While some brides and grooms forgo a large wedding cake in favor of a dessert bar or a cake on every table at the reception, others clamor for tradition. They can’t picture not having a magnificent cake to ooh and ahh over and feed each other later. If you are among them, here are some tips to ensure you get the cake you want.

Know what you want. Do some research well in advance of any cake tastings. Browse bridal magazines and websites. Check out bakery windows and books. Attend some bridal shows. Cut, print or take photos of any and everything you like. You might like the shape of one cake and the piping of another. Create a scrapbook of the features you like, and if you know the colors of your wedding, add in some fabric swatches.

Study your scrapbook in great detail and rank the features you like best. If you have any artistic skills or know someone who does, you might want to have some sketches done of your ideal cake. The more you have to show bakers in the future, the better chance you will receive the design you want.

Set a budget. Generally, the larger the cake and the more intricate the design, the more it will cost to make. Determine both what you would like to spend and what you are willing to spend. Have a top dollar in mind, an amount you absolutely will not go over, and stick to it.

Understand that you may have to make some compromises and be willing to take some cost-cutting measures. Opt for a few faux tiers in favor of several expensive tiers, or restrict the more expensive designs and flavors to the smaller tiers. Order a smaller, more elaborate wedding cake for the cake table and inexpensive sheetcakes for guests.

Choose a good baker. Look for reputable bakers that specialize in wedding cakes and set up appointments with them. Show them your scrapbook and sketches and discuss how feasible your ideal wedding cake would be. If you are having your reception outside in the dog days of summer, for example, you may find out that the intricate design in buttercream frosting you have your heart set on won’t work.

The baker might recommend a design in fondant instead, as it will hold up better in the heat. Ask the baker for an honest assessment of your sketches and listen to what they have to say. Discuss colors and flavors, and arrange for a cake tasting if possible. Discuss timelines and costs. Present your budget and ask for an estimate. Good bakers will do their best to work within your budget and find ways to cut costs.

Order early. Don’t walk into a bakery a few days before your wedding and expect a masterpiece. Good bakers are busy. Start the process early and don’t sign a contract until you are satisfied with the terms and have reviewed them in detail. Know exactly what you are getting and when it will be delivered, as well as what any last-minute changes or add-ons will cost you.

Check in often. Call the baker a couple of weeks prior to your wedding and make sure the cake will be ready on time. Orders can get lost, especially during the busy wedding season. Check back in with the baker a few days before and make sure everything is going smoothly. If possible, drop by to see whatever may be in process. That way, you will know what you are getting and there will not be any surprises, like the wrong color of icing.

Wedding cakes can be expensive, and they are not something that can easily be redone. Do your homework. Have a design and a budget. Choose a reputable baker and check in with them occasionally.

Did you know?

The timing of when a couple cuts the wedding cake can have a specific meaning. Long ago, the cake was usually cut at the very end of the reception and would signal to the guests that it was the end of the festivities. Today, cutting the cake is an unspoken signal that represents that the formal wedding is nearing a close, and guests who would like to leave can do so without worry of being rude. Many couples will cut the cake right after dinner as a courtesy to older guests who may want to get started on their trips home. This affords them the chance to make an earlier exit, rather than staying through the dancing that could extend into the wee hours of the night or missing the cake entirely. Cutting the cake mid-reception also serves another practical purpose for couples who are paying a photographer by the hour. Photographers typically go home after the cake-cutting, so a mid-reception cutting can save couples a substantial amount of money.

The presentation of the wedding cake marks the culmination of the day’s festivities and a final symbol of a happy couple’s new partnership. Many people eagerly await the cake as much as they may anticipate catching a glimpse of the bride in her beautiful gown.

While the cake in all its finery can be a beautiful sight to behold, a cake can only last so long before its fate as a delicious dessert is sealed. As is the case with many wedding traditions, there is some established etiquette with regard to cutting and serving wedding cake.

If you plan on putting your cake on display, be sure it is made with a frosting and filling that can endure room temperature. Certain creams may sour if not refrigerated, and you do not want anyone becoming ill.

If you have your heart set on perishable fillings, keep the cake refrigerated and then have the big reveal right before it is cut.

The cake cutting usually comes near the end of the wedding reception. Schedule the cutting so that older guests or young children can leave without feeling as if they would be offending anyone.

The emcee of the evening typically announces the cake cutting, and the band may play a quirky tune or revisit the wedding song while the first slice is being cut.

A bride should hold the cake knife with her right hand, while the groom places his right hand over hers before they proceed to slice down together.

If the cake has a foam or cardboard support, be careful not to cut through it. Use a cake server to grab the first piece.

Traditionally the newly betrothed will feed each other a bite of the cake to symbolize their first meal as a couple. Couples can feed each other a small amount, taking care not to spill any.

Many couples no longer embrace the once-popular tradition of smashing cake in each other’s faces, but whether or not couples follow this tradition is up to them.

Some couples like to serve their parents a piece of cake. Traditionally the bride should serve the groom’s parents and the groom the bride’s parents. If there is a groom’s cake, guests may prefer a slice of both cakes.

Guests may also want to take home a slice of the groom’s cake. Tradition states that a piece of the groom’s cake should be presented to an unmarried woman attending the wedding. The woman is not expected to eat the cake, but rather to put it under her pillow. Superstition held that this tradition would help an unmarried woman find a husband.

Make arrangements for proper packaging of the groom’s cake, so guests can take home a slice if they so desire.

The waitstaff typically handles the slicing of the cake. The uppermost tier is reserved for the couple to save, and the remainder of the cake will be served.

Recognize that not all guests like cake, but it’s better to err on the side of caution and have a cake that will feed all of the guests. You also may want to offer a dessert bar for guests who prefer another type of sweet treat. However, this is a luxury, not a necessity.

The cake-cutting ritual at weddings has withstood the test of time, and many couples still prefer to present the cake with fanfare and excitement.

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