“Budget, in these times, is the No. 1 consideration” of brides, says cake and floral expert Joni Van Dyke of Sweet Cakes & Roses at Arbor Hall in Omaha. “There are so many pieces to the puzzle. If you can't be economical on every level, you can spend way more than you can afford for your wedding.”

Generally, the more time-intensive a cake is to make, the more it will cost. Adding flavors, tiers or even changing the shape from round to square can increase the cost. Heavy use of fondant icing or sugar flowers can bump the price, as can custom colors if the decorator charges for hand coloring.

Taste, however, is one area where you shouldn't be frugal. “No one should ever sacrifice on flavor,” says Cheryl Kleinman of Cheryl Kleinman Cakes in New York. “The cake should always taste really, really good.” She suggests ordering a small, tastefully decorated two- or three-tiered cake for photographs, then sheet cakes to serve to guests. This way, you won't have to skimp on ingredients.

“The money should go into having a great-tasting cake,” Kleinman advises. “Lower-end bakers aren't using the best ingredients, but the high-end ones are, even ingredients on an organic level.”

Van Dyke concurs. “Absolutely, there are some bad bakers. You gotta put some love in your cake in order for it to taste good.” At her cake gallery, there's a tasting every time a bride walks through the door. “We always have samples of vanilla, chocolate and strawberry cake,” plus a specialty flavor like lemon, caramel or Kahlua. Chocolate fudge cake with homemade butter cream frosting is the gallery's best-seller.

Your guests, experts agree, will remember the taste of world-class chocolate more than they will the intricate details of the sugar flowers. Plus, it's not going to last forever — you're going to end up eating it anyway.

This article includes information from CTW Features.

Style Details

If a five-tier cake with multiple flavors and sugar flowers isn't in your preferred price range, there are ways to preserve the “wow” factor and still have a cake you love.

— See your baker when you have decided on the style of wedding you're having, your colors, the reception venue and your flowers. This will be a starting point for your cake designer.

— Details like flowers, embossing, overlays or decals can be time-consuming and expensive. An option is to order a cake with smooth icing and embellish on your own with fresh or silk flowers and ribbon at the base of each tier. Buttercream monograms, dots and swirls also are inexpensive ways to dress up a cake.

— Some elements, such as shape and height, can double your bill immediately. One trick is to order a fully decorated multi-tier cake that incorporates foam layers for effect. The topper, made from real cake, can be saved for your first wedding anniversary; the bottom cake layer can be served at your reception. Sheet cakes can accommodate the balance. Opt for homemade buttercream frosting. The taste often surpasses pricier fondant.

— Don't worry about pleasing others. It's impossible for any cake to be wrong.

Trends

Blue icing. Requests are up for icy tints, as well as darker purple-blue tints for roses and other flowers.

Simplicity.

Cakes are streamlined and elegant but may be unusual in shape. (Square and octagonal tiers have been popular at Sweet Cakes & Roses). Tiers are stacked, with no lift between the layers.

Tints.

Champagne, gold and taupe take the starkness out of white icing and are haute for 2010.

Source: Sweet Cakes & Roses

« Wedding Essentials

Share