Congratulations! You’re getting married! With so many things to check off your list prior to your big day, I’ve created a cheat sheet to walk you through ordering for your wedding cake and guest desserts all the way to how to store your cake after your wedding.
Before the Wedding
The Details:
First and foremost, make sure that you share with us all the logistics of your big day:
- Date
- Location
- Time of Ceremony
- Time of Reception Hour
- Contact information for Party Planner or Event Coordinator
The Cake:
Being able to personalize your cake and desserts can really make it a memorable part of your day that everybody gets to enjoy! Things to make sure you communicate and share with your baker to ensure they understand your vision include:
- Color Scheme
- Wedding Colors
- Cake Colors
- Your Style/Aesthetic
- Modern
- Minimalist
- Traditional
- Vintage
- Bold
- Inspiration Pictures
Make sure you communicate things that you do and don’t like so that we can understand your vision.
The Desserts:
Properly calculating how much dessert you will need on your big day will ensure that you do not short yourself, but also that you are not left with an excessive amount that might go to waste. First thing to consider is what type of dessert will you be serving? If your plan is to serve something outside of cake (cookies, brownies, layered desserts, etc.) you will typically want to calculate 1 ½ -2 desserts per adult guest.
If you plan on serving your guests cake, you will want to select the proper size of cake accordingly. Check out our post about cake serving sizes to help you calculate the right amount of cake!
Something else to keep in mind is how will the dessert be served? Will guests be sharing the same cake that you are cutting into? Will there be a dessert bar? Will somebody be serving dessert?
If you plan on sharing the same cake you cut with your guests, ensure that you have the caterer, baker or trusted friend that will escort the cake to the kitchen to dismantle and slice after you’ve taken your pictures. Sheet cakes can be scored to make it easier to slice and cupcakes are simple for guests to pick up themselves without additional assistance.
The Day Before the Wedding
The day has finally arrived! There are a few things to ensure you have in place that will allow for a beautiful cake presentation and dessert set up:
- Cake Plate
- Will you, the baker, or the venue be providing the cake plates or platters that your cake and desserts will be presented on? If you will be providing, make sure they are set up as you would like the day before.
- Bride and Groom Cutlery
- If you will have special cutlery to cut into your cake, make sure these are also placed where the cake will be presented.
- Additional Adornments
- Flowers, tulle, cake topper, etc should be readily available or set up as you would like.
- If your cake will have live flowers that the florist will be bringing, ensure that the florist and baker are aware of when each other will be at set up.
The Wedding
It’s your big day! Enjoy yourself as you celebrate with all your loved ones. When it comes time to cut the cake, keep these few things in mind:
Your Cake:
If you will have a multiple tiered cake, try to cut the cake from the bottom tier to avoid unnecessary leaning on the higher tiers.
When the cake is sliced into, don’t be surprised if you find a few straws in the bottom tiers! We utilize boba straws for stability and they are easy to remove when slicing for guests.
We will leave cake boxes at the venue for extra cake and specifically for any tiers you want to save for later so you can focus on getting over to the dance floor!
Your Guest’s Cake:
When slicing into your guest’s cake, try to avoid serrated knives as they will push down and squish the cake when attempting to slice. A large chef’s knife is best and will give you the cleanest cuts.
The Day After the Wedding
Congratulations, newlyweds! If you did save a cake tier, follow these steps to keep your cake as fresh as possible:
- If you have the room, keep the cake whole. This will lock in as much moisture as possible to avoid a dry cake the next time you slice into it. If you must cut into it, try to keep the pieces as thick as possible.
- Wrap in plastic wrap. Whether this is going to be a whole cake or slices, wrapping in plastic wrap first will help to prevent freezer burn.
- Store in a ziplock bag or wrap in aluminum foil for added protection.
- When it comes time to break into the cake, patience is key! Food that is cold suppresses flavor. Let your cake come to room temperature and then enjoy!
If you do not want to save the cake, reach out and we can make a fresh mini version of your wedding cake!
Flourish Bakery & Company 