Wedding Cakes

Remember all those weddings where the bride and groom had to wield a big knife to cut into a three-tier cake, covered in rock-hard royal icing and topped with two tiny figures meant to represent the happy couple? Maybe it was covered with hard little roses and ribbons made of icing sugar. It was meant to be viewed, not eaten - a symbol, not a sweet course.

Modern wedding cakes have a far wider brief than that. One of the most popular choices today is a 'croquembouche,' a French dessert of cream-filled profiteroles piled up and covered in chocolate or caramel. Or a tower of cup cakes or chocolate pots makes a refreshing change from the previous formal cakes. Go for a huge raspberry Pavlova or cheesecake, or serve individual summer puddings or fruit tartlets - the choice is yours.

Instead of serving the cake after the speeches, as is traditional, why not include it in the buffet, or serve it with coffee later in the evening before the dancing begins? Modern weddings call their own tune. Choose your cake according to the time of year - for a summer wedding, a lime or coconut sponge or a fruit flan will be refreshing, while in winter chocolate cake or sticky toffee are delicious.

              Marabou and velvet bridesmaid bolero                     Clara Wedding Boot                   Baby wedding shoes with organza flowers

If your cake is being made by a professional confectioner, it will be delivered in an insulated box, which acts like a mini fridge to keep it fresh. Remember to take the cake out an hour or so before consumption if it's chocolate, as this tastes better at room temperature. And as a finishing touch, if your budget can stretch to it, why not present your guests with a box of little cakes when they leave? A gift no one will want to turn down...

For more hints and tips that will help take some of the stress out of organising your big day, check out our wedding information pages. They're an indispensable source of wedding planning tips and style advice for any bride to be and we are adding to them all the time so make sure you visit us again.

And don't forget to browse Henry Kaye's complete range of of stunning wedding shoes (for brides, bridesmaids and pageboys alike), stylish pageboy outfits, gorgeous bridesmaid dresses, and exquisite wedding bags and beautiful wedding accessories.