This seems like a simple question, but there are many variables to consider when planning
and pricing a wedding cake.
Your wish is that your wedding day is full of magical memories – the dress, the venue, the
ceremony, and the cake. In fact, the cake is a central part of the proceedings and another
perfect opportunity to wow and delight your family and friends.
Once you have exchanged your vows and enjoyed the wedding breakfast, then the party can
begin. With the formalities over, your guests, some of whom may not have seen each other
in years, get together to dance, laugh and have a good catch-up. With the reception in full
swing, traditionally, cutting the cake brings the wedding party back together to celebrate
with the newlywed couple.
As you symbolically cut and share your cake, you also share your love and sense of unity
with all present. At this point, you become the focus of attention once again, and so you
want your cake, the centrepiece, to be a talking point for years to come—a lasting memory
of a fantastic day.
What makes a showstopping cake?
A cake that includes personal touches, such as elements from the wedding dress details,
hand-dyed silk ribbon to trim the cake or bespoke royal iced decorations, creates that
feeling of tailor-made luxury.
It goes without saying that the more detailed and intricate the design of your cake, the more
hours it will take, thus impacting costs.
A cake that tastes as delicious as it looks: how about a pink champagne sponge filled with
fresh strawberry Swiss meringue buttercream, pistachio and lime or even a tiramisu cake?
Similarly, a luxury cake company will bake from scratch, using the finest quality ingredients
rather than a shop-bought sponge or packet mix, and this, of course, takes a lot more time
and resources, not only in the baking but in the research to create the perfect cake and
ultimately will be more expensive but believe me, it will be so worth it!
What kind of flavours do you want?
I love vanilla, but even a really good vanilla sponge isn’t as memorable as a pistachio and
lime.
Or how about a blond fudge cake layered with caramel buttercream, homemade caramel
sauce and fudge pieces or even a tiramisu cake?
Out-of-the-ordinary flavours will add cost, and when cake designers bake from scratch
instead of using box mixes and shop-bought fillings, this will also have a cost implication.
However, there is no comparison between a shop-bought sponge and something crafted
with care in an artisan setting. Your centrepiece has to taste as good as it looks.
How large a wedding cake do you want?
Smaller, intimate weddings may only require a petite cake in terms of portions for your
guests, but you may still wish to impress your wedding party with a grand centrepiece.
This is where ‘dummy’ tiers come in. They can create the illusion of size, giving you the look
of the statement piece you want. Alternatively, there are reusable cake stands and plinths
that can add originality to your design, providing a more economical and eco-friendly way to
achieve a cake of impressive proportions.
It is, therefore, important in the planning stages when deciding on your cake budget to
realise the amount of time, effort and craft that goes into creating a spectacular bespoke
wedding cake and to bear in mind that the quality of ingredients used by a luxury cake
supplier will be of a much higher standard than many less expensive cake makers use.
Be realistic about what your budget is in terms of getting the cake of your dreams, and
understand that if you want this level of perfection, you may need to stretch the budget a
little further.
Will you decorate your cake with fresh flowers or sugar flowers?
This a controversial point for some. Many fresh flowers are toxic and should not be placed
on a cake for fear of contamination.
I have placed beautiful arrangements of fresh flowers on cakes in the height of summer,
only to watch them wilt before my eyes. When you think about how long the cake is out
before the photographs are taken, wilted flowers don’t do the florist or the cake designer
any favours. Who wants a photo of themselves cutting a cake with sad flowers on it?
Your other option is sugar flowers. I love making these.
They are always food-safe and can be made to match your bouquet. These can take days to
make and last for decades after your wedding, so they are a wonderful keepsake of your
day. When you are paying for your sugar flowers, you are paying for a high level of skill.
When planning your wedding, the wedding cake can be a sizeable part of the
budget, but my question is, how much are memories worth to you?
Cakes are hand-crafted items. Your cake designer may have invested
thousands of pounds and hundreds of hours so that they can create the
perfect centrepiece that you and your guests will love and talk about for years
to come.
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