A wedding cake is the centrepiece of any wedding celebration. And a cake topper can help make your wedding cake unique and personal. However, choosing the perfect topper can be overwhelming with so many options. In this ultimate guide to choosing a wedding cake topper, we’ll provide you with everything you need to know to make the perfect choice.
Continue reading Custom Wedding Cake Toppers – Everything you need to Know [2024]
Your wedding should be just as festive as any big celebration you’ve participated in, till date. So, don’t hesitate to add a little sparkle and shine to your wedding day, and give it the vibrant and festive touch it deserves. Whether you have your wedding at home, at a cool, exotic destination far away from home, or during the holiday season, here are some fantastic festive wedding ideas for you to incorporate into your lifetime celebration.
Delicious cake tastefully decorated with sparkle and shine
At most weddings, the wedding cake is the star dessert at the reception. So, it has to look as good as it tastes. An impressive cake is an instant attraction. So, make no mistake in choosing one that is beautiful and has great style. A quick visit to our cake gallery at Best for Bride will draw your attention to the hundreds of artistically created designs, that are perfect for conjuring up festivity and fun at your reception. From the wide selection we feature, we have chosen to show you this cake today, for the elegant and interesting elements it features. A serious-looking green tiered cake, with diamond embossed sides and lovely lily flowers along the length on all sides, this lily garden cake is an arresting design that will steal the limelight at your reception. Adding a touch of class is the classic horse and carriage cake topper. Simply perfect for an elegant classic wedding!
Wedding dress that is high on drama
A flounced organza skirt with ruffles that scatter, an attractive sweetheart neckline and embellished bodice with an accented waistline—this is the perfect dress to impress the guests at your wedding with. The dramatic wedding gown from the Mori Lee collection. This 2815 is the perfect example of a dress that is can amaze, because of the memorable impression it creates. The textured tiers add grace to your step, and will softly glide along as you stride down the aisle. The embellished bodice scintillates and shines softly, in contrast to the feathery skirt featured in the dress. A dress that is bound to steal many hearts, this is one that will help you revel in the festive vibe that you envisioned for your big day. Pair it with a scarlet lipstick and a stunning hairstyle, you will be transformed into the most stunning bride everyone’s ever seen.
Bright and brilliant bridesmaids
Dress up your bridesmaids in killer colors, so they shine brighter than all the guests at your wedding. A full-length gown is a must to pack in a punch, and when done in lovely satin, like this Alfred Angelo bridesmaid dress, it will be a dress that is simply stunning. With the Mix ‘n’ Match trend going strong, it will be easy to choose the brightest colors in your color palette, and find a dress that enhances the complexion of each of your bridesmaids. The sweetheart neckline and draped bodice with a dropped skirt design, make this dress a stylish choice that your bridesmaids will love to wear. The gathering of the dropped waist in a scattering of organza flowers, renders extra-feminine charm to the overall design. A design that is youthful, figure-flattering and stylish, this is a dress that will be the perfect representation of the holiday spirit of fun and frolic at your wedding.
Over-size flower crown for your flower girl
The flower crown is an accessory that instantly makes a statement. And this time, we are looking at ones that are big and bold enough to create an instant impression. If there is one person in your wedding party who will have no qualms in playing dress up with the most over-size accessories, it has to be your flower girl. So, make the most of this opportunity, and dress up your cute little bridal attendant in an over-size flower crown, like you see here. Not only will you make the little girl extremely happy, it will also add the necessary touch of festivity and fun to your wedding scenery. The picture featured here would be perfect for a garden wedding, or any outdoor ceremony. However, you can adapt the same design for any color palette by simply switching out the blooms with ones that match your wedding theme colors. A small job for your florist, but one that will make a statement at your wedding. Don’t you think it’s great?
Bright bouquets
Flowers have the power to color up any arrangement, and that too magically! So, choose your bouquet and those of your bridesmaids to be lively and vibrant. Add a luxurious dose of the brightest colors, and mix it up with other wispy, whimsical details, so the bouquets look rich, abundant and very attractive. Consider mixing colors like blue and white, or red and white, where the deeper colors are intense and pop against the neutrals, for maximum impact.
Colorful cocktails
Add an instant pop of color to your wedding menu, with signature cocktails in a range of colors. Keep the assortment trendy, by matching it with the colors of your wedding palette. Colorful beverages, dressed up with cute accessories are inviting, and you will have your guests swooning over the details. It doesn’t have to be expensive either. The simplest of simple glassware receive a fresh update, when it contains colors so vibrant. A sprinkling of colored sugar crystals along the rim, and the addition of striped straws or tiny flags are all it takes to jazz up your cocktail hour with finesse and fun. If you really want to go with it all the way, add in olives or fruit slices, and you have a drink that is really exciting to look at. Featured here are cocktails in the signature green and red Christmas colors, but you can do the same with any color, including blue, purple and gold.
Warmth with a lit-up centerpiece
Nothing makes a room more cheerful and glowing than candles, and this is one element you should incorporate into your décor. Candles are relatively inexpensive centerpiece accessories, but can quickly be dressed up with flowers, glass, fruits and anything else you can think of. They are versatile, as you will have plenty of choice in color, size, scent and appearances to choose from. Thus, crafting your own unique centerpiece will be easy, when you incorporate candles into the design. Place them in glass bowls and they will look spell-binding, as the glassy effect makes the warmth of the glow more pronounced. By choosing suitable colors for the candle-holders, you can achieve a colored glow that will add a pleasant note to the ambiance. So, bring in some festive cheer to your big celebration, by adding lots and lots of candles. With scented ones, you can also have the air smelling great and this will also linger on in the memories of your guests, when they think of your wedding. Soft scents like lavender, vanilla and lime are really refreshing, and will work for any season and weather.
Fancy table-settings
In a welcome deviation from the traditional table setting, you can have the table linen arranged in an unusual, but welcoming style. Here is a sample. The pretty dinner napkins do not need napkin rings, but are exquisite for the styling and the pattern they sport. The bold prints on the edges have been showcased beautifully, and focus is shifted to the design immediately. This simple addition to the table, makes it spectacular. So, it is not only cost-effective, but beautiful as well. Match the napkins to the table runner, which in this case is a rectangular table, and you have an easy but glamorous way to make your tables look beautiful.
Sparkling table settings
If the earlier style is too refined or serious for your taste, consider adding a dose of glamour to your reception tables with subtly scintillating table cloths. Anything with crystal or rhinestone details is immediately festive, and the bling on the table serviettes achieve this effect here. Club it with a deep, dark palette, like the purple used in intense doses here, and you have a vibrant and lively scene. The silver charger plates add to the brilliance of the glittering table covers and overall the setting has a wonderful designer aesthetic. The best thing about all this is that the centerpiece is simple, yet stunning. So, it is a practical arrangement that doesn’t compromise on style. We can also see colors like maroon and dark green replacing the purple with equal capacity.
Abundant textures in food
Sprinkles, beads, glitter and scattered details add a colorful and energetic note, that makes a setting instantly buoyant. A simple element like a sweet buffet can instantly be uplifted with the choice of a few desserts that contain different textures. So, mix up the smooth with the crinkled, wrinkled and rough, add in bright pops of colors and make sure the arrangement is neat, despite the chaos. Consider items like macaroons, cake pops, cupcakes and mini-dessert cups to fashion the right effect. A few festive décor accessories like embellished platters, photo frames and beverage glasses decorated with ribbons around them are all it takes to dress up this signature reception setting, and it will add a sweet dimension of merriment.
A gourmet touch to the arrangement
The perfect wedding setting will be a bigger festive treat for the eyes, than for any of the other senses. So, even if you are serving elaborate fare, make sure it looks as impressive as it tastes. Even the simplest dishes can be given a tasteful face-lift, by choosing pretty china and paying attention to the garnish. Here is an example of how even a simple dessert can be rendered special with the simple addition of a powdered heart to its top. Additionally, the arrangement in an individual platter makes it neat and picture-perfect. So, use this idea at your wedding, and add a colorful touch to your tables with simple, but elegant and impressive gourmet touches.
An impressive display
Anything out of the ordinary, that can light up the sky or the venue, will uplift the spirits of those at your wedding, and add a spell-binding touch to the overall celebration. If you cannot create a firework display, you can still aim for a similar effect by lighting up your venue with a lavish choice of lighting. For an outdoor event, you can also create a similar vibe by using plenty of balloons that rise up and float away, thus forming an impressive display. This doesn’t cost much, but is very impressive. If the function is held indoors, make sure that your venue gets that first impression with an illuminated and well-decorated entry. Dress up the venue to look entirely different from how it is usually done, and you will achieve that unique effect. Consider adding an elaborate vignette that is bound to be noticed, and tie it to the theme, so it blends in seamlessly.
Travel in style
Your exit from the ceremony and reception play a great role in adding the final touches of drama. So, make your choice of transportation wisely. We think a horse and carriage is a splendid idea, as is a vintage car in a bright, noticeable color. Don’t hesitate to decorate it in full-style, so it stands out and will forever be remembered. Here is a bright, merry red beetle, that is just perfect for a festive wedding. Simple elements like white ribbons add the finishing touches to the already-splendid looking car.
So, tell us if you want your wedding to be festive and fun, or serious and sophisticated? Either way, we have the solution for the perfect wedding dress, accessories, bridesmaids dresses, cakes, favors and everything else you need to get the effect right. Visit the Best for Bride website today, to look for more dramatic wedding gowns and find everything you need to plan your dream wedding day. Check out our online gallery today, and we are sure you will be impressed by all that we have to offer.
Most guests will look forward to enjoying that delicious sweet last course of wedding cake at your reception. Wedding cakes are works of art, created with finesse and customized with unique details of unparalleled beauty. Most wedding cakes today are not only a treat for the taste buds, but are a sensationally striking too. However, these masterpieces of sweet indulgence take time, effort and resources to create. It is no wonder that they are pricey and take up a chunk of your wedding budget.
Fortunately, there are creative ways to have your dream wedding cake without breaking the bank. This is what we will look at today. Read on to find out ten different ways to slice your wedding cake budget, and still get what you want.
#1 Choose a simple cake
It is the time and effort that goes into creating your wedding cake, that translates into a higher cost. Agreed that hand-crafted details look fabulous, but they will cost you accordingly. Fine lace-like details and intricate motifs will cost more than plain designs or those that are easy to do. Almost every design that you want on your cake will have an equally appealing alternative that costs less. Just make sure you ask your baker and find out.
For example, instead of individual sugar flowers that have to be made one-at-a-time, and perfected to the last detail, you can choose flat flowers of a single solid color. This saves your baker several hours of time, and you will get it at a much lesser price. Similarly, consider stencil prints or monograms instead of hand-piped details. Accessories like satin ribbons in a chosen color can instantly dress up a cake, and are easy on the pocket.
#2 Check out the budget-friendly options if you must have sugar flowers
Flowers are a trending favorite, and most brides choose to have at least few flowers or floral motifs on their wedding cake. Sugar flowers resembling real ones are very expensive, as your talented baker has a difficult job perfecting it. Each flower that is a replica of a real model involves several details, and depending on the complexity of the design, can take hours to do. Luckily, you have some equally attractive options to obtain the same effect for far less. Here they are:
#3 Opt for the economical option in frosting
Fondant cakes are a delight, with their clear and remarkably soft texture, but they can be expensive. Fondant is considered the best cake decoration material for creative designs like ruffles and little figurines, with the added advantage that it has a marshmallow taste that almost everyone enjoys. If you choose a complicated design, or want the cake to look smooth and polished with a glazing finish, your baker may ask you to go with fondant. Although fondant gives the cake a refined finish, and it is easier to work with for precise measurements and details, it can cost several times that of butter-cream. This is why—to create a fondant covering for your cake, your baker has to first slather layers of butter-cream on the cake surface. It is to this that the fondant adheres. So, this means that you will be paying for both the butter-cream layer and the fondant topping.
Another factor is that fondant, whether made by the baker himself, or bought, is always costlier than butter-cream icing. The soft butter-cream is usually made from scratch, and is easier to do, and so the lesser price attached to it. Don’t think that you will lose out on taste or look by choosing it. It has been the traditional choice that has never disappointed. It can also be done in different colors, and a skilled cake-maker can design it to look as attractive as a fondant cake. Another budget-friendly option is to go with the current trend of naked cakes. Here, the cake layers are not frosted, and it is sparingly decorated with cream, fruits and berries for a natural, refreshing look.
#4 Make friends with faux tiers or choose a smaller display
If you always wanted a big cake, you can have it without paying for all those extra tiers. After deciding how many tiers are actually needed to serve your guests, you can ask your baker to do some extra tiers that aren’t made of real cake. It will still be iced and decorated to match the design you have chosen for your cake, and nobody will notice the difference. As long as all your guests get a slice, who cares whether the rest of the tiers are real or not. Let it be your own little secret!
The other option is to choose a spectacular, but smaller display cake with one, two or three layers that look great. Couture cakes done on small scale are fantastic, and can look sophisticated and stylish. Keep this for the display at your reception. For the actual cake service, order kitchen cakes that will not be decorated, but will taste exactly like the original. This will be cut and served to the guests. This way, you will have to spend less, but your guests will still get a fantastic dessert. This article on the Bridal Guide website suggests that you can save up to fifty per cent by going this way, than choosing a big cake.
#5 Opt for smaller servings
Have you ever noticed how many of the guests leave a lot of cake behind on their plates, especially if there are other desserts too? Avoid wastage by asking your caterer to size the slices to three-fourth or half the original serving size, and serve it along with the other desserts. You can also have the cake slices placed in a buffet, instead of serving it at the table. This way, only those guests who actually want cake will take it. When you choose to do so, you can place the order for less than the actual head count, as it is pretty certain that not all your guests will want cake. The answer to this reader’s question on the cost of wedding cakes on the Knot suggests that for 300 guests, you can order just 150 slices of cake, and serve all your guests half-slices. Again, if your wedding reception is for 300 guests and you are serving cake in a buffet setting, you can place the order for just 250 guests and it will most likely be enough.
#6 Choose the shape and flavors wisely
The most budget-friendly cake shapes are square and round. Square cakes are easy to section into equal portions without wastage. It is also comparatively easy to make. Most bakers can easily frost square cakes, just like they would with round cakes. So, that shouldn’t be a concern. If you choose any unusual shape for one or more of your cake tiers, you will have to spend more on it. Topsy-turvy cakes are the most expensive of the lot, since it not only takes a lot of effort to create, but there is a lot of wastage in setting up the tiers. So, either go with the square or circular cake and decorate it to meet your vision. Use options like varying the heights of the various tiers to obtain an equally interesting effect. Cakes that are shaped like real-life objects, like cars or books can cost extra. The alternative is to make the cake in a standard shape, and have the picture of the object printed on it in edible ink. It may not look the same, but neither will it be as expensive.
The other thing that can make a difference is the flavor. Standard flavors like vanilla and chocolate are loved by all, and cost much lesser than gourmet choices like carrot or cookies ‘n’ cream. Similarly, sponge cake is cheaper than fruit cake, but delicious. If you must have a premium flavor for your tiered cake, consider doing it for the smaller tiers and choosing standard fare for the larger tiers.
#7 Be creative with your decorations and display
Remember how we suggested ribbon and fresh seasonal flowers for quick, efficient and attractive decoration? There are several other similar options that will help you have a beautiful cake at a budget-friendly price. Here are some of them:
You can also cut a few corners with the way you set up your dessert table. Have a dessert station set up and spread the different desserts out for maximum effect. By varying the size and height of each platter, it will look abundant and interesting. Also space the desserts to look as though there is more than you actually have. Many couples splurge on an attractive cake stand, but you can get creative with this as well. If the venue has wedding cake platters and stands, use them creatively. Dress up the table with an attractive table cloth, interesting food labels and an interesting backdrop or buntings, so the focus is not on the cake stand. You can also go with unusual choices like distressed and weathered wooden crates for relevant themes. Just let those creative juices flow, and you will find several ideas that won’t cost you too much.
#8 Book early and get your cake at a better rate
Don’t delay your cake choices till last-minute. Start your search early, and you will most likely be able to snag a bargain or make use of a discount. Check if you can get a better deal if you make a full payment, or if you place your booking early. If your wedding day is after several months, booking your cake early may even allow you to lock the price at the current rate, before any price increase takes effect. It will also be one task off your list, so don’t delay. If there are any bridal shows in town, try to attend them and check out whether there are any cake makers offering attractive offers. Lastly, don’t forget to check if your venue or caterer offers a discount package on the cake, if you order it from them.
Now that you know all about how to get the best from your wedding cake budget, all you need to do, is to get started. Check out our list of cake vendors and their fantastic designs on Best for bride for some valuable inspiration or to place your orders, by clicking on this link.
Some wedding traditions are unique and pretty unusual. One of these is the practice of preserving the top tier of your wedding cake, and to share and enjoy it on your first anniversary. This age-old tradition is quite odd, since cake tastes best when eaten fresh. It is even more surprising that this tradition dates back to the 19th century, a time when there were no refrigerators. But, as most traditions have a reason behind them, so does this.
In those days, it was often assumed that a couple would have a child within the year that followed their wedding. So, the intention of preserving the cake tier was to use it at the christening of their child. Though this doesn’t really have much significance today, couples still choose to save the first tier of their wedding cake and relish it on their milestone anniversary.
Before refrigerators were available, cake preservation was possible only in the case of rich fruit cakes,which had a long shelf life. Today, we are not limited to fruit cakes, as technology allows us to preserve more varieties. Since it is highly unlikely that you will be serving fruit cake at your wedding, let us look at what you can do to ensure that your wedding cake stands the test of time and is edible and safe a year after it was made.
Choose the right flavor
Some cakes store better than others. Chocolate, hazelnut and carrot cakes are examples. Avoid cakes with fresh fruit and whipped toppings as these tend to dry out and do not taste nice when chilled.
Pack and move your cake promptly
Soon after your wedding, have your cake boxed and sent home immediately. Once home, uncover the cake, remove the decorations and place it in your refrigerator for a couple of hours. This allows the icing to harden. Don’t leave it near foods with strong odors (like onions or garlic), as the cake may absorb the odor and smell and taste of it.
Wrap in plastic and store in an airtight container
Once your cake is chilled and the frosting is hard, wrap the entire cake in several layers of cling film or plastic wrap. Next, place it in an airtight box. You can either choose a plastic container or a cardboard box, as long as whatever you choose will insulate and isolate the cake well.
Freeze in a ventilated section
Once again cover the cake with plastic wrap for added protection and place it in a well-ventilated section of your deep freeze. Always remember that your cake is in the freezer and don’t allow it to thaw and refreeze at any time. This can make it spoil. Should you have to take the cake out at any time, move it into a freezer immediately, so food safety isn’t compromised.
Enjoy it on your anniversary
Mark your calendar or set an alarm to remind you to take the cake out of the freezer on the day before your anniversary. Thaw it completely and enjoy it with your husband on your first wedding anniversary. Enjoy how all those memories of your wedding day flood back, as you do so.
To choose a splendid wedding cake or for any of your other wedding-related requirements, make sure you visit us at Best for Bride.
