The Dream Wedding Cake Guide: Wedding cake guide
The Dream Wedding Cake Guide: Blooms, Crumbs & Design Decisions
Wedding cake guide
The Bloom & Crumb Dream Wedding Cake Guide is here, and it’s been designed as your sweet one-stop shop to help you on your way to a cake that both looks and tastes phenomenal. I always end a consultation with a couple by asking two questions: ‘What is the most important thing about your wedding cake?’ and ‘What are you most concerned about with your wedding cake?’. Years’ worth of answers have now gone into this wedding cake guide, taking all of the guesswork out of the most important cake you’ll ever buy.
The Look
Many of my couples get quite hung up on how their cake should look, so I’ve answered all their common concerns in this first section of the Dream Wedding Cake Guide. Remember, the magic really happens when you put your trust in me to get creative.
“What if we don’t have a clue what design we want for our cake?”
My couples often worry that they haven’t been able to come up with any ideas for their cake design when they come to me, but I always tell them this: it’s not your job to craft a beautiful cake, it’s mine! Whether you have a Pinterest board full of ideas or you need me to get the creative juices flowing, I’ve got you.
“How do you come up with our cake design?”
During our consultation, I’ll tease out all the little things I need to know to design your perfect cake, but it’ll feel like a fun chat rather than an interview. I take into consideration things like your colour scheme (more on that below), the aesthetic of your wedding and you as individuals and a couple, creating something that is always chic and elegant but completely bespoke to you.
“How do we incorporate our wedding colour scheme into the cake?”
If you have a specific colour palette for your wedding this is a good starting point for the cake design, but colours will be incorporated subtly and tastefully so that your cake feels like one part of a cohesive whole*. If you have a lot of metallics in a specific colour I can include nods to that within your cake, or hand-painted elements with your accent shades.
*Take a look at my recent blog on how we can ensure your wedding cake sits seamlessly alongside every other element of your wedding
“What sort of cakes do you recommend for different styles of wedding?”
The overall aesthetic of your wedding is a big factor in designing your cake, and it will look so much more elevated and in keeping if it is appropriately styled. For example, if your wedding is simpler in design I might recommend a wedding cake with deckled edges and texture, rather than something clean and crisp. If you have gone for more lavish wedding decor or impactful florals, I’d recommend something totally different!
“How should we choose the height of our wedding cake?”
While the height of your cake is somewhat dictated by your guest numbers and therefore quantity of cake required, I also take into consideration both your venue and your height. Many couples still include ‘cutting the cake’ as a special moment during their wedding day, so you’re likely to end up with photos of the two of you with your cake. If one or both of you are very tall or short, designing a cake that is proportionate is important so that neither you nor the cake stands out for the wrong reasons in those all-important pictures.
The Taste
Next up in this wedding cake guide is the taste, which many of my couples may argue is the most important part. The people I make wedding cakes for tend to be big foodies with a sweet tooth (just like me), so I know how much of a difference great flavours can make. A wedding cake isn’t just to be looked at, it’s to be enjoyed in every sense of the word.
“Can we pick our flavours?”
Yes, yes and YES! This is one of the most fun parts, and if you’re already eager you can have a look at my flavour menu here. Choose your own flavours and order them in a sample box, which is easy to customise, pay for and track online. Spending a few special moments together at home sampling your wedding cake flavours can be a surprisingly intimate and treasured memory, and you’ll get a few extra little treats inside.
“Can we have different flavours on each tier?”
I really encourage this, yes. This is probably going to be the biggest cake you’ll ever have, so why not really go to town to make it your dream cake? Choose your favourite flavours, crowd-pleasers or unusual combinations, and I’ll help guide you as to which one should go on which tier. I generally say that your top tier is nice as a nod to something meaningful between the two of you, and I’ll ask about this during your consultation.
“Do you have specific allergen-friendly flavours?”
I have special menus for vegan and low-gluten cake flavour options, each with 5 different choices. They are allergen-friendly versions of some of my most popular main menu flavours. Take a look at the menu here.
The Details
So, it’s going to look and taste great - we’ve got that covered. I also get a lot of questions about serving the cake, saving tiers and dealing with guests with other allergies or intolerances. This section of the wedding cake guide is dedicated to the details, so you won’t have to worry about a single cake-related thing on the big day.
“When should we serve the cake?”
I recommend waiting until later in the evening and serving alongside the evening food, as this tends to be a natural time for people to be ready for it. Don’t leave it so late that guests start trickling out, and don’t serve too quickly after the main meal otherwise, you might find they’re not hungry for it.
“How many guests should we serve with our cake?”
80% of your wedding guests should be accounted for in your cake servings, as a general guideline. The sweet spot is to have just enough left over that you can save some if you want to, but not so much that you’re wondering what to do with it all.
“Can we/should we save a tier? Do people still do that?”
It was always traditional to save a tier of classic fruit wedding cake, but many of my couples are unsure whether they can do the same with contemporary sponge variations. The answer is yes, you can, and if you’d like to save some to enjoy on your wedding anniversary that’s absolutely possible. Rather than saving a whole tier, why not take a chunk of each flavour and store to revisit? Your wedding cake will save for up to a year in the freezer if wrapped well in cling film and sealed inside a zip lock bag.
“What do you recommend for guests with allergies?”
As I mentioned above, I do have specific low-gluten and vegan cake flavours. However, if your guests have specific allergies or intolerances we need to be a little more careful. I often recommend a separate box of cupcakes to go alongside your wedding cake, helping to minimise the risk of cross-contamination. You can ask me about specific instances and I’ll help guide you in the right direction, so as many people as possible can enjoy something delicious on your wedding day.
The Display
Finally, displaying your wedding cake is something I am often asked about. It’s the last but definitely not least important section of the wedding cake guide, and can really make a difference to how impactful and noticeable your cake is on the day.
“Where and how should we best display our wedding cake?”
When I come to set up and install your wedding cake, I recommend putting it somewhere in the direct line of vision of your guests. Near to where you will be seated is a lovely idea, because it helps guests remember that it’s there and get excited about eating it later. It’s also important to think about displaying it in an aesthetically pleasing area - no air conditioning units or fire extinguishers directly behind it, please!
“Can we use flowers and other bits of decor on our cake display?”
Repurposing florals is a great way to make something a little bit more of your cake and the cutting moment, and aisle runners or fireplace pieces can often be used for this purpose. Remember that some flowers are toxic if ingested and so should never be put on a cake, so please check with your florist and/or me first.
I suggest bookmarking this page to use as a reference point throughout your cake journey, and just in case I’ve missed anything you’ll find more information about my process and where I’m available on my FAQs page. If you’re ready to go from reading about your dream wedding cake to making it a reality, get in touch to begin.
