If romance revolves around a shared interest in pop culture, why not skip the traditional white-on-white wedding cake and go with a blend of Harry Potter and zombies. That’s exactly what a whimsical bride and groom decided for their celebrations.
She was a huge Harry Potter fan. He couldn’t get enough of the zombie culture. When they approached Jennifer Thir of Over the Top Cakes, she created a zombied Harry and Hermione as toppers waving their wands at Dementors attempting to climb a two-tiered geometric cake.
“I really liked making the Dementors and Harry Potter. They were so flowy. The more movement, the more detail a cake has, the more I love it,” says Over the Top’s decorator Jocelyne Leyte.
Another couple walked into the St. Albert bakery with vastly different tastes. She vied for a traditional romantic white cake with piping and beading. He was into Batman, the night vigilante of Gotham City.
Their two-tiered round wedding cake was a fluid combination of both visions blended together by clever colour choices and decorations.
Although these two sculptural creations are unique, they are quite typical of 21st century couples that no longer follow tradition. Perhaps the single biggest trend is customizing the celebratory sweet, a statement of the new couple’s personality.
Some confections are statuesque. Others are ostentatious. Still others stand out with clean, simple elegant lines or deliver a pop of colour. But they all fulfil a bride and groom’s dream and the choices are vast.
“Big cakes are coming back – four or five tiers. People want to make a big statement. They want the wow factor,” Thir explains.
There is a slow revival of vintage themed bling and pearl encrusted multi-tiered cakes. Brides also continue to be enthralled by lace-decorated styles.
“Lace has come a long way. Before we used moulds or stencils to add texture. Now there’s a product from the UK called cake lace. You bake it in a mould and wrap it around the cake.”
Ombre, the gradual colour effect from light to dark or vice versa, continues to make waves.
“Here in the area, it’s huge, huge, huge. Everybody wants ombre. It’s so showy and you can decorate it with fondant or buttercream.”
Other popular Alberta alternatives are woodland, garden and rustic coverings.
“We add wild flowers or little twigs florists provide. People are also into the white birch bark look wrapped around the cake.”
Naked or unfrosted cakes are another trend especially for country or rustic weddings. While glossy magazines set an appetizing stage for the delicacies, Thir hesitates to promote them.
“I don’t like a naked cake. There is no icing, nothing to seal in the moisture. It’s like cutting a loaf of bread and leaving the slices on the counter. By the end of the day, they’re crusty.”
While yesterday’s traditional wedding cake was a round, rum-flavoured fruitcake decorated in white or cream coloured icing, today’s wedding cakes come in all sizes, shapes, colours and flavours.
In addition to carrot cake and chocolate, brides opt for assorted flavours such as lemon, berry, almond, pistachio and citrus cakes.
But ordering a dream cake has its price. In the Capital region, wedding cakes are tagged from $200 to $2,000.
Ingredients, cake style and decorating techniques all factor into the price tag. The cake designer’s reputation also influences the final tally.
For instance, Kerry Vincent, America’s premiere cake stylist, will not open her door for under $2,000. It’s not uncommon for her creations to reach the $10,000 mark. No matter how you slice it, that’s a lot of dough.
For best results, Thir suggests setting up a consultation anywhere from four to six months before the wedding. That guarantees a spot and gives the designer enough time to plan the cake.
“Do your homework. Have an idea of your budget. Figure out how much you want to spend. Know your colours and have a rough idea of what you like. Bring pictures of cakes you like, flower arrangements and colour swatches.”
Thir has discovered many brides initially hesitate to reveal a budget.
“They’re afraid I’ll get them to spend more. But if they tell me their budget, I’ll tell them what I can do. It provides a window of choices.”
She also suggests signing a contract, a legal formality that protects both parties in the event of problems.
“It’s important you get a signed contract. It’s exactly the same as when you book a venue.”
Thir has noticed a proliferation of cake decorators on websites such as Kijiji advertising their expertise. In one instance, an amateur decorator downloaded stellar cake photos from a prominent Toronto cake stylist’s website and was promoting them as her own. The decorator was confronted and she immediately took down the photos.
“If it comes from a home, it may not have a proper kitchen. It’s a huge problem. I’ve had a lot of people call and they’re in tears because their cake is ruined. You need to know where your product is coming from.”
