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What are Some Common Wedding Cake Decorations?
Getting married is one of the most important steps in many people's lives, and the wedding cake is one of the focal points of the reception. When deciding on the design of your wedding cake, it can be helpful to know some of the common wedding cake decorations that you have to choose from. Wedding cake decorations allow a couple to add a lot of personality and individuality to their wedding cake.
One of the most popular wedding cake decorations is fresh flowers. A simple, white cake can be decorated with a wide variety of fresh cut flowers. The styles and colors of the flowers used as your wedding cake decorations can be matched to the bride's bouquet and the colors of the wedding party.
Discuss the flowers you plan to use with your bakery ahead of time. If you will be using fresh flowers as your wedding cake decorations, give the florist and baker at least two weeks notice so that they have time to order the flowers. Also, make sure to use a florist familiar with cake decoration, as some flowers are poisonous and should not be used on food.
Another popular choice for wedding cake decorations is sculpted flowers. Your baker can make flowers out of fondant, gum paste, marzipan, spun sugar, buttercream, or many other decorative and edible materials. Chocolate flowers on a light colored cake make beautiful wedding cake decorations. Other hand-made flowers used for wedding cake decorations can be dyed or painted to match the wedding colors.
Some couples prefer a very simple, clean design for their wedding cake. Popular wedding cake decorations in this style include French dots, Cornnelli lace, scrolls, and ribbons made from fondant, buttercream, or royal icing. Fabric bows and ribbons also make beautiful wedding cake decorations and can accent the bride's dress beautifully. For a more modern look, chocolate and spun sugar can be shaped into bows, ribbons, and a variety of shapes to accent your wedding cake.
For those couples who want something a little different, you can forgo the idea of wedding cake decorations as an addition to the cake and make the entire cake the decoration. Wedding cakes shaped like presents, fabric, castles, landscapes, fruit, or any number of creative designs are becoming more and more popular. Weddings with a theme often design cakes to match, but even the most traditional wedding might have a wedding cake decorated to look like a stack of beautifully wrapped presents.
With so many wedding cake decorations to choose from, couples have a great deal of freedom to choose the the cake that will perfectly match their personalities and serve as a beautiful centerpiece at their reception. Talented bakers can make wedding cakes decorated to suit the most discerning tastes. Whether you already know exactly what you want or ask your baker for suggestions, with so many popular wedding cake decorations to choose from, your cake will be sure to garner as much praise for its appearance as its delicious flavor.
Discussion Comments
I'm not really sold on the fondant trend for wedding cakes. It looks great, and I'm told it keeps the cake very moist, but it's pretty much tasteless and you have to peel it off the slice in order to enjoy the cake. I know it's popular because it's versatile, but I think it's a lot of work and expense and the payoff isn't that good.
Fresh flowers, to me, are the best decoration for a cake, and the bride can even choose flowers that echo what's in her bouquet. Ivy is also a nice touch. The dark green leaves against the light frosting makes a striking contrast. Fresh flowers are usually cheaper, as well, if that's a consideration.
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