Top tips for sourcing your wedding cake…

Morning Lovelies,
Today cake designer and owner of Cake Land; Mona is sharing her top tips for ordering your wedding cake and I hope you’ll find them useful for when you’re at the stage of sourcing your wedding cake. The best bit is probably the cake tasting… it will seriously put you in the wedding mood and you’ll probably leave on a sugar high. Bonus! 😉
And over to Mona…
Always go for a custom designed cake as opposed to a photo from pinterest. Custom designed cakes are more personal, more you, your partner and your big day!
Most weddings these days are themed and the cake is part of that theme. Things like the wedding invitation, table setup, hall decoration, …etc are designed following a certain idea and those are the items you need to be sharing with your cake decorator to inspire them.
It’s also a good idea to get your cake decorator together with your wedding planner so they can share the same vision.
Your cake decorator should be able to draw a sketch of your design which helps you get a visual of the final product. You can use it as a reference and request changes, things added or things removed.
Taste Testing
Ask your baker for a taste testing session, some bakers offer it for free, some charge you a small amount to cover their costs. Either way, knowing what you’re getting is essential for your decision.
How do you compromise on wedding cake flavors? (For example -He wants chocolate and you want vanilla)
Multi-tiered cakes make it possible to satisfy all tastes. If you’re going for 3 tiers for example you have the option to do 3 different flavours, this way you offer your guests a variety.
Now what do you do if you had a smaller cake? Easy, alternating layers or half and half are the solution.

Image credits from left to right; Lovisa Photo | Rossmoor Pastries, Sky’s The Limit Cake | Jordan Maunder Photography, Rustic White Photography.
How do you know what size cake to order?
To start with, you need to know how many guests you’re having, and secondly, what other desserts are being served at the wedding. if the cake is the only dessert, then you need to cater for a full portion per person. if there are other sweets, then the cake size is calculated at half portion.
There are standard cake size charts that are used to calculate the number of tiers required and their sizes. Your baker should be able to help you with that.
It’s important to mention here that if you want a big cake like 4 or 5 tiers but don’t have that many people for it, you can resolve to using fake tiers made from Styrofoam (or dummies as we call them) to add volume.
People usually like to go for big cakes as they emphasize the theme and mark the occasion. Fake tiers can be kept as souvenirs indefinitely as well.
I’d like my cake to be on show all day, will it last in the heat during November?
It is possible to have your cake on display all day if you’re having your wedding outdoor. however, there are a few things to watch out for:
1. Filling – you can’t have any perishable fillings as those require refrigeration
2. How hot is it? you’re ok up until 25″, anything more than that and you risk the cake melting
3. Humidity and cake don’t mix – if say you’re having a beach wedding, you’d want the event staff to keep the cake in a cooled room until you’re ready to cut it.
4. Avoid direct sun where you place the cake. a shaded are is ideal
5. Inform your cake decorator that the wedding is outdoor. It helps a lot with planning.
How much should one expect to spend on a 3 tier wedding cake?
Pricing is a tough topic, and there are a few elements that you need to be aware off so you can visualize what value you’re getting for your money.

Image credits from left to right; Roxanne Floquet, Brooke Allison, Lovisa Photography
1. How big is your cake?
The bigger the cake the more it’s going to cost that’s for sure. it’s not just more cake you’re paying for, it’s also the added complexity of structure, stacking and transport.
2. How detailed is your cake?
By detail we mean the sugar decorations: flowers, ribbons, plaques, figures, ..etc. The more detail there is the higher the cost will be
3. How skilled is the cake decorator?
Pretty much like everything, craftsmanship comes at a price.
Any suggestions for helping brides order a cake?
Do your research well ahead of time and don’t leave it until last minute. Wedding cakes are a lot of work and you want to allow enough time for your baker\decorator to come up with the best product. It also helps guarantee your spot.
Ask for recommendations, from your friends, family and wedding planner. You will not be able to contact EVERY single baker in your area and therefore it’s better to focus on a selected few.
Narrow your options down to a shortlist of bakers and work with them to get the required info (design and quote).
Once you’ve selected your baker, agreed on design, price, logistics and everything, it’s time to move on to the next item on your list, you surely have many!
Finally, Send a reminder out to the baker one week ahead to make sure everything is in order and avoid any unpleasant surprises!
For gorgeous custom made cakes email Mona at cakeland134@gmail.com or visit her Facebook page; https://www.facebook.com/CakeLand134 
Wowsers… how useful was that! And who knew ordering a cake would be so important? I guess if you’re looking for that one magical cake for your wedding day it should be pretty perfect. And I agree with Mona… always follow up with your vendors. Just in case 😉