Celebration / Wedding Cake Checklist

When it comes to your wedding cake, there are layers of decisions to be made. To help you come up with a stunning cake design, use this list to check off your cake preferences and then take it with you to your first meeting with your cake baker.


Your Budget

Before you dive in, know how much of your budget can be spent on your cake. Before you make appointments, be sure your potential cake bakers are within your price range. What is your cake budget?

$____________________

Overall Style

When you think of the perfect wedding cake, what style comes to mind?

[ ] Contemporary

[ ] Dramatic

[ ] Ornate

[ ] Regal

[ ] Simple

[ ] Traditional

[ ] Unique

[ ] Trendy

[ ] Classic

[ ] Glamorous

[ ] Themed (for a bird wedding, or a French-style wedding)

Tier Shapes

Given your cake's style, which shape will represent it best?

[ ] Round

[ ] Square

[ ] Rectangular

[ ] Hexagonal

[ ] Triangular

[ ] Mixed Shapes (i.e.: round & square)

[ ] Scalloped

[ ] Sheet cake

Learn more about the wedding cake shapes before you decide on which is best for your wedding.



Number of Servings

The number of cake servings will help determine the size of your cake. In general, three tiers will serve 50-100 guests. So, if you're having 150 or more, you'll likely need four or more tiers. How many guests will you have?

[ ] 0-10 servings

[ ] 10-50 servings

[ ] 50-100 servings

[ ] 100-150 servings

[ ] 150-200 servings

[ ] 200+ servings

Tip: If you have a small guest list, but still want a tall-tiered cake, have your cake baker create the bottom layer out of Styrofoam and decorate it to look like the rest of the cake. Alternatively, if you have a robust number of guests to feed, consider ordering a three-tiered cake, and then making up the rest of the slices with a sheet cake (to be sliced up discretely in the kitchen).

Flavors and Fillings

When it comes to wedding cake flavors, the more flavorful, the better. First determine your cake flavor. Then, check out the fillings sidebar for mouthwatering suggestions.

[ ] Vanilla

[ ] Chocolate

[ ] Carrot

[ ] Red Velvet

[ ] Yellow

[ ] Lemon

[ ] Orange

[ ] Strawberry

Fillings

[ ] Vanilla Pudding/Custard

[ ] Chocolate Pudding/ Custard

[ ] Buttercream

[ ] Pudding and Fresh fruit

[ ] Cookies and Cream

[ ] Lemon

[ ] Strawberry

[ ] Other (available for additional cost)



Cake Colors

Decide whether you want your cake to perfectly match your wedding day colors, or whether it will complement them. When it comes to choosing cake colors, stay away from bright, bold colors, and go for edible versions of your wedding day hues.

What color(s) will dominate your cake?

[ ] Yellow

[ ] Green

[ ] Blue

[ ] Purple

[ ] Pink

[ ] Red

[ ] Orange

[ ] Other



What color(s) will you accent your cake with?

[ ] Yellow

[ ] Green

[ ] Blue

[ ] Purple

[ ] Pink

[ ] Red

[ ] Orange

[ ] Other

Cake Add-ons

The add-ons you choose for your cake will take it from flat to eye-catching. Whether it's a simple ribbon-like trim, sugar flowers, or a polka-dotted pattern, decide which accents you want on your cake:

[ ] Stripes

[ ] Curtain drapery

[ ] Ribbons

[ ] Bows

[ ] Dots

[ ] Swirls

[ ] Flowers (fresh or sugar)

[ ] Pleats

[ ] Basket-weave

[ ] Quilted

[ ] Scrollwork

[ ] Monogram

[ ] Fresh fruit

[ ] Invitation motif

[ ] Lace-like fondant

Cake Toppers

Consider your cake a great piece of art. Avoid topping your cake with a generic bride and groom topper, or cookie cutter. Instead, top it with something that's uniquely you. A few ideas:

[ ] Heirloom cake topper (perhaps your mum and dad's or even grandparent's)

[ ] Meaningful family piece (an antique brooch or small vase)

[ ] Local topper (cluster of coral for a beach wedding; evergreen for a mountain wedding; or grapes for a vineyard wedding)

[ ] Seasonal topper (fondant snowflake for a winter wedding; red leaves for autumn; and daisies for summer)

[ ] Monogram topper (sugar letters; frosted monogram cookie topper; or even a chocolate-molded monogram topper)

[ ] Simple toppers (chocolate shavings, fresh or sugar flowers, or a cascade of ribbons)

Tip: Not into the cake topper idea? Don't use one. Some cake designs look great without any topper at all. Do it this way and you won't distract from the pattern on the cake.

Designing a Cake FAQ

Designing a Cake
FAQ
Designing a cake can be made a lot easier for both you and the cake designer if you can answer all these questions. It doesn't matter if you are looking at wedding cake designs, birthday cake ideas or special occasion cakes the questions are all the same. By looking at this information before making your appointment you will also have a clearer picture of what you want in a cake. This helps not only you but the cake artist as well.
Your designer will need your name and contact details to place on the order.
Lock in the Date. When is the celebration event?
You will need to know how much notice the cake designer needs when placing your order.

Is the event indoors or outdoors?

Will delivery of the cake be needed? If so what is the delivery time and address details?
You will need to be sure that you are aware of delivery charges and conditions.
If you are picking the cake up yourself agree on a pick up time.

Do you have a budget for your cake?
Do not be afraid of letting the designer know your budget, this can save a lot of time and they can quickly tell you about all your options to give you the best possible cake to fit your budget.
How many guests will the cake be serving?

What shape would you like the cake to be?
You will get more cake servings from a 10" square cake than a 10" round cake but quite often a square cake is more expensive to decorate.

How many tiers would you like the cake to be?

Do you require a kitchen cake?
A kitchen cake is often used when designing a cake for large weddings or when you are trying to keep your costs down. A kitchen cake is as the name suggests kept in the kitchen and sliced then served with the rest of the wedding or special occasion cake. It is not decorated just fondant covered to match the wedding or special occasion cake. Because it is not decorated it is cheaper and is a very effective way of feeding a lot of people or maybe budgeting with a one tier decorated wedding cake.

What flavor would you like the cake / cakes?

Do any of your guests have special dietary restrictions?

What is the theme of the occasion?

Do you have a scrapbook of cake ideas that you like?
This is a great resource when designing a cake. Image searches on the internet are a great place to start. Check if the designer is happy to copy another designers cake design. Be sure to check out cakecentral.com

Do you have any design elements you would like to include in your cake design?
This can be special colors, fabric swatches, ribbons or laces. Design details from bridal gowns, wedding or party invitations. Photographs, company logos or maybe you would like to highlight the quirky nature or hobbies of the person / people the cake is being designed for.
If you have fabric swatches, invitations, logos, ribbons etc please bring them to your appointment so that the designer can use them as a resource.

If it is a wedding cake do you intend to use fresh or sugar flowers?
Note that fresh and sugar flowers cannot be used together when designing a cake. The moisture from the fresh flowers will soften the sugar flowers.

If you are using fresh flowers will your florist be assembling them onto the cake?
You may be asked to supply your florists contact details.

Is there an inscription to be written on the cake?
Ensure the designer has all names spelt correctly.
Usually a deposit will need to be paid once the design has been agreed upon and balance paid in full before pick-up / delivery.
This also locks in your date, this is very important as some months are very busy and you may not be able to order a cake if you leave it too late.
Check what payment methods are available.

Discuss with the designer their cancellation policy

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