How to Order a Wedding Cake

The size of the cake. The size of your wedding cake is typically determined by the number of people attending the reception. If you're having an exceptionally large reception consider having a wedding a cake and a groom's cake or having several wedding cakes. If you have fallen in love with a cake that's too small to serve all your guests, order an additional sheet cake that will be served but not displayed.

The color. Color is a big consideration when ordering a wedding cake. Traditionally, wedding cakes were white, always white. But now, anything goes! Pastels, bolds, earth-tones, neons- any color(s) can be used to express yourselves through your wedding cake! Go with an elegant monochromatic look, or a contemporary mix of contrasting colors. Whatever you choose, your wedding cake should be a reflection of your style.

The wedding cake topper. In the 1960's, it was customary to have a little bride and groom on top of the cake. By the 1990's, the big trend was to have a fresh floral arrangement as a wedding cake topper. Today, anything goes, so this is another area where the bride and groom's personalities can come out. Keep in mind that you may want to save the wedding cake topper, and possibly display it in a china or curio cabinet. In that case, it's worth spending extra money on a top-of-the-line wedding cake topper.

The flavor of the cake. You can choose any flavor you'd like, or several flavors if the cake is large enough. The options for what to have between the layers include frosting, custard, or fruit filling. Most couples opt for white or chocolate flavored cake, but carrot cake, rum cake, and spice cake are also options. The bakery or cake decorator will provide samples for you to taste before you make your choice.

The tiers. Tiered wedding cakes are still far and away the most popular style. Once upon a time, the tiers were always circular (just like they were always white.). Today's wedding cake tiers can be counter-set squares, circles separated by pillars, or a mixture of both.

Dietary considerations. If you need to have a wedding cake that's organic, gluten-free, sugar-free, or lactose-free you're probably going to have very few choices outside major metropolitan areas. Natural food stores or co-ops would probably be able to direct you to a place that can accommodate special dietary needs.

Delivery. When you order your cake make sure that delivery is included in the pricing. Let the bakery or cake decorator know if there are stairs or any other considerations (like pets, if it's an at-home ceremony) that they'll need to contend with. If you're having an outdoor wedding, be sure to order a cake that won't melt in the heat, or make accommodations for refrigeration.

When you take all these factors into consideration you'll be sure to have the perfect wedding cake!