Unusual Wedding Cakes
To some people, the thought of having a traditional wedding cake – you know the type: thick, dark fruit cake layers, covered in white fondant icing, and maybe a couple of stiff little figurines perched on top – is a nightmare brought to life. If you feel the same way, maybe you should think about opting for a more unusual wedding cake. The face of weddings in general is changing – traditional ceremonies are becoming less popular, so why not choose something more contemporary?
You can design a cake to be fully original, and relevant to you and your partner – and your cake designer will work closely with you to ensure that the finished product is to your satisfaction. Colours and styles can be fine-tuned to match the wider theme of our wedding. Regardless of whether you choose to have a large cake or a number of smaller cakes, your centrepiece will be produced with great care and attention to detail.
You can choose the type of cake you serve, too – if you don’t fancy fruit cake, take your pick from just about any other cake flavour you can think of. Or perhaps even dispense with the idea of a wedding cake after all – a savoury, cheese-based alternative is becoming more popular. Decoration is completely up to you, although your designer will be happy to offer you advice on the subject – and wedding cake companies will even offer cake stands for rent, to ensure the finished article looks good on the day.
Weddings tend to be one of the most tradition-rich days in Western culture. We’ve all heard the ‘something borrowed, something blue’ rhyme, the order of service hasn’t changed in decades, and the concept of confetti stems from an old wives’ tale thought to bless newlyweds with fertility and wealth. That doesn’t mean to say, however, that a soon-to-be-married couple should feel bound by tradition. At the end of the day, it’s your ceremony – it should be as traditional, or as contemporary, as you want it to be.
Thats’s the real benefit of opting for contemporary, unusual wedding cakes – customisability. Make it personal! If you’re getting married in the Caribbean and you want a little fondant surfer and a chocolate shark on top of a blue cake, there’s nothing to stop you. If your wedding has an unusual colour scheme and you want a cake to match, then again – go for it!
Wedding cake designers make their living by following instructions, and paying close attention to fine details. If you need advice on cake flavours, colours or themes, most will offer it free of charge, in the interests of ensuring that your cake design is a success.
If you’re unsure about service a traditional, larger cake, then consider the option of smaller, individual portions – cupcakes are a common alternative. Easier to transport, easier to arrange on a stand or rack, and less of a risk to actually make. Many guests actually prefer the idea of a unique, individually prepared cake, since it allows them to select which flavour cake they would prefer.
Let’s face it: not everyone likes fruit cake. Tradition or not, not every bride, groom, bridesmaid, best man and maid of honour is going to be jumping for joy at the thought of a piece of fruit cake. So why not go for something they’ll actually enjoy? Many cake decorators now offer specific services tailored to the creation of chocolate, carrot, coffee, lemon or victoria sponge cakes.
Or, don’t go for a cake. Several cake designers now offer a savoury take on the classic wedding centrepiece – a tiered assortment of various cheeses, which at first glance are easily mistaken for the quintessential wedding cake – surrounded by mounds of fresh fruit, bottles of wine and loaves of rustic bread. Guests already full from dinner will be happy just picking at the fruit and cheese, while those with bigger appetites will have everything they need to construct a hearty plowmans sandwich.
There’s plenty of opportunity for contemporary cakes to get in on the action of a themed wedding. Maybe your October ceremony has a bit of a spooky, Hallowe’en vibe – perhaps the ever-popular Nightmare Before Christmas cake would look good at the head of the table! Your imagination is the only limit to what you can do with your cake.
Once you’ve chosen your design, of course, you’ll obviously want it to look good at the reception. Consider taking up your cake designers’ offer (if they provide the service, as most businesses now do) to rent a cake stand, or cake-rack. Many styles are available, so take the time to browse the available selection for one that best suits you.
When it comes to your wedding cake, take the time to think hard whether you actually want a traditional or unusual centrepiece. There should be no taboo against making a break with tradition, if it means your wedding day will be more special to you. So go ahead – design a bizarrely decorated pyramid of cupcakes that tone in with the colour scheme of the reception! Commission a four-tier coffee-and-walnut rendition of your fiancée’s face! After all, one bride’s ‘weird’ is another bride’s ‘quirky’!
Image: Rosen Georgiev / FreeDigitalPhotos.net
