Ensure your wedding cake rises to the occasion

WHEN it comes to choosing the perfect cake for your big day, it’s best to wait until other major decisions have already been made, particularly your chosen colour scheme.

Many couples like to use the colour scheme of their day, including the bridesmaid dresses and bouquets, as a guide to the design of the wedding cake.

These elements can serve as a blueprint for the overall look and structure of your wedding cake. Now is the time to decide whether you want delicate handcrafted sugarflowers, moulded shapes or icing ribbons.

Don’t forget to bring along some colour swatches and ribbon to give your confectioner a good idea of the colour scheme you have in mind.

Check out papers and magazines for ideas on the style of cake you would like.

Choose a cake that’s compatible with the style of the venue, the season, the dresses and the flower arrangements.

Decide on the size and type of cake you would like; while many people opt for a traditional two or three tier creation a popular trend in recent years has seen cupcakes arranged artistically to form one piece or a cake made from profiteroles allowing guests to help themselves. While the traditional wedding cake was made with a traditional fruit cake recipe, nowadays there are a huge range of flavours and fillings available.

From chocolate biscuit cake to sponge, traditional fruit cake to meringue, the choices are endless.

Consider the cost; the more intricate the design and the more complicated the cake, based on intricate decorations or hard to find fillings, the more expensive the pricetag will be.

Consider garnishing the cake with seasonal flowers and fruit for an elegant but less expensive effect.