“How sweet it is to be loved by you”
Next to the bride’s wedding dress, the wedding cake is often a great conversation piece. Depending on its height and regality – and some cakes do look truly majestic – people will likely make a comment or two. “Did you see how the doves were perched above without leaving any footprints on the icing?” “How do they freeze this tower, anyway?” “How many hours does it take to make one layer?”
The wedding cake adds to the décor and is a delightful dessert to balance out the calories after a hearty meal and vigorous disco dancing. It pairs wonderfully with champagne, too!
Most of all, however, the wedding cake is a symbol of fertility. Make your wedding a rich display of meaningful symbols by paying close attention to the details of the cake. You’ve got to hand it to the expert baker – what splendor his hands can weave out of all that flour and sugar!
As Symbolic as Ever
Rituals have staying power. We can chuckle about them and make fun of them, but they have a way of lingering in our psyche and finding expression during special moments in our lives. Symbols – whether they be wedding cakes, Easter bunnies, or mistletoe at Christmas – play a dominant role in our lives. Rituals are here to stay, like it or not, because they hold symbolic meaning.
The wedding cake symbolizes fertility and prosperity. The traditionally accepted practice is for the bride to have the first bite; otherwise, she would be considered childless and barren. There’s a moment during the reception when the bride will cut the cake, and again, there is a standard practice for this: the husband should place his hands over the bride’s (we’re talking about the knife, not anything else). The cake should be cut from the bottom layer and never from the top unless you want a replica of the Leaning Tower of Pisa. After the bride cuts the cake and both she and her groom have had their bites, the cake is quickly wheeled over to the kitchen to be sliced into portions for the guests.
Wedding Cake Costs
Like wedding goblets and favors, wedding cakes come with a price tag. Your local community baker might offer cake slices at a dollar per person. However, this will likely be a packaged recipe, which you might want to avoid, especially since some of your guests will certainly recognize the difference between a cake made from a box mix and one that’s been baked from scratch and decorated to perfection.
In larger cities, you’ll likely find refined pastry shops and high-priced bakers, and you could be looking at $8.00 to $10.00 per head. The quality, however, will be immediately noticeable. The primary and secondary ingredients are fresh, resulting in a far superior taste.
Cost, then, would depend on three factors:
- Quality of ingredients
- Labor involved
- Number of guests to be served
Speaking of the labor involved in “manufacturing” a wedding cake, have you seen some of the cake samples? Pardon the adolescent expression, but they’re “out of this world” and simply “awesome.” Some cakes look harder to build than the Tower of London or the Sears Tower. Others resemble gift boxes adorned with ornate ribbons, fragile petals, and make-believe drapes. Some cakes are shaped like hearts, surrounded by the daintiest of flowers, while others look like the Pyramids of Egypt with large bows and colorful ribbons marking each layer. The more intricate designs are a sight to behold. You might even wonder how much talent is required to create such masterpieces, because it takes both brawn and brains.
Wedding Cakes for the Budget-Conscious
Beautiful cakes are a welcome treat at any reception because they naturally attract attention. However, there’s no rule that says a simple wedding cake won’t suffice (no pun intended). Any cake will do, of course, as long as it doesn’t break the bank.
There are ways to save on wedding cake costs: ask the baker to use more expensive ingredients for the main cake, while using less costly ingredients for the portions served to guests. If you have a good cake, you can skip a second dessert altogether, letting the cake serve as the dessert. Alternatively, you could serve the cake as the main dessert and opt for a more affordable second dessert. You can also cut back on accessories and trinkets. These may seem like minor details, but they add up quickly. Some wealthy couples splurge on cake toppers, which may include expensive monograms, special gem-studded designs, or precision-cut letters and numbers. All these extras can significantly increase the cost.
Ordering Your Wedding Cake
Timing is probably your #1 consideration when ordering your wedding cake. Ideally, you should order it at least three months before the wedding date, or much earlier if you’re marrying during popular wedding months (May, June, July, August, and September) or if your baker is in high demand.
If you’ve invited 100 guests to the reception, don’t simply tell the baker that number. He will likely make a cake that serves 100-115 guests. Be generous when giving a headcount, but be sure to specify the exact number of guests to be served. You don’t want a “wimpy” cake to appear as though you were skimping on portions, nor do you want overly large slices.
Flavors – for this, you have a wide selection. Some prefer butter, while others choose chocolate. Some opt for a no-flour cake, and you can even order different flavors for each layer – raspberry, chocolate, vanilla, or lemon. Alternatively, you could choose a cheesecake or Italian chocolate mousse cake.
When finalizing details with your baker, ask if you can sample a slice. Some bakers will graciously offer this without you needing to ask, while others may be less forthcoming.
You should also inquire whether your cake will be fresh or frozen. Given the price you’re paying, you’ll want your cake to be as fresh as possible. Some bakers bake the layers early and freeze them for logistical reasons, only decorating them when it’s time for the event.
Lastly, be sure to ask if delivery and “installation” will cost extra. Unless it’s a small cake, you don’t want to take on this task yourself. It takes a professional to deliver and properly set up a cake – especially if it has multiple layers, spiral staircases, or imposing pillars. Additionally, be mindful of the delivery time. If your cake is delivered too early, it may sit unattended for hours, and someone could accidentally bump it, causing it to topple.
Oh, and by the way, get all cake details in writing.
