Wedding cakes have come a long way since medieval times, a time when the wedding cakes or wheat cakes were thrown at the bride as a fertility rite. Today, and thankfully so, we’ve evolved beyond thinking that our fertility depends on how much cake is thrown at us. Today the wedding cake symbolizes the couples union and their promise to forever provide for each other.
Modern day and wedding cake trends are constantly changing. Marble cakes, drip cakes, geode cakes, hand-painted cakes, black cakes, ruffled cakes, lace cakes, rosette cakes, sugar flower cakes, naked cakes, metallic cakes, ombre, buttercream, woodland, fondant, monogrammed, geometric or color blocked; the list goes on and on. One thing for certain is the wedding cake trends for 2018-2019 are nothing like our mother’s choice of the traditional all-white cake topped with plastic or chalk ware bride and groom figurines!
Whether sophisticated or minimal, today’s wedding cakes are fun, inventive and pieces of art that can express the theme of your wedding, add a layer to your design and decor or talk to who you are as a couple. You might want to decide to forgo the traditional cake and have a dessert table instead but want to keep the tradition of cutting the cake and the photo opportunity that goes along with that. If so, consider a “cutting cake” or a small cake provided for the sole purpose of tradition and photos.
But if you do elect to have a large cake, we have a little advice, especially if you are on a tight budget.
Please keep in mind that not all guests enjoy wedding cake and we usually recommend a cake size assuming that only 80% of your guests will actually have a slice. If your guest list is large, there are a few ways to cut down on costs, such as:
- Serve smaller slices
- Do not save the top layer
- Have a smaller cake for the cake cutting, and serve slices from a much less expensive sheet cake hidden away
And, if your guest list adds up to only one bride and one groom, what could be more romantic than a wedding cake for two.
