It’s this wonderful time of the year, when proposals are in the air and wedding planning is underway, so exciting!

As a wedding cake designer, I have a few tips for you that will help save some valuable time when it comes to choosing your cake.

1. Wait until you’ve booked your wedding venue

It’s never too early to start lining up the suppliers that appeal to you, but looking at cake designs before you have booked your venue might not be as useful as it is fun!

I usually recommend different styles of cakes that fit within the ambience around it. If you are getting married, for example, in a grand manor house or a castle with high ceilings, then we would be looking at different ideas to make the cake as grand as its surroundings, so it stands out and gets noticed.

Smaller, more intimate wedding venues with a rustic feel may dictate a completely different style.

Is the venue air-conditioned? In summer months not having a cool place to set up the cake makes that semi-naked choice a lot more challenging, which is why it’s always better to wait until you know more about your venue.

This 6-tiered cake made the perfect masterpiece for the Hertfordshire wedding venue North Mymms Park. Photography by  Esme Robinson

2. Book early, choose your cake design later

Many couples fall into the trap of waiting until they have more details of the big day, before they approach wedding cake designers.

Every year couples start their planning process even earlier and dates get booked out very quickly.

My advice? Book your date with your favourite cake designer FIRST, and agree to meet when the other details become clearer, allowing for a more cohesive design.

I would say that as long as you have locked in that date, the more you know about the big day the more the cake will be a perfect fit.

Find out more about our process here.

3. Think of wedding cake trends as an enhancement, rather than the main part of the design

This one kind of applies for everything from fashion trends to home decor, and weddings are no different.

Trends come and go, and you don’t want to look back at your wedding and see that you had the same cake as everyone else.

I get many couples looking for cakes for their anniversary/vow renewal, who are looking for the cake they wish they had.

Talk to your designer about incorporating trendy elements in a subtle, timeless manner, rather than go all out and miss an opportunity to make the cake your own.

Check this article I wrote for Engage Weddings on the latest 2019 wedding cake trends.

4. Consider meaningful elements to incorporate into your wedding cake

Following from the last point, making the cake your own makes all the difference. I strongly believe that every cake, like every couple, has a story to tell.

Part of the experience at Erzulie, is that I get to know the couple, and try to get an idea of the little touches, particular destinations, or anecdotes that mean a lot to them.

This year I’m incorporating lots of beautiful elements into cakes and it makes each design extremely unique and personal.

Put your thinking caps on, this is definitely something you might want to consider before choosing your design.

5. Get your inspiration from things other than cakes

This one is definitely appreciated by most cake designers. You can still look at wedding cake photos, to see how designs come together and imagine how yours would be, but when looking for inspiration, try and think outside the wedding cake box.

I personally love being creative with ideas and coming up with designs. You can help your designer by finding inspiration from other wedding materials.

Is there a geometric pattern that caught your eyes? A frilly fabric on a cushion? A gorgeous wall art? All these elements are such great inspiration for your cake, and a good artist will always find creative ways to replicate them in edible form!

Join in the discussion! How did you come to choose your cake design? What are you using for inspiration? Leave me a comment below, I would love to hear your thoughts.