DON’T CHOOSE YOUR WEDDING CAKE BEFORE READING THIS FIRST. THE MORE INFORMED YOU ARE, THE BETTER YOUR DECISIONS WILL BE…
Here are our tips to help you pick your perfect cake…
Picking your cake style should be last on the list
Commit to your cake after you’ve chosen your dress and the reception décor has been made. These elements can serve as a style guide for the design and structure of your wedding cake. Choose a cake that fits with your venue, the season, your gown, the flower arrangements or the menu. If you want colourful accents (such as sugar flowers or icing ribbons), give your cake maker fabric swatches so the cake will fit in the wedding’s colour palette.
Finalise your guest list (and size of your space) first
When deciding what size cake to order, first look to your guest count. Generally, three tiers will serve 50 to 100 guests; you'll likely need five layers for 200 guests or more. If the reception is in a grand room with high ceilings, consider increasing the cake's stature with columns between the tiers. (A "stacked" cake is one with its layers stacked directly atop each other, with no separators.)
Think flavour!
Once you have sorted out the size your cake needs to be, you can start choosing lavours! Whether you’re partial to a mud cake, vanilla cake, chocolate cake, white chocolate, sticky date, orange and poppy seed, caramel, buttercream – the possibilities are endless. There’s even the option of a cheese wheel cake, for those who prefer a savoury option for their guests!
Confirm your decision with a tasting
At tastings, clients are invited to sample exemplary cakes, ask questions and review portfolios. This is an excellent opportunity to meet bakers, bond with them and fully understand the range of their abilities. Picking your baker is a big deal—you'll want to get to know their personality and make sure they're genuinely excited about your wedding cake too.
Always consider the weather
If you're having an outdoor wedding in a hot climate, stay away from whipped cream, meringue and buttercream: They melt. Ask your cake maker about summer icing options; you might want to go for a fondant-covered cake—it doesn't even need to be refrigerated.
Think about your display.
Your cake will likely be on display before it's cut and handed to your guests. Make sure there's a designated cake table that allows the most elegant presentation possible. A round table is perfect for round cakes, but a linear cake design may call for a rectangular table. Figure out your options. Once you have a cake table, have fun dressing it up.
Your cake topper options rules.
A classic figurine is an ever-popular choice, but more couples are using the cake topper (and even cake stand) as a moment of personalisation in their day. Choose something that represents you as a duo, like a clay model of your pet, figurines of your favourite comic action heroes or a chic monogrammed acrylic pedestal. If you have an heirloom piece—especially a fine porcelain antique—work with your baker to integrate it into an appropriate design. A pair of sugar or gingerbread cookies can look charming atop a country wedding cake. Finely sculpted maple sugar or marzipan figurines are quaint. Other alternatives: a bouquet of sugar flowers, a cascade of icing ribbons or even a sugar block carved out to reveal your new monogram.
Cake delivery takes coordination.
Complex cakes may not necessarily be delivered in final form. Allow time and space for assembly, if needed. Refrigeration may also be required.
Contact your Hyatt Hotel about their cake-making options.
{Cakes from Sincerely Sam Cakes; Cakes by Angelica; Pollen Pastry; and Stacy Brewer Cakes}