYLE
Cake designers have styles too! If you are looking for an ombre cake with an extended/double barrel tier, chances are you shouldn’t go looking for someone who still uses pillars and stairways.
The same goes for buttercream vs fondant, some designers are happy to work with both, but you’re much better off finding someone who works with the medium you want for your cake.
photo by Claire Graham
YOU GET WHAT YOU PAY FOR
If you want to save money, try to be flexible with your designs. But if you’re really keen on being featured on cakewrecks, and you don’t mind being embarrassed by a badly made cake, you can find some hilarious prices online.
As the saying goes, ‘cheap cake ain’t good, good cake ain’t cheap’.
