There is nothing shameful about being a bride on a budget – saving money on your wedding day means that you don’t spend the first few years of wedded bliss worrying about the money you blew on a single day. Budgeting doesn’t necessarily mean not getting what you want, especially when it comes to wedding cakes. Saving money on your wedding cake is easy if you know how.

When it comes down to it, a wedding cake is really just a cake. Although there are plenty of bakers who specialize in wedding cakes, in reality, any baker is capable of making a superbly-flavored and well-presented cake. The only difference between a cake baked by a wedding specialist and a generalist baker is likely to be the size of the hole left in your hip pocket.

Another good way to save money is to engage a student chef or baker. Pastry chefs and bakers learn how to make cakes by practicing, and hiring a student baker to create your wedding cake is a clever way to save a sizable amount of cash. Speak to your local cake-making shop or culinary school about how they can help you create a gorgeous wedding cake.

For those brides who’d still prefer an expert make their cake, but within a reasonable budget, the biggest tip is to shop around. Also, remember that the more complicated and labor-intensive your cake, the more it will cost. It’s also the case that the most expensive fondant icings used by specialists are the least tasty (ask any of your guests!), so opting for less pricey toppings is not going to affect the overall taste of your cake.

Decorations can also cost a fortune, so minimizing the number you have on your cake will help keep your bank account out of the red. Likewise, large, multi-tiered cakes will challenge your budget. If you’re in love with the idea of a multi-tiered cake, consider including one or more fake tiers – no one will ever know the difference and you can still have a cake that looks (and costs) like you want it to.

If you are having a large wedding with lots of guests, it may be a good idea to consider a small ornamental cake that you cut for ceremonial purposes, and a larger sheet cake that you serve to guests as their dessert. By serving the cake as dessert, you cut down on your catering costs and by ordering a sheet cake, you save on the cost of your wedding cake – it’s a win-win situation. You could also consider the reverse option – cutting down on the number of guests will mean you won’t need a huge cake, and hence can save money.

By keeping your cake simple, with just a few elegant decorations, and by shopping around for the best price you can dramatically decrease the cost of your wedding cake without compromising on its appearance and flavor. The memory of a cake will fade, but the money you save will be unforgettable!

If you’re tired of traditional and expensive wedding cakes and want a unique, delectable, and creative wedding cake that doesn’t break your budget, then you should visit http://www.wedding-cake-idea.com We’re your number one resource for creative and unique wedding cakes for special and budget-conscious couples like you!

Summer is wedding season. The airy attitude of summer will be reflected in your wedding’s color scheme, menu, and location. Another way to emphasize summer is with a beautifully seasonal wedding cake.

When we think summer, we think fun in the water and on the beach. You can echo this theme on your cake. The ocean connotes timelessness and eternity, as well as suggesting our origins. All these images are perfect for a wedding. The muted, elegant tones of a beach can be carried through to your cake. Picture an ivory or pearl colored cake with edible “pearls” and sugar “sand” sprinkled all over. Add some real or faux seashells and starfish for decoration, and you will have a cake that’s simple but stunning.

Or, you can take advantage of summertime’s clear, vibrant colors for your cake. The bright blue of the sky, dotted with flouncy white clouds would be perfect colors for a summer wedding cake. Roses this time of year bloom in bright yellow, mimicking the sun. Wild roses, found at the height of summer, are often a true, bright pink. Your florist and baker can give you further ideas for seasonal flowers that might cascade from the topper down the sides of the cake. Consider a wedding cake that’s topped with and surrounded by beautiful berries. Berries come in all vibrant shades of red, purple, and blue, and are perfect for summertime. Remember to keep the colors pure and bright. Leave the dark or muted tones for winter and fall.

Regarding flavors, pumpkin, carrot, and maple are reminiscent of fall. For summertime you want brighter, lighter flavors. Lemon, raspberry, and coconut are among the flavors that shout summertime. You might even consider a light milk chocolate cake with mint frosting, as cool mint thrives during the hot summer months. In addition to keeping the flavor light, you’ll want a texture to your cake that’s airy. Now is not the time for creamy, rich cheesecake. Instead, opt for cakes with an angel-food lightness to them.

To break with tradition and be truly focused on summertime, consider an ice cream cake. These are becoming more and more popular, and can be created to look as beautiful as any traditional wedding cake. It might take a bit of research to find a chef, but imagine your guest’s surprise and delight when they realize they’ll be treated to ice cream.

A few don’t for the icing: whipped cream will not last long in the heat. Fondant is a great icing, but tends to form droplets of condensation. The taste and texture of fondant will quickly be compromised in the heat. Cream cheese frosting is simply too heavy and sweet for summertime. The frosting that will hold up the best and be most appropriate in every way is buttercream frosting. In addition, it doesn’t need to be held at a cold temperature to stay safe.

Dream about the flavors, textures, and activities you enjoyed during the summer as a child. Go from there to create a perfect summertime wedding cake.

If you’re tired of traditional and expensive wedding cakes and want a unique, delectable, and creative wedding cake that doesn’t break your budget, then you should visit http://www.wedding-cake-idea.com We’re your number one resource for creative and unique wedding cakes for special and budget-conscious couples like you!

The wedding cake has long been the focus of attention at the reception and for many years now it has been customary to have a three tiered white wedding cake which is elaborately decorated and which includes one of a number of traditional wedding cake toppers such as statue depicting the bride and groom, a pair of doves, a pair of gold rings or a horseshoe.

In medieval times guests would each bring a small piece of cake to a wedding and these would be stacked together to form a tower or pyramid. The newly married couple would then kiss over the top of the cake if they could to bring good luck to their marriage or, more often than not, would end up falling into the stack of cake much to the amusement of everyone present.

Over time the tower or pyramid formed from individual pieces of cake evolved into a single cake and the tiered design is thought to have been based upon the unusual tiered spire of the medieval church of St Bride’s in London.

It was also customary for cakes to be made from fruit which was readily available and to be covered in a layer of fat and sugar to preserve the cake in the days before refrigeration.

Nowadays it is traditional for the bride and groom to cut their wedding cake together and often to feed each other with the first bites of the cake as a symbol of the establishment of their new family unit. A section of the wedding cake (typically the top tier) is then often removed and stored so that it can be used at the christening of the couple’s first child.

While many people today still follow the well established pattern when it comes to planning their wedding, a growing number of couples are choosing to depart from tradition and, in particular, to look for ways in which they can make their wedding day truly unique and memorable for their guests.

As a result it is common today to not only see wedding cakes in a variety of different shapes, sizes, colors and flavors but also for couples to use wedding cake toppers as a central focal point for their cake.

Today wedding cake toppers come in all shapes and sizes and can range from exquisite and unique works of art which are specially commissioned by the bride and groom to statues depicting the couple in various hilarious poses which can be purchased quite cheaply from any one of a large number of suppliers.

As couples strive more and more to make their wedding day stand apart from the crowd we will continue to see attention focused upon the design of wedding cakes and, in particular, upon the development of increasingly unique wedding cake toppers.

For more information on wedding cake toppers visit Talking Weddings today.

While many couples today will choose a traditional wedding, often following in the footsteps of their parents and grandparents, a growing number of couples are electing to depart from tradition and frequently adopting less formal and more “fun” weddings.

Whichever route you choose however one thing that you are sure to want is at least something in your wedding that sets it apart and that will make it truly memorable for your guests. In many cases you’ll find that this is not an easy thing to accomplish in terms of the civil or religious ceremony itself, but your wedding reception and, in particular your wedding cake, will provide the perfect vehicle.

Many couples are already moving away from the traditional white wedding cake and opting for cakes of various flavors, colors and shapes although, in most cases, cakes continue to be tiered to provide the height that is really essential if the cake is to command the centre of attention as far as the reception decorations are concerned. But why have just one cake?

How about individual miniature cakes which will not only impress your guests in terms of the imagination and work that went into making them, but will also make them feel that extra bit special at the thought that you had a cake specially made for them. This option has the added virtue of allowing you to offer a range of different flavors if you wish to provide for the variety of tastes amongst your guests and miniature cakes can still be arranged on stands into a tier to emulate the classical tiered wedding cake.

If you’re feeling really bold, how about dispensing with cake altogether. We’re all familiar with the elaborate displays that we see in the stores, especially around the holidays, with towers of chocolate chips cookies or gingerbread men and, while gingerbread men might not be quite appropriate, with a little imagination it’s not too hard to think of a variety of sweet treats that would make a stunning display at your wedding.

And why stop there? Once you’ve created your spire of eye catching desserts why not mix in other sweets or even fruit and provide your guests with a variety of dipping bowls alongside the display so that they can coat their chosen sweet of piece of fruit in bitter dark, smooth milk or even white chocolate for that perfect after dinner treat.

These ideas in themselves can provide you with a memorable and quite unique “wedding cake” but, for that final touch how about a unique wedding cake topper?

Toppers come in all shapes and sized these days and are not only designed to crown your cake but also to give you the opportunity to make a very personal statement and to provide a talking point for your guests. There is a huge range of wedding cake toppers available today in just about every price range, from mass produced plastic toppers to exquisite and unique wedding cake toppers that can be hand crafted from a range of materials including crystal and semi-precious stones. What better way can there be to express your love for each other and to display that love to your assembled guests than by symbolizing that love in a unique wedding cake topper.

For more on unique wedding cake toppers please visit Talking Weddings today.

You’ve done it! You’re married and it’s time to let your hair down and for you, your family and friends to really enjoy your special moment at the reception. As your guests come into the reception room one of the first things that they will see will be your fabulous wedding cake and what better way can there be to kick things off than to have one of the numerous funny wedding cake toppers available to raise a laugh and get your guests talking.

For many years the traditional wedding cake has been a round three tiered white cake decorated with white or pastel colored flowers and often topped with a model representing the bride and groom, or perhaps with a pair of doves or horseshoes. But things are changing.

Nowadays it’s perfectly acceptable to depart from the customary wedding cake and to choose just about anything you like, so let your imagination go and create the cake that you want – after all it is your special day.

If you fancy a chocolate cake then why not have a chocolate cake? Similarly if your real passion is a pecan cake then that’s fine too. The only thing you really have to remember is that you will be serving your cake to your guests and so you will need to be keep it to something that everybody is going to like and need to aware of some of the more common dietary problems that we see today. A pecan cake, for example, might not be quite such a good idea bearing in mind the number of people who suffer from nut allergies these days!

How about a triangular cake, a square cake or even an octagonal cake? Wedding cakes nowadays do not have to be round and they don’t have to have three tiers either so you can pick any shape that takes your fancy. You should remember though that the cake will be a focal point of the reception and you will almost certainly want to retain the tradition of cutting the cake in front of your guests, so giving the cake some height so that it can be seen easily from all corners of the reception room is a good idea.

And what about color? Here again you can let your imagination run riot and choose just about any color under the rainbow. Granted a black cake is probably not going to look too attractive, but stunning effects can be produced in a wide range of colors. I’ve even seen one magnificent cake in purple which is a color that I would never have thought of for a cake!

Whatever you choose by way of flavor, color and shape for your cake one central feature of the cake will be its decoration and, in particular, the decoration on the top of the cake on which all eyes will focus.

Nowadays a whole industry has grown up producing nothing but wedding cake toppers and they come in all shapes and sizes and range from cheap plastic models to quite exquisite works of art often created in crystal or using semi-precious and precious stones. Toppers can also be purchased, or made, to fit with any theme you can imagine and one great idea is to look at your own personality and lifestyle and then to depict yourselves in a hilarious pose. Funny wedding cake toppers will certainly get your guests talking and can easily be chosen to make your cake not simply a work of art but a very personal statement.

For further information on wedding cake toppers please visit Talking Weddings today.

Throwing a bridal shower? Make it extra special and unforgettable by serving a truly delicious and unique bridal shower cake. Other than the bride-to-be, the bridal shower cake is usually one of the focal points of the celebration. Make the occasion truly special by having a bridal shower cake specially created. Or, if you have the skills, bake one yourself. Here are some ideas to help you out:

1. The cake is it

Before settling on a great bridal shower cake design, decide what kind of cake flavor you should get. When you do, make sure it’s the flavor that will be enjoyed by everyone on the guest list, especially the bride. Maybe you’re partial to ginger-flavored cake but if the rest of the party isn’t crazy about it, they won’t enjoy the shower as much.

Pick the ones that are easy to like such as chocolate cake, lemon sponge or even carrot cake. They can be paired with almost any icing or frosting available and will be appreciated well by the bridal shower participants.

2. Theme-flavored bridal shower cake

If you have a bridal shower theme, a good bridal shower cake design would be one that reflects the occasion. Go for lots of pink and red hearts as toppings if you’re having hearts as the main theme or use lots of royal icing flowers if you’re having a garden shower party.

Another great topper for a bridal shower cake are umbrella-shaped cookies. Take several cookies, spread icing on top and pipe the outlines of the umbrella. Sprinkle with fun colors and flavors or add toppings like dried fruit, chocolate chips or candies.

3. Bring out the bridal court

A nice way to present a bridal shower cake is to serve it as smaller-sized servings. Take a big cake and cut it into cupcake-size smaller cakes. Coat these mini cakes separately and top with the appropriate designs. That way, cake is easier and less messy to serve.

Another great way to serve multiple tiny cakes is to actually use cupcakes. Decorate each cupcake to make them resemble the bridal entourage. Dress up with fondant and royal icing, buttercream, tiny flowers, edible beads and pearls then arrange in individual holders to create a small pyramid, with the ‘bride’ cupcake on top, of course.

To learn more bridal shower ideas, visit http://www.bridalshowerideas101.com

The days of the old-fashioned wedding cake topper with the standing figures of the bride in a long white wedding dress, complete with veil, and the groom in black morning dress are fading fast and today we see a growing range of often quite unusual wedding cake toppers.

Cake toppers tend to fall into two categories - those which we might class as traditional, in the sense that they are serious in nature, and those that we might class as humorous or comical wedding cake toppers.

Traditional toppers will include figures of the bride and groom but, while some will still have them standing in the customary white wedding dress and black tail coat, nowadays these will often show the bride and groom either in the actual clothes being worn for the wedding or in more casual attire. A good example of this might be military wedding cake toppers which can not only show the bride or groom in their correct military uniform, but can even show them with the correct medals and decorations.

Traditional toppers will also include such things as floral wedding cake toppers and a variety of different styles of topper displaying the initials of the bride and groom. There are also toppers that depict scenes from nature, including such things as quite beautifully crafted glass models of dolphins, which can make an ideal focal point at your reception for nature lovers and conservationists.

When it comes to funny wedding cake toppers however the choice today is simply amazing and it is relatively easy now to focus in on some aspect of the bride’s or groom’s character, or perhaps a favorite hobby or pastime, and find a humorous wedding cake topper that will really attract your guests’ attention to the cake and raise at least a smile if not a laugh or two.

For the fisherman, for example, there are toppers of the bride catching and reeling in her groom (or vice versa). It is also possible nowadays to get numerous examples of the bride catching her groom as he tries to escape, or dragging him by the collar to the altar.

Today there are wedding cake toppers to suit just about every taste and budget and the list of the different types available includes, amongst others, African American, Hispanic, gay, lesbian, beach, dove, Cinderella and fire fighter wedding cake toppers.

Your wedding reception is a happy and joyous occasion so why not stamp your personalities on the event by choosing an unusual wedding cake topper.

TalkingWeddings.com provides information on all aspects of your wedding including choosing unusual wedding cake toppers so why not pop over and have a look at the huge range including unique, custom and vintage wedding cake toppers and much more.

One of the great things about weddings today is that, if you don’t want to, you don’t have to follow the age old traditions of the white wedding that was almost certainly the custom for your parents and grandparents. Today you can do just about anything that you want on your special day and one increasingly seen practice is that of selecting a theme for your wedding.

Now you don’t of course have to go the whole hog if you don’t want to, or feel that by doing so you would upset some of your family and friends, who you naturally want to enjoy the day. So, if you choose, you can always “mix and match” with a very much traditional religious or civil ceremony, followed by an anything but traditional reception.

That said, there is probably one tradition that you will want to have at your reception and that is the wedding cake as very much a focal point of the decoration for your wedding party. You will also probably want to hold on to the custom of cutting the cake together in the presence of your guests and of sharing it with them. But how do you retain this tradition and not end up with a reception that is neither one thing nor the other?

Simple, all you have to do is to create a wedding cake that fits the theme of your reception and, possibly, even adapt the ceremony of cutting the cake so that also follows your chosen theme.

So, let’s say you’re both avid fans of the good old Western movies and decide that you want your guests to dress up as cowboys and to hold your reception in a Wild West saloon. Clearly you can hire costumes from your local fancy dress store, choose a suitable location for your reception and decorate it accordingly to fit your theme. But what about that cake?

Well, just let your imagination run riot. How about a cake in the shape of a totem pole, or a wigwam? Or what about a fort or a beautiful old southern plantation house? The possibilities are endless and, whatever you choose, your guests are sure to be talking about it long after the party is over.

And don’t forget to crown your cake with a suitable Western wedding cake topper. How about models of the bride and groom dressed as Rhett Butler and Scarlett O’Hara? Again you are limited only by your imagination and you will find that there are numerous Western wedding cake toppers to choose from as a whole industry is growing rapidly around supplying nothing but cake toppers these days.

Whether or not you choose to depart from tradition for your marriage ceremony, there is no reason at all nowadays why you shouldn’t have a reception of your own choosing, that fits your personalities and lifestyle and gives you the opportunity to really celebrate your marriage as you would wish to.

More information on Western wedding cake toppers can be found at Talking Weddings

For many couples one of the great things about getting married today is the fact that they are no longer bound by the customs and traditions that ruled the arrangements for their parents’ wedding, but are able to plan a wedding that very much suits their own personalities and lifestyles. But what about those couples who are planning a military wedding?

The basis of a military wedding is of course no different to any traditional white wedding in terms of the format of the wedding and the following reception, with a addition of some traditions that are peculiar to military weddings in general and to weddings from within individual corps or units in particular. This can make it somewhat more difficult to stamp your own personality on your wedding, but there are areas of the wedding, such as your wedding cake, where you can still be more than a little creative.

Whether it’s a military wedding or not, there’s nothing to say that you have to have a traditional circular white wedding cake. Nowadays cakes come in all flavors, shapes, sizes and colors and there’s no reason at all why you shouldn’t have your own military cake.

If the kids can have birthday cakes shaped like dinosaurs, then why shouldn’t you have a wedding cake in the shape of an aircraft carrier or a Hercules? The problem of course is that your wedding cake needs to be very much a focal point of your reception and this means that it needs to have height – hence the tradition of building cakes into tiers. Your aircraft carrier may well be big enough to feed your assembled guests (and of course to put the bridge away in the freezer for the christening of your first child) but it will not have the dramatic effect that can only really be found by giving a cake height.

In most cases the answer is to choose a cake that you like in terms of flavor and color, but to stick with a fairly conventional shape (round, square, octagonal etc.) and to tier the cake in several layers to give you the required height. Then you can add the final personalization by finishing the cake off with one of the many military wedding cake toppers available today.

Here you could of course have your aircraft carrier or Hercules, but perhaps a safer, but no less personal, choice would be to have representations of yourselves complete with your chosen wedding dress and dress uniform.

The days of the cheap plastic replicas of the bride and groom are long gone and you can now have extremely realistic figures crafted which will match the bride’s dress and bouquet, and even her hair, as well as dressing you in the correct uniform complete with badges of rank and medal ribbons. Military wedding cake toppers today have become quite an art.

For more information about wedding cake toppers please visit Talking Weddings today.

The wedding cake design should not only reflect personal style, but also ideally be in sync with the menu and the décor of the wedding reception. The wedding cake should fit in the theme of the wedding reception.

Wedding cake designs can come in many forms, from the usual cream or white icings in conventional designs, to wholly non-traditional designs laced with vibrant artistry.

With the passing of time, wedding cake designs have evolved. Couples are now choosing cupcake trees with greater frequency, which was one of the foremost wedding cake ideas. Yet, some still have a preference for the conventional cakes for their wedding cakes.

The size and design of the wedding cake may depend on a number of things, like the size of the wedding budget or the availability of other desserts in the reception.

Today, one can find pastry chefs who offer infinite wedding cake ideas on icings, decorations, construction, and flavors.

A wedding cake’s design can be a reflection of personal taste. A couple with a passion for cars or motorcycles can have wedding cakes reflecting the same; a small motorcycle accompanying the miniature figures of the couple atop the cake, for example.

The flavor of the wedding cake is another important aspect. No flavor is off-limits for the modern wedding. One can have cheesecakes, mousse-filled cakes, pound cakes, vanilla, chocolate or sponge cake.

Today, one can find competent bakers with the ability to create the lacy look of the bride’s dress with frosting or the use of pearls. With frosting, these bakers can duplicate the look of any part of the reception’s décor. Also, couples can have their initials entwined in the cake with frosting.

In Bermuda, wedding cakes have a little green tree as a cake topping. Following the wedding, the newlyweds can plant the same tree in their garden, and symbolically watch it grow with time.

Then there are other options like adding edible fruits, chocolates or nuts around the cake. This will augment the designs on the guests’ plates. For that matter, one can also use edible roses, lavender or oregano as designs, or non-edible flowers as cake toppings.

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