Your wedding cake should be one of the stars of your big day. After all, a lot of time and effort will go into finding the right bakery, choosing the perfect flavor combinations, and settling on a stylish design. But there’s many a slip that can befall a couple when choosing their wedding cake. Naturally, you go into the planning process with some definite ideas about what you want in a wedding cake. But sometimes, those ideas can lead you astray, and can result in a wedding cake disaster that could mar an otherwise beautiful day. So, before you start shopping for a wedding cake, consider these simple tips to help you avoid any potential wedding day disasters.
Color Combinations
Chances are, you have chosen a color theme for your wedding, and naturally you will want your cake to reflect that theme. But there are a couple of important points to consider when choosing the colors for your wedding cake. First, you must make your color choices clear to your baker. Ideally, you want to bring color swatches with you, so they can be matched by the baker. Mixing food coloring is an art, and a good baker will need specific information in order to deliver the color scheme you desire. Bring along samples of the colors you want, and ask your baker if they can be matched.
Colors to Avoid
When choosing the color scheme for you wedding cake, keep in mind that there are certain colors to avoid. Some food coloring tends to stain everything they come in contact with, and at a wedding there is nothing quite as embarrassing as a bridal party with bright blue tongues and stained fingers and clothing. The chief offenders are bright colors like Royal Blue, Purple, and Hot Pink. Work with your baker, and ask what colors tend to leave stains and put them on the list to avoid.
Family Recipes
While it’s always tempting to want to highlight a family recipe, when it comes to your wedding cake it is a definite no no. First, it is unlikely that your baker will be able to match the recipe exactly, and you run the risk of being disappointed with end product. Second, and most importantly, that favorite cake recipe may simply not be suitable for building a multi-tiered cake. Trust your baker, and let them suggest a recipe that delivers the flavor you want, with the heft needed to construct a stable wedding cake.
Flavor Combinations
When it comes to choosing the flavor combinations for your wedding cake, let your taste be the guide. Don’t let yourselves get hung up on what your guests may, or may not, enjoy. This is your big day, and you should have the cake you want. Don’t worry if you are choosing a flavor profile that Great Aunt Florry won’t like.
Trust Your Baker
Once you have settled on a bakery, and have reviewed designs and flavor profiles, let your baker do their job. Don’t second guess every decision the baker makes. Certainly, you want to provide input, and you want to receive the cake of your dreams. But if you have chosen a reputable baker, they should know their job. If you constantly micromanage, you will only end up with a disappointing wedding cake.
Keep it Simple
It’s not unusual for couples to want to go overboard with their wedding cake design, but be careful. Let your baker be your guide. The more extravagant you get with your cake’s design, the more chances there are for something to go wrong. Don’t try to incorporate too many elements into your cakes design. Remember, less is always more, and you don’t want to end up with a cake that is so clutter with design elements that it becomes an embarrassment.
Have Your Cake Delivered
Finally, always have your cake delivered. Even if there is an extra charge for delivery, always have your cake delivered. The bakery has experience getting cakes safely to their destination, and you don’t want to suffer any last minute cake disasters. If a friend or family member picks up your wedding cake, and it is damaged in transport, they’re going to feel mortified and you are not going to have a cake for the reception. Always have your cake delivered.
Cutting the wedding cake should be one of the highlights of your wedding reception, and you want that cake to be everything it can be. That being said, it is all to easy to suffer a wedding cake disaster that mars the big day. These few tips should help you avoid any wedding cake disasters, and ensure that your wedding cake is hit with you and your guests.
