So you are going to get married! Congratulations!! There are so many things to think about; venue, guests, theme, bridal party, budgets, date … and the cake.
One of my personal favourite wedding cake moments was actually in Cambodia. Cambodia has some gorgeous and eccentric (to my eyes) traditions. One is that you always have an elaborate wedding cake. And I mean elaborate! Go eight tiers or more or go home!
AKA:
My friend’s wedding had the cake surrounded by fruit (think oranges and mandarins) in the middle of the dance floor on full display. It was not cut (I was told that this is illegal!), but instead myself and the 200+ other guests danced around it and ate the fruit (not the cake).
Price
Traditional Fruit Cake is going to cost you.
My Grandmother was an old-school fruit wedding cake icing artist who by the time she passed away had made cakes for three or four generations of local families (weddings, christenings, graduations for every child, grandchild etc). Between her and over 15 years working in every variation of hospitality business, I have seen a lot of cake.
With fruit cake, the ingredients are expensive. Featuring fruit, nuts and (for a decent cake) at least two different types of alcoholic spirits. The icing itself is even more costly.
Then the artistry … the realistic edible flowers or cute personalised top takes hours (literally HOURS) of work. I would say (and this is a rough estimate) a basic cake would take about 10 hours of labour. Add on extra tiers and other decoration and your price rises.
So, if you can find a traditional wedding cake for less than $300, you have a miracle and don’t hold your breath for it being tasty too.
Personalisation
And then, it’s your wedding. So you don’t just want any cake. You want it to be yours. So how can you make cake personal?
Tradition
Finally, everyone says you have to have cake. But why? Does it really matter?
What to do now?
So, how can you address these problems and turn them to your advantage?
- Work out how much you want to spend, first
- Decide if you are having cake as an extra or if this will be the dessert (you can even pair your cake with some gorgeous cheese platters for the dessert course which will make everyone happy—because who doesn’t like cheese??)
- You don’t have to have cake! Look at non-traditional options for your cake such as:
1. Cheese Tower Wedding Cakes:
2. Doughnut Walls:
3. Pie Stacks:
- Make your own cake topper for ultimate personalisation, keep it simple and make it mean something
- If you really want a traditional wedding cake, order a few extra blooms or a small arrangement from your florist and order a basic fruit cake with blank white icing. On your wedding day choose someone outside of your bridal party to arrange the extra flowers on top of the cake to make it simple and classy like:
Whatever you choose, we wish you joy and blessings on your wedding day. May your future days together be even better than the wedding day itself!
Happy planning!
Amy
Monkey Business Catering local, family-run business catering Toowoomba and the surrounds. We specialise in drop and run catering, wholesome country cooking and dietary requirements.
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