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How to Choose the Perfect Wedding Cake

Weddings / 05.01.16

When you’re planning a wedding, the cake often gets lost in the fray. It’s a critical part of the reception, but since it can be such a small detail in a sea of so many bigger logistics, its importance might get downplayed.

If you’re currently planning your wedding, don’t put the cake off until the last minute. The fantastically talented people who bake wedding cakes can be booked months or years in advance-if you don’t contact a bakery early on, you could be out of luck. Don’t settle for a bakery/decorator because you waited too long.

Once you find your baker, he or she will want to hear exactly what you want your cake to look and taste like. That means it’s time to suss out the flavors you like, the colors you prefer, and the decorations you love before you sit down with your baker. Here’s how you can do it.

Research Extensively to Find What You Want

Browse Pinterest, bridal magazines, Instagram, and wedding planning websites to find wedding cake styles that you like. There are a million and one kinds of wedding cakes, meaning you might sort through a lot of colors, themes, and flavors. Try not to get overwhelmed. Invite input from a select group, such as two or three close friends, to help you decide.

Also, be realistic. Your cake will be edible, not Photoshopped or made of Styrofoam. If you work with a good bakery, the cake will taste delicious and look beautiful, but it might not look exactly how you pictured it in every detail.

Decide Which Theme, Colors, and Flavors You’d Like

Decision-making can be tough in all elements of wedding planning, including decisions about your cake. Ultimately, though, you have to choose the colors, decorations, and flavors of the trim, frosting, and cake layers. Understand that this will be a bit of a trial and error process over the course of several months. Your initial concept might change as your baker makes samples for you to try.

Meet With the Baker Three to Six Months in Advance

Wedding cake procrastination isn’t uncommon. With all of the logistics you need to consider, the cake often comes at the bottom of your list of priorities. Avoid a stressful crunch time by figuring out what you want in a cake six months before the wedding. While that might sound a bit far out, it gives an already busy baker time to make adjustments to your cake’s flavors, decorations, and colors.

Ask the Baker for Samples

Everyone has their own unique flavor profile. What tastes good to you might not be pleasing to your betrothed, or to anyone else for that matter. Because your wedding cake will be served to a large number of people, you want to make sure you get flavors that both you and your guests will like.

Ask your bakery for a tasting with different flavor variations of cakes/fillings and icing. Eat them with your fiancé or fiancée and one or two members of the wedding party. Once you’ve tried all of the flavor variations, communicate which you enjoyed most to your bakery.

Match the Cake to Your Wedding Theme

Since your cake will be on display throughout your reception, the way you display it is almost as important as how it tastes. Try matching your cake’s colors and decorations with your attire, a popular, new trend with young couples. If your wedding has a theme, the cake should match that as well.

You don’t want to be surprised when you and your new spouse take the first bites of your wedding cake in front of all your family and friends. To prevent a wedding cake disaster, review these tips and talk to your Park Hills, KY caterer.

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