One of the best things about getting married in 2016 is that there are no rules any more. As they say — it’s your day, do it your way. But if you’re torn between following wedding cake traditions and doing your own thing, there are ways to have the best of both worlds.
Here are a few ways to update wedding cake traditions for a modern wedding.
Change the Flavour
If tradition is important to you but you find fruitcake a bit stodgy, why not try a classic favour with a kick? Maybe ‘Fruitcake Without the Bits’ instead of a more simple fruit-flavoured sponge. Or you could choose Pina Colada rather than a plain Victoria sponge. You can re-interpret old recipes for a new era.
Toy with Tiers
There was once only one way to do a tiered wedding cake, and the only real variable was size. This needn’t be the case today. If you love the idea of height but want something different, there are plenty of ways to manage this.
You could change the geometry so that the tiers aren’t round or replace the cake with tiers of cupcakes. How about leaving spaces between tiers or changing the flavour of each tier? You really can create your wedding cake just the way you like it.
The Icing on the Top
Royal and fondant icing remain popular choices for practical reasons, but nothing makes a wedding cake look more modern than changing up the frosting.
Rustic, buttercream icing artfully applied can look absolutely amazing. Sometimes less is more and a naked wedding cake is the perfect option, finished with a light dusting of icing sugar. Metallic cakes are also perfect for updating traditional tiered cakes as they provide the polish and chic finish with a modern twist.
Make Your Own Luck
Some people bake charms into their wedding cake, such as horseshoes, hearts or clovers. Update this tradition by designing your own, unique charms to reflect who you are as a couple, or who your friends and family are as a community. Just make sure they know to look out for a little ribbon to pull before they take a bite!
Wanting to honour wedding cake traditions doesn’t mean your wedding cake has to look or taste outdated. Remember, in the age of customisable weddings anything you imagine is possible, so dream big, and bon appétit!
Guest post by Marie Sinclair of GC Couture
Image of Beautiful Blooms Wedding Cake, from the GC Couture ‘Seasons of Sugar’ 2016 Wedding Cake Collection
