One of the most important parts of a wedding is the wedding cake because there are a lot of traditions involved. But this doesn’t mean that you can’t put a spin on things and with these new trends, you are sure to turn some heads. Check out how you can breathe some new life into traditional wedding cakes.
Naked Cakes

[Photo Courtesy of Style Me Pretty]
Naked or bare cakes don’t have icing on the sides and the layers are exposed instead. They are becoming more and more popular as weddings become simpler, less extravagant and more rustic and whimsical. Whether you decorate with fruits or flowers, you’re sure to have a cake that is non-traditional and beautiful – not to mention lower in calories.
Chandelier Cakes

[Photo Courtesy of Kaley Cuoco/Instagram]
Kaley Cuoco started many wedding trends this year by getting hitched on New Year’s Eve: one was her romantic blush pink dress and the other is her fabulous chandelier wedding cake. It hung from the ceiling complete with crystals and lights, and looks absolutely luxurious. These types of cakes run in smaller sizes too and hang from a frame instead of from the ceiling.
The Dessert Bar

[Photo Courtesy of Cake Central]
Instead of sticking to one cake or kind of dessert, a lot of couples opt for a whole dessert bar like you would find at a hotel buffet. This way there is a choice and everyone will find something that they like. If you like this idea but still want to go through the tradition of “cutting the cake,” look into getting a small cake or maybe even a pie, especially if your wedding has a bit of a rustic country vibe to it. Any which way, it’s sure to please your crowd.
Dawn Lo is a contributing writer to the Bridal Guide.
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[Photo Courtesy of E Online!]
This week, news came out that a slice of Prince William’s and Kate Middleton’s wedding cake was auctioned off for $4,160 in Beverly Hills, California. The wedding was held in April of 2011, making this cake over two years old and probably not very good to eat. As the tradition of wedding cakes morphs and changes with the expansion of the wedding industry – wedding cake pops anyone? – it is interesting to take a look back at the many fascinating and sometimes bizarre traditions to do with wedding cakes.
In a time when the purpose of marriage was mostly for procreation, it’s no wonder that most traditions had to do with fertility. The fact that we have wedding cakes today is believed to have come from an old British wedding item called the bride’s pie, which included a mixture of sweetmeats, oysters and lamb testicles – all rich ingredients to ensure virility. When pies morphed into wedding cakes, they were towered up high as an obstacle for the couple to kiss over. If they had no problem kissing over their wedding cake, then they were sure to have a happy long marriage with plenty of children. Similarly, an ancient Roman tradition called for the groom to hit the bride over the head with bread as a symbol of good luck and fertility.
One tradition you may have heard of that some people still follow is having a bite of their wedding cake on their first anniversary. Sounds a bit odd but it comes from a practice at a time when couples were expected to have a baby by the time their first anniversary rolls around and their wedding cake would be served at the baby’s baptism. Having a bite of wedding cake on your first anniversary is now a tradition from an old superstition for fertility.

[Photo Courtesy of Perfect Wedding Day]
Fertility may not be the first thing of people’s minds when they get married now but the wedding cake has become beautiful works of art – and a tasty remnant of past traditions.
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Pinterest is a bride’s best friend! There are so many good ideas from food to dress to décor that any bride-to-be would be in heaven. But when it comes to Pinterest inspired desserts it won’t just be the bride that’s happy, these ideas are perfect for the groom and all the guests as well.

[pinned by indulgy.com]
Many weddings have a candy station or they just give out cake as the dessert, but this unique idea from Pinterest will have all the guests reminiscing about their childhood camping days. Having a s’mores stations is fun, it’s interactive, and it’s a delicious idea that everyone of all ages will love – just make sure mommy and daddy make the s’mores for the little ones.

[pinned by Judy Puttmann Nelson]
Wedding cakes are usually very girly, flowery, and classy, but a lot of the time that just isn’t symbolic of a couples’ relationship. If you want to do something really out there with your cake, a great idea is to have the groom’s cake play just as big a role and the traditional wedding cake. It doesn’t have to be a wheel spitting chocolate onto the gorgeous white-tiered cake, but displaying the two cakes together in a playful way is the perfect way to show everyone that the bride and groom have equal focus at this wedding.

[pinned by whengeekswed.com]
If you don’t want to have a whole other cake for the groom and you’d really prefer a more traditional look for the most part, this Pinterest idea is the perfect touch. By incorporating a sneaky character into the cake that represents the groom both bride and groom can be equally represented. Plus it’s a really cute idea that the guests will love.

[pinned by theperfectpalette.com]
If you don’t have a wedding cake and you opted for the cupcake tier instead, this is a classic Pinterest idea. Getting back the a more traditional and feminine look, having cupcakes iced like flowers just adds a level of beauty and romance to your dessert station. Who doesn’t love a white rose cupcake?

[pinned by thepeakoftreschic.com]
Finally, something special for the kids! When everyone gets a glass of champagne to toast the happy couple the kids can munch on cookies and raise their glass of milk. This is the perfect idea for couples with lots of young children at the wedding. It’ll be so popular we’re sure some of the adults will even be jealous!
Jillian Zacchia is a contributing writer for the Bridal Guide.
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Do you feel like adding an extra personal touch to your wedding reception? Are you artistic, quirky, or a little bit off-beat? Take the opportunity to top your wedding cake with a unique and funny cake topper! Guests are guaranteed to notice and you’ll be happy with the meaningful touch. The Bridal Guide has brought you some suggestions for off-beat wedding cake toppers.
The Nerdy Cake Topper

Photo courtesy of NerdWeddings.WordPress.com
If you consider yourself to be somewhat of a nerd and your spouse-to-be follows suit, consider geeking up your cake toppers. Every self-proclaimed nerd has a favourite sci-fi series or set of characters that can likely be adapted into toppers. If not, you can always choose a classic robot model.
The “We Met Online” Cake Topper

Photo courtesy of CakeChooser.com
If you’re a couple born from the Internet, what better way to own your love story than with a quirky cake topper? The pictured topper is adorable, and better yet, it literally tells part of your love story. Some people are hesitant about revealing that they met their significant other online, but we say that you should be proud of making your best discovery on the Internet!
The “’Til Death Do Us Part” Cake Topper

Photo courtesy of Squidoo.com
Taking a nod from traditional vows and modern art, you can have a beautifully crafted skeleton cake topper. This topper represents the classic “’Till Death Do Us Part” oath of marriage while being totally avant-garde. If you’re the kind of person who likes to push the envelope a bit more than the average person, consider this uncanny twist on the modern wedding cake topper.
The All Partied Out Topper

Photo courtesy of TheMetaPicture.com
It’s hard not to look at this All Partied Out topper and not giggle. If you have friends and family that won’t scold the alcoholic joke, then this option may be a hit at your wedding. If your reception is going to be the biggest party of the year, we have a feeling that this cute cake topper will suit you and your spouse-to-be perfectly.
The Play on the Classic Cake Topper

Photo courtesy of GeekArtGallery.blogspot.com
This final cake topper option is a play on the classic bride and groom topper. For this one, we suggest crafting something cheeky that has grounds in real life. Does your soon-to-be-hubby play too many video games, watch too much football, or not do any chores? Why not poke some fun at him by depicting yourself dragging him away from his old bad habits. The perfect (and funny) symbol of a new beginning!
Whichever off-beat wedding cake topper your choose, make sure the theme or idea has personal meaning to you (as a couple). Be sure to choose one that is displayed in good taste, won’t offend guests, and that you won’t look back on and regret. If you design a wedding cake topper that truly depicts you, you can’t go wrong!
Lauren Chan is a contributing writer to The Bridal Guide.
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A white wedding cake is a traditional wedding staple, but it may be time to shake things up with you big day dessert. As lots of traditional wedding aspects continue to change, cakes are becoming more unconventional in design. Some couples are even opting for options like cupcake towers or cake pop platters. If you’re less than formal, perhaps an alternative cake, fun cupcake structure, or cake pop display is for you.
A Non-Traditional Cake

Photo courtesy of BlogTO
Having a non-traditional wedding cake may be right for you if you want to ditch some aspect of the tradition, but not the whole lot. You can serve anything from a traditional shape with bold, new colouring, or you could completely rearrange the shape of the cake. As long as your new cake matches your personality, wedding environment, and colour scheme, go nuts! If you’re creative, you could help design a personalized, unconventional cake with your baker. If you’re not artsy, have your baker show you some examples, and trust him or her with the reigns.
Some great custom wedding cake shops in the Toronto area are Bobbette & Belle, The Wedding Cake Shoppe, Le Dolci, and For the Love of Cake. Most cakes start at $350.
A Cupcake Tower

Photo courtesy of CupcakeFactory.ca
Are you a huge cupcake fan? Are you excited by the extravagant flavours that bakers are inventing? Do you like the idea of guests being able to grab a cupcake and go? A cupcake tower may be right for you. In lieu of a cake, a cupcake tower can be built to look just like one. With a tower, you can have an eye-catching wedding dessert and your design options are endless. Having a wedding cupcake tower gives you the option of many different colours (of cake and frosting); individual garnishes and toppers; multiple flavours for cake, frosting, and filling; and more! Bakers can meld the couple’s favourite flavours together to make a meaningful set of cupcakes.
Some wonderful cupcake shops in the Toronto area are Desmond & Beatrice, Dlish, OMG Baked Goodness, and Sullivan & Bleeker. Most cupcakes are under $3.
Cake Pops

Photo courtesy of Chronicle Books
Another cake option is cake pops. If you’re highly innovative and you love the latest trends in food, a cake pop platter or display may be for you. Having cake pops as your wedding dessert will certainly make yours a wedding to remember. They’re easy to pick up and pop in your mouth, and due to the icing used throughout the cake batter, they’re always sweet and moist. As pictured, you can see that the pops can be decorated, even though they may be small. A bride and groom design is a safe option, but if you want to be totally out-of-the-box consider a design based on your wedding colours, favourite hobbies, sports teams, defining qualities, or occupations.
Lauren Chan is a contributing writer to The Bridal Guide.
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[photo courtesy of StudioDVM]
Focusing on desserts and cocktails is a great way to make an evening wedding a night to remember. You will be saving money by not having a sit down dinner; therefore, you can have an array of desserts that appeal to all your guests. Be sure to serve a variety of treats from the more decadent cheesecake, the delicious cakepop, and lighter fare like fresh fruit. This will allow guests to pick and choose what they want to eat as they mingle.
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There as been a surge of popularity for cupcakes over the last few seasons. What is not to love about these versatile mini cakes? They come in individual servings, can be made in multiple different flavours for variety, and can be displayed in fun and creative ways.
However, there is a new cake variation in town. The cake pop rose to fame as a fun, delicious and quick snack. Now they are seeking a place among the big time, as an alternative to the wedding cake and wedding cupcakes. Like its big sister the cupcake, cake pops come is all colours, flavours and can be displayed in fun ways to show off your personality.
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QUESTIONS FOR YOUR CATERER
Many modern brides want choice and control over the decisions of their weddings. Whether you and your hubby are foodies or you have a menu idea that is unique and a reflection of you as a couple, some brides find it very important to have a say over their food menu. Whether you are wanting your cultures signature dish incorporated into your reception dinner or have an array of yours and your husband’s favourite tastes at your meal, finding a caterer would be ideal for you. What should you know about caterers? What are some basic questions you should ask? Here are a few to add to your check list! (more…)
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