Selecting Your Wedding Cake

We’ve narrowed the process of selecting wedding cakes into three easy steps. Get wedding cake ideas, factor cake prices, and choose your baker.

Follow these, and you will have a confection that suits your personal style and budget.

Wedding Cake Tips

Step 1: Determine your Wedding Cake Design

As the centerpiece of your reception, your cake should represent the theme of your wedding and reflect your overall vision. Consider the style, shape, color and adornments. Make a list of qualities you like and don’t like, and browse and collect photographs of cakes that inspire you.  You can get hundreds of wedding cakes ideas in the www.eleGALA.com wedding cake gallery. 

**note: Don’t forget to consider the longevity of your cake when making your selection. It may look like a work of art, but it is still food, and certain types will hold up better in extreme climates. If you will be holding an summer outdoor reception, opt for fondant wedding cakes over buttercream. While buttercream is tasty, it doesn’t keep well in heat or humidity.

Step 2: Factor Wedding Cake Prices

Cake cost is based per slice and is determined by the complexity of the overall design. The typical cost per slice can range anywhere from $2-$15 per slice. There are 2 easy ways to keep your cake within budget.

1) Simple wedding cakes are obviously less expensive, so choose a simple design with minimal adornments. Fresh fruit and flowers are inexpensive options, while handmade gumpaste or sugarpaste decorations cost more because they are difficult to create.

2) If you have your heart set on an intricate design you saw in a magazine, don’t worry that the associated cost will break your budget. Many brides opt for a smaller, intricately designed cake to showcase at their wedding, while simple sheet cakes are held in the kitchen to be served to guests.

You can find more ways to save on wedding cake prices.

Note: When determining the cost of your cake, don’t forget about additional costs such as shipping your confection. Some venues also charge a cake cutting fee of about $1.50-$3 per slice, which can significantly add to the cost of your cake.

Step 3: Choose your Wedding Cake Baker

First determine whether or not your wedding site allows an outsider baker; if so, pick a few local cake bakers and book appointments to view their portfolios. The www.eleGALA.com directory of local wedding services is a great place to get started.  When meeting with potential bakers, consider both look and taste. The one you choose should be able to create the beautiful masterpiece you desire, and it should taste scrumptious as well. Ask to taste some samples to determine the talents of your confection artist.

**Looking to service something a bit different for your dessert course?  Consult our creative ideas for unusual wedding cakes