Category: Wedding Cakes

A glossary of common cake terms.

Next to your dress, the cake is probably a wedding’s most important icon. And whether you want a traditional multi-tiered confection, a miniature Statue of Liberty (hey, that’s where he proposed!) or a cupcake tower, your wedding cake should reflect your personality. Use the following questions as a guide when evaluating a potential cake designer.

Is it better to look good than to taste good? Don’t think, just answer. Your response will give you a clue as to where you weigh in on the Great “Fondant versus Buttercream” Controversy, or, as I like to call it, “the Famous Frosting Smackdown.”

We’d like to congratulate the Certified By The Guide vendors who were recently voted Winners of San Francisco Chronicle’s Baylist Best 2008 Contest:

One of the best parts of my job is managing all the reference checks for the wedding professionals who want to be Certified By The Guide. I’ll admit it’s fun putting them through their paces, talking to countless industry folks and tons of brides for each company. Some don’t make the cut, but those who do are absolutely fantastic!

Flowers too frou-frou? Plain white too plain? For modern brides with a forward fashion sense, stripes on their wedding cake have a smart and sassy look that’s just right. In the same way that a clean, symmetrical pattern of alternating color lends contemporary dash to a well-decorated living room, so too can stripes spice things up for the reception’s grand finale.

When my friends and Morris dancing teammates, Meg and Kevin, announced their engagement, I immediately sent them a copy of Here Comes The Guide to help them plan their wedding. That’s where Meg found the Montclair Women’s Cultural Arts Club in Oakland, the site they chose for their reception. Her daughter clinched the choice saying, “Lots of places are really elegant, but this one makes me happy.”

I have to confess I am personally not a huge fan of cake, so I love that more brides are moving away from serving a traditional wedding cake and offering more creative wedding desserts. I’ve attended a few “cakeless” weddings in the past year, and I really enjoyed how personal and unique these dessert presentations can be.