There are many kinds of icings on wedding cakes. Therefore, the task is not only limited to deciding on the design and the number of layers of the cake, it extends to knowing which type of icing should top the wonderful layers as well. Deciding on the type of icing is as complicated as looking for cheap wedding dresses.

Deciding the type of icing on your wedding cake need not be complicated, however, if you know what you are looking for. You simply have to understand what each type is, and what it is for.

Here are some of the most common types of wedding cakes icings:

Fondant This is perhaps the most common type of icing used on wedding cakes because, first and foremost, this does not need refrigeration. Therefore, you can make your precious wedding cake as the centrepiece of your reception without worrying if the icing will melt and the cake will deform.

This type of icing looks stiff and is sometimes regarded as having an appearance like that of a helmet. This smooth cream confection is made of corn syrup and gelatin.

Butter Cream Unlike fondant, butter cream is sensitive to extreme heat. Therefore, this type is not a wise choice for outdoor weddings.

In its simplest form, butter cream is made from powdered sugar and butter. If you want to add a little color, you can always add cocoa powder or vanilla extract. Although this is a popular topping for cupcakes, this is also widely accepted as a creamy and rich icing for sponge cakes.

Ganache Wedding cakes experts would only recommend this type of icing if the venue of your reception has a stable condition: no heat, no humid weather. Why?

This icing is made from chocolate and cream, usually 2 parts chocolate, one part cream. As such, this is a “heavy” type of icing that will give your cake a glass-like chocolate finish. Without the desired room temperature, you run the risk of having the icing slide right off your cake.

Royal Icing This type of icing is made from egg whites, powdered sugar, milk, and sometimes, lemon juice. It is a hard white icing. Usually, glycerine is added in order to prevent the icing from becoming too hard.

Royal icing is not only popular among wedding cakes; it is also widely used on Christmas cakes and gingerbread houses because it can create many decorative effects. Its properties allow it to be the perfect icing used in forming flowers, dots and other figures.

The type of icing that you’ll use largely determines the beauty and extravagance of your wedding cake. Therefore, you must choose it well, just as how you would choose bridal shops in Mississauga or how you would select wedding favors.

Wedding cakes are an important part of the wedding ceremony; it’s but proper that they be given enough attention from color, to number of layers, design, and even type of icing!

Whether your aim is to find bridal shops in Mississauga, buy cheap wedding dresses or get hold of delectable wedding cakes, you will find all these in one stop.

Don’t Order it Hurriedly

Wedding cakes are not made overnight especially when these are custom-made to fit your wedding motif. You have to order at least 3 months in advance to allow the baker to assemble it. Well, if you want a very simple cake that comes off the bakery shelf, well then, go ahead. It’s your cake, anyway, and you have to eat it, too.

Don’t Let it Stay in the Sun

Too long or too short – it does not matter. Your wedding cake is not designed to withstand heat especially when it is made of butter cream icing. Always place it in the shade preferably in the coolest area of the reception venue since you want it to hold its shape.

Don’t Expose it to the Wind

If you have a beach wedding, it is best to provide protective netting around your wedding cake. This way, bugs, insects, seagulls, birds, windblown debris and even the wind cannot take a shot at it before you and guests have enjoyed its sumptuousness.

Don’t Let It Tip

This one is a no-brainer. Most wedding cakes are designed to be placed on a flat and level surface. You have to ensure that whatever platform your wedding cake is on, it must be level; otherwise, you can say goodbye to edible cake and hello to critters.

Don’t Let It Alone

This does not mean that you have to watch it like a hawk, hence, preventing you from enjoying your wedding day. However, you can assign a catering staff to watch it like a hawk for you. This is especially true when there are invited children in the reception, not to mention the young members of the wedding entourage. Wedding cakes, after all, present an irresistible challenge for children much like how they can’t resist dipping their hands in a birthday cake.

Don’t Place It in the Center of the Room

Sure, wedding cakes are meant to be displayed prominently. After all, these are the highlight of the menus! However, this can be the disastrous beginning of the end of your wedding cake’s beautiful existence. Think of the many people who can tip it over with a single accidental bump, not to mention the children boisterously running around. Instead, place it a location where there is lesser traffic but can still be seen my most of the guests.

Don’t Shove It in Each Other’s Face

Sure, it looks cute but it is messy, this shoving-of-the-cake-in-each-other’s-face stuff. You will end up with stains on your wedding dress, a ruined makeup, a food fight and not-so-funny memories especially when you are fighting. Besides, there’s a proper place for a food fight and it’s called the high school cafeteria.

Just remember these don’ts of your wedding cake and you can have your cake and eat it, too!

BestforBride.com is one of the best bridal shops in Mississauga that offers cheap wedding dresses and wedding cakes that will fit your every wish.

Best for Bride is proud to present GRAND OPENING with Special Discounts and Absolutely FREE Wedding Planning Seminars. It’s your opportunity to meet vendors that will help you to plan a Wedding of Your Dreams.

Topic: It’s YOUR Day and WE Want to Help

Date: Sunday, February 21th, 2010
Time: 11am – 5pm
Location:
Barrie Store Location:
303 Dunlop St. West (at Highway 400)
Barrie, ON, Canada, L4N 1C1

Wedding planning is a lot of work and can be a disconcerting task. With the average wedding eating up to 250 hours; So many choices, so many decisions, a strenuous timeline and a budget that can quickly get out of hand. This is your opportunity to learn everything you need to know to plan a Wedding of Your Dreams.

Seminar is presented by a Certified Wedding Planner Debbie Savic.

Topics of Discussion:
Wedding and Bridesmaid Dresses by Denise from Best for Bride)
Wedding Cakes by Dianna from Yours to Savour (http://www.yourstosavour.com/)
Destination Weddings by Dan from American Express Travel Services (http://www.onthekingsway.com/)
Invitation Wording & Etiquette
Budgets by Debbie Savic from Fresh Occasions (http://www.freshoccasion.com/)
Flowers & Decor
Photography & Videography
DJs & Entertainment
Catering
Trends…and much more! by Debbie Savic from Fresh Occasions (http://www.freshoccasion.com/)

During the Roman times, the concept of elaborate wedding cake decorations and icings was not yet a reality. For instance, the groom is supposed to eat part of the wedding loaf. He would then break the remaining portion and it must be broken over the bride’s head. This symbolizes the groom’s dominance over the bride. This tradition, however, has long been eradicated possibly because of its chauvinistic implications.

Also, in the olden times, small cakes (more like today’s cupcakes) are stacked to form the wedding cakes. The notion of a white wedding cake is also very popular and was connected to affluence. Because ingredients used to make up the white icing are hard to come by, only those who can afford to travel to other places just to get hold of these cake “materials” can come up with white wedding cakes.

Interestingly, in the 17th century, the idea of sleeping on a piece of cake became very popular. They say that if you put a piece of the wedding cake underneath your pillow, you will dream about your future spouse. In the 18th century, this tradition on wedding cakes evolved into the brides passing tiny cake crumbs through their wedding rings. These crumbs are then placed underneath the pillows.

Later on, the traditional wedding cake slicing that we see today came about. The bride, with the help of the groom, creates two slices, and together, they eat that part of the cake. As this is the first task that that the couple does together, this act symbolizes their never-ending promise of supporting each other for the rest of their married life.

Then came the multi-layered and elaborately designed cakes of many colors that we see today. Wedding cakes are not only white in color; today, the couple can experiment with different colors, usually making it consistent with the theme and the motif of the wedding.

Still, another interesting fact about this tradition is that the couple tries to save the topmost tier of their wedding cakes. They preserve and freeze it for use during their first anniversary. But you don’t get to see this anymore today as the elaborate decorations make the cake more vulnerable.

What proved to be a traditional and simple creation of cakes — or loaves of bread as in the olden times — now became a design extravaganza. Numerous cake and pastry houses specialize on the design of wedding cakes. The internet even has a wide selection of wedding cakes.

In conclusion, just like the wedding ceremony itself, the history and tradition of wedding cakes have come a long way. Some practices have long been eradicated while others survived the test of time and modernity.

If you prefer a traditional wedding, then you’d surely insert some of the practices that survived in the ceremony and at the reception. Otherwise, you can skip these and just go directly to the sole purpose of the occasion. The most important thing however, is that you’ve respected the solemnity of the event and the importance of this sacrament.

BestForBride.com is all about weddings – from wedding favours to designer wedding dresses and wedding cakes. Visit us today.

On another note, if you come from the high end of the society, then you can afford to buy those designer wedding dresses. You don’t have to be the presidential daughter, a Hollywood star or a politician’s family member for you to take advantage of the best minds in the wedding couture world. You simply either have to have a very rich fiancé or a very fat savings (read: budget for your wedding day).Or you have very generous friends who have whole-heartedly contributed to your designer wedding gown!

Here are the big names that you can choose from:

Monique Lhuillier

This US-based Filipina comes from a family who owns one of the giant chain of pawnshops in the Philippines. Being part of a high profile clan, Monique had the chance and access to the best fashion schools in the world. Thus, her flair for fashion (exhibited at age 14) was reinforced by her degree from the Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising (FIDM).

Monique’s line of designer wedding dresses caught the eye of the public when she designed her own the dresses of her own wedding entourage. This led her to take care of the gowns of Christine Baumgartner (in her wedding to Kevin Costner) and Britney Spears (in her wedding to Kevin Federline).

This multi-awarded designer is known for pretty dresses that introduce a “fluid look.”

Vera Wang

Raised by an affluent American family of Chinese descent, Vera was once a figure skater taking part in various national competitions. When she failed to make it to the US team for the Olympics, she turned her back on sports and welcomed the fashion industry.

Her corporate experience included being Vogue’s editor for 16 years and rubbing elbows with Ralph Lauren. It was in 1990 that she opened her own shop in New York, displaying her trademark designer wedding dresses. Her work has the reputation of “a modern, sophisticated approach to classic style.”

Among her celebrity clients are Jessica Simpson, Victoria Beckham, Mariah Carey and Sharon Stone, among others.

Michelle Roth

This designer was born to fashion, as her parents own a famous Australian bridal label, Henri Josef. Thus, Michelle has fashion and creativity on her blood. She started her own collection of designer wedding dresses in 1990, working with her brother.

Her works have been featured in numerous talk shows including, among others, The Oprah Winfrey Show, Martha Stewart Living and Entertainment Tonight.

Designer wedding dresses could really get expensive. However, if you can afford it, why not get one? Again, it’s the most important day of your life and pictures of you will be immortalized in a number of photo albums. It’s just proper to look fabulous on the start of “the rest of your life.”

Back then it was a simple, single-tiered, often white (to symbolize purity) cake. Over the years, the tiers have added (and added), the current contender for the record being a 17 foot, 7-tiered, 15,032 pound cake made by Mohegan Sun. As cool as this may seem, it’s certainly going to be out of place in a place like Toronto. So how should you choose among the many wedding cakes in Toronto?

What Cake Would You Choose?

It seems like a simple enough question, isn’t it? After all, a cake is a cake is a cake. Besides, how many wedding cakes in Toronto can there be? There are literally THOUSANDS of wedding cakes in all shapes, sizes, flavors, and forms, from traditional to extra kinky (yes, kinky) for you to choose and be confused from. When your baker starts babbling on about how this is better than that, wouldn’t it be nice to know what he’s talking about?

What You Should Know

Here are a few definitions that may help you sort things out when choosing wedding cakes in Toronto. Tier means layer. The number of tiers dictates how tall the cake is going to be. The most popular number is three – extravagant enough, but not too much. When you are asking for a quotation, be sure to ask if ALL the layers in that quotation are edible and not styrofoam.

The most common types of cake base from fluffy to dense are sponge, chiffon, and pound (including the fruitcake-type). For the icing, commonly used are butter cream, made of fat or butter and sugar, while foam icing is made of egg white and sugar or marshmallows and fudge icing are chocolate-based icings. All types are placed onto the base with a spatula or an icing funnel. Flat, royal, or fondant icings are basically sugar and water, rolled out into sheets and topped on the cake. However, royal icing has egg whites for thicker consistency, and fondant icing has glucose syrup and cream of tartar to give it that elegant porcelain finish.

Fondant icing is also featured on the most expensive wedding cakes in Toronto. The color to match your wedding motif may be added through the trimmings: flowers (fresh or candy), ribbons, fruit, candies, almost anything that is small enough to place on a cake can be. The last and final touch would be the cake topper. That’s the small figurine of the bride and the groom at the top of the tiers.

And Off You Go You are now armed with the basics, and can now keep up with the shop talk. Good bakers of wedding cakes in Toronto will also offer taste samples of the different cakes. So you can be assured that when you cut into that cake and give your new life partner that first piece, it will almost be as sweet and good as your love.

When you receive wedding invitations, you already picture the event, if it is a flashy or simple one. After the wedding, you remember the beautiful bride in her stunning wedding gown, the beribboned wedding cake, and the romantic wedding venue, every thing straight out of a fairy tale.

Now you are planning your wedding. At the top of the list are your wedding dress, rings, wedding cake, wedding invitations and wedding venue. Ridding one item is unimaginable so you juggle your funds. Redo your calculations to stretch your budget because there are the wedding accessories, photography, DJ, the wedding entourage, and the pre-wedding dinner to host.

A hefty chunk of the budget goes to the wedding gown, rings, wedding cake, wedding invitations, venue and corkage. Unfortunately, you cannot choose to ignore any of these because the stuff makes your wedding memorable. But you can save hundreds of dollars if you know how to trim down your expenses.

Money Saving Tips

Wedding Dress

Before entering a favoured bridal boutique inform the sales clerk you are looking for a dress within a particular price range. This done, you are shown the appropriate items. If you do not or forget to tell the clerk about your preference, expect to be shown top designer gowns you cannot afford and chances are you end up with a pricey wedding dress because you get upsold.

Wedding Invitations

Wedding invitations and stationery that are professionally printed are not cheap. These have fancy designs and printing techniques and before you know it, you are spending more than you have planned. Avoid more expense by choosing simple invitations or make your own personalized wedding invitations if you are feeling adventurous.

Wedding Rings

You can easily be distracted with flashy rings so tell the clerk upfront you want wedding rings within certain price tags. Be ready with your finger sizes to avoid ending up with rings that do not fit, it is again a waste of money.

Wedding Cake

The cake is costly because of baking pans and baking accessories are expensive. Bakers also use quality ingredients for tasty cakes. Ask the hotel if their pastry chef can bake your cake. Brides who have done this route swear they saved money on their wedding cake. Also, consider a “dummy” cake for the centerpiece.

Wedding Venue

If you want 100 guests to break it out on the dance floor or an intimate bunch to lounge in an outdoor setting, visit the venue to see if it suits your style. So before signing the contract for the venue, check out what are included and not. You might get stung with a ruined budget because of additional fees.

Corkage

Find out the corkage cost for wines. This can cost you a packet if you are not careful. So before finalizing the contract for the venue, know what you are in for. Other venues charge lower corkage fees so continue looking around.

The best rule to follow to avoid wedding budget bombers is to stick to your budget, no matter how much you hanker for that luxurious wedding gown, romantic venue, glittering rings and beautiful wedding invitations.

Brides, shop wisely for your wedding invitations, wedding dresses, and wedding favor. Find quality but affordable items at BestForBrides.com.