Saying “I do” to the perfect wedding cake can be an overwhelming process. There is a lot to consider, including the number of people you are looking to feed, the color palette of the wedding, flavors and budget. Tiffany Jones, owner of Peridot Sweets in Las Vegas, is sharing her wedding cake wisdom to help simplify the process.
{1} Start with the budget. Too many brides go Pinterest crazy and then have their heart set on a cake that ends up being much more than they thought they’d spend. Start with the budget, then we can work with incorporating the other elements of the wedding that are most important.
{2} Do your research. Besides your wedding dress, the wedding cake is the next favorite thing people look forward to seeing at your wedding. Make sure you spend time researching, tasting and interviewing your baker so you’re confident in your decision!
{3} Share your wedding style with your baker. Typically, brides come in with photos or a Pinterest board that has cakes they love. This is helpful so we can see the bride’s style. If the bride has no preference on cake style, we work with her wedding planner (if she has one). The planner is the most helpful tool you can have! We ask for the color palette and then photos of other elements of the wedding, mainly the invitation. The invitation shows what kind of wedding it’ll be and what colors are being used.
{4} Choose flavors that you enjoy instead of flavors that you think are “safe.” While our more mild/typical flavors are delicious (strawberry shortcake being the most popular), we find that brides and guests love getting unexpected flavors: banana with peanut butter mousse, chocolate with dark chocolate mousse and cookie dough pieces, tiramisu, etc. These are the flavors that people will rave about. Ask your wedding cake bakery what they recommend instead of what’s popular.
{5} Stick with only two flavors. While you can get different flavors for the different tiers, we never recommend more than two (unless you’re planning to take home the top tier, then that can be a different flavor). Most of your guests are couples, and your caterer can serve each flavor alternating (every other guest). That way, each couple can try the two flavors. When there are three or more flavors, service isn’t as smooth and guests wind up asking to have a different flavor than they were served. Or, you can be REALLY nice and get enough cake to serve two different flavors on each plate!
{6} Avoid going all dairy or gluten free. Unless your dietary concerns are a strong belief of yours, don’t push it on your guests. For instance, we sometimes have people asking for dairy or gluten free cake for all tiers. Not everyone is gluten or dairy free, so in this case we would recommend just doing the top tier with the restriction for the bride or groom. The exception would be if a bride is vegan and all the food and drinks served at the wedding are vegan, or kosher as well.
{7} Don’t forget the groom! Get a groom’s cake to surprise your future husband at the wedding. It can be themed to his favorite activity, sports team, pet, etc. It’s a nice present and everyone goes crazy for it. Most recently, we did a super fun Jack Daniel’s bottle with poker chips, hundred dollar bills, a golf ball and tee, and sports book ticket.
{8} Order one slice per guest. I personally do one slice per guest (I’d rather have enough for everyone), no more if you’re doing a dessert buffet. We only do less per guest if the bride has a certain budget. Some brides are still taking the top tier home to freeze for their anniversary, but we recommend just serving it and re-ordering a replica for your anniversary. If you have 100 guests, and you choose a wedding cake for 75 people, that is usually okay because some guests may leave before the cake is served or have certain diet restrictions.
{9} Have either a small, simple dessert table or full on dessert bar. It’s best not to have a giant table for the cake, unless you’re planning to do a whole dessert display. If you’re only serving cake, a small cocktail table with a coordinating cake stand, your bouquet, and a serving set is your best bet. On an actual dessert buffet, the best desserts are the ones you enjoy! Many brides opt for French macarons because they’re beautiful and can be matched to the color scheme.
{10} Cut the cake right after dinner and preferably before people start dancing. I have such a sweet tooth, and I’ve been at weddings where they wait so long after dinner to cut the cake. Chances are you’ve spent a good amount on a wedding cake and you want as many of your guests to enjoy it as possible, right? Don’t wait too long, or those who need to get home to relieve the babysitter won’t get to enjoy it!
