Things to consider when choosing your cake:

1. Will it be used for coffee or dessert?

If you decide to serve your cake with coffee, we generally recommend that you cater for around 80% of your guests, as it is generally served on platters rather than individually.

If you are using your cake as your dessert, we suggest doubling the amount. You may want to check with your reception as to how they will be serving it; a smaller service may suffice if it is to be served with something else.

2.  How big do you want it to look?

When considering the size of your cake, consider the look you wish to achieve. If you are after a simple and dainty cake, but need to feed 400 guests, it would be unwise to make the cake to feed everyone. Instead keep the look you want and order kitchen cake to feed the rest of the guests. This is covered in the same finish as the main cake and nobody will know the difference!

At the other end of the scale, if you only have a small amount of guests, but like the look of a grand cake, you can! We can replace some of the tiers with "dummy" cakes and nobody would be able to pick the difference between the fake one and the real one, and you won't be stuck with lots of excess cake.

3. Theming your cake

It is quite popular for couples to theme their weddings and the cake is no exception. We like you to come in with your wedding portfolio or scrapbook. We ask you to bring in pictures, invitations and colour swatches. All of these items will help us create a perfect cake for your occasion. And if you don't have anything, don't worry we have you covered - we have hundreds of pictures, designs and ideas to help you on your way.

4. Costing

To give you an idea of the cost of your cake is quite complicated, but here are a few important things to remember that will affect the cost.

• Amount of tiers you have
• Intricate work on your cake, e.g. piping & filigree
• Ribbons, crystals, diamantes and toppers, you may want to supply your own. We are happy for you to do this and we can supply you with the measurements and quantities you will need.
• Flowers - generally sugar flowers will cost you more than fresh flowers. We can supply fresh flowers and arrange them on your cake. If you would prefer to have your own florist supply the flowers, we are happy to put them on the cake for you.
• Complexity of the design - many couples opt for unusual designs and cakes have to be physically shaped. As this is labour intensive, this will affect the cost,
• "Dummy" cakes - often people think that having fake layers will work out cheaper. This is not true, as the cost of a cake is determined by the work that goes into the decoration and not just the filling, also when fake layers are needed; they often then need to be replaced with kitchen cakes.
• Textures - cakes can be finished with a variety of textures, each finish will affect the overall cost.
• Cupcakes - although this has become a popular choice for wedding cakes, it can often work out a lot more expensive, especially when catering for large numbers, as you are paying for each individual cake.

5. Weather

If you are having an outdoor wedding, you might want to consider the type of finish you have on your cake. Cakes often react to changes in the temperature. There would be nothing worse than having a chocolate covered cake, outside in the middle of summer; unless you like fondue!

I hope you have found this helpful, now you are ready to design your cake!