Everything You Need To Know About Choosing Your Wedding Cake
The wedding industry is globally diverse, with a large variety of types and traditions. These traditions stem from ceremonies of ethnic groups, countries and cultures. They are based on the personal preferences of the parties involved. In this article, we will discuss wedding cakes in Sri Lanka,to assist you in finding the best wedding cake for your special day.
The Wedding Industry
The wedding industry consists of several sub-groups that provide services to complete the occasion. Among them are wedding invitations, bakeries for the wedding cake, jewelers for wedding rings, event transportation, event photography and/or videography. There are also wedding planning services, formal wedding attire, wedding locations, banquet/reception locations and catering. In this article, we will be focusing on one of the most important aspects of weddings: finding the perfect wedding cake in Sri Lanka.
We all know that a wedding is incomplete if a towering and attractive cake is not present. A wedding cake is auspicious and a great attraction to the ceremony. It is also a tradition that has been around for a number of centuries. The glamour that a cake brings into a wedding is why this industry has sustained so long.
Origins of the Wedding Cake
The origins of the wedding cake dates back to ancient Rome. Weddings ended with the groom breaking a loaf of barley bread over the bride’s head, symbolizing fertility. Guests would scramble to pick up the crumbs in order to take home some of that good luck.
Inhabitants of medieval England organized small spiced buns into a huge pile. If the bride and groom could kiss without knocking the tower over, the belief was that they’d enjoy a lifetime of prosperity together.
Initially, it was pies that were the most popular treat of weddings. Eventually, wedding cakes outperformed wedding pies in popularity. By the middle of the 16th century, sugar had become widely available throughout Britain. White sugar rose in popularity as it was more refined. Pure white icing on a wedding cake became a status symbol and a nod to purity. Queen Victoria’s wedding continued this tradition, leading to Royal Icing being the term for white icing.
Today, the global wedding cake industry is worth almost USD 2 billion, according to insights collected by Forbes.
Wedding Cakes in Sri Lanka
When compared to most countries, the wedding industry of Sri Lanka is considerably larger . The reason for this is that us Lankans take our wedding ceremonies very seriously. Brides and grooms look after every aspect of the occasion with care. This is done to make sure that nothing goes amiss on their special day.
If we take a look at the reality wedding TV shows such a Subasiri or Manali, or even attend a wedding exhibition held at BMICH, we can find out how much thought goes into the smallest details of a Sri Lankan wedding.
When finding the ideal wedding cake, the Sri Lankan wedding industry has a lot to deal with because we come from a mixture of cultures. Some families may prefer to wed in a more Western style while others may integrate heavy heritage and culture to their wedding.
This leads to a wider range of wedding cakes. As illustrated below, Sri Lankans actually preferred offering tiny separate pieces of fruit cake to the attendees. For glamour, they prepare a cost-effective fake foam tower of a wedding cake structure with impressive floral decorations. This was the type that we Lankans have come to know as wedding cakes.
However, through the last decade, a change has come over Sri Lankans as we migrated into preparing nude and iced cakes for our weddings. We consider this the new norm. it is common for brides to haggle over every little detail of the cake including floral decorations, flavors, colors and size.
What to Consider When Finding a Wedding Cake in Sri Lanka?
Venue
The venue of your wedding can affect the aesthetic and design details of the cake. Additionally, it is important to consider the lighting of the venue as well, because delicate buttercream icing would melt faster in a place with harsher lights. When it comes to outdoor wedding venues, it is more prudent to use a sturdier fondant wedding cake than using buttercream, as it will stay put for longer.
Find a baker
This is one of the most important parts of your task as the baker will determine how good the cake is. You should choose a baker that is very experienced with baking bigger structures and uses a good range of products. Finding a perfect wedding cake baker in Sri Lanka is important because a baker who charges less will typically use products of a lower quality which might affect the cake later on. In your research process, make sure that you find their credentials as well as social media websites.Do not be fooled by impressive looking images. Seek out online testimonials and reviews to complete the picture before you schedule a meeting.
Find your style
After you’ve found a baker that uses a high quality range of products, you need to make sure that the baker is familiar with the style of cake that you want. For this, you need to have a clear idea of how you want your dream wedding cake to look and taste like. You can choose to include specific colors, an aesthetic, and whether it should have a rustic or modern look.
As an example, if your wedding is heavily cultured, you can include some Sinhalese touches to the cake and colors like gold and bronze to add a royal look. However, if you’re staging a Western wedding, the colors pearl white with beads and angel statues might add a nice touch to your cake.
You can use sites such as Pinterest and Tumblr to gather different images to suit your wildest cake structure dreams. Once you have a satisfactory collection of images, paint a mental image of what you want your cake to look like. Discuss your options with your baker to see if they are compatible with the options and also to see if you can make any improvements. You can search for more innovative wedding cakes made outside of Sri Lanka and inset the same flair.
Narrow it down
Narrow your list down to one baker and discuss the most intricate details, such as the estimated head count, date and venue. This is important when finding the perfect wedding cake in Sri Lanka.
Prepare your budget
Make sure that you and your baker are on the same page when it comes to the budget. Consider the details of the cake and how much they would cost and add them to your budget. The number of servings needed and the complexity of the design determines the cost of a cake. Sugar flowers can dramatically spike the costs because they are handcrafted, time-consuming and expensive. A good cake designer will make helpful suggestions to keep your budget on point, while still meeting your aesthetic needs.
Consider choosing a ready-made service
If the designer does not meet your expectations, you have the option of choosing ready-made weddings cakes through distributors who are willing to make customized changes such as colors and materials.
Get Inspired
Create something unique
Use flavors that are more uncommon to give your guests something to talk about. Experiment the said flavor with your baker/ service. Remember, just the visual of a cake isn’t enough. The prime purpose of a wedding cake is to taste good. Therefore, don’t choose flavors that you think everyone will like, choose flavors that you like. Why choose mainstream vanilla, chocolate or red velvet when there’s praline and hazelnut cake with chocolate mousse filling as well as caramel? Think about it.
Where to buy wedding cakes in Sri Lanka?
Now that we’ve figured out the nitty-gritty of choosing wedding cakes, this article will also assist you to find your ideal baker.
New Bakers
There is a large number of up and coming bakers, encouraged by Instagram posts and YouTube tutorials. Most of them have registered here, in order to reach out to potential customers. The Wedding Directory provides all services in relation to the wedding industry.
Lanka Chandani
In addition, Lanka Chandani is one of the most celebrated wedding cake designers in Sri Lanka. Their products are popular in the market simply due to its uniqueness, creativity, flexibility and affordability.
Kapruka
Kapruka, Sri Lanka’s leading e-commerce platform, also provides high quality cake structures which you can customize according to your wedding colors as well. They carry a long term reputation of elegance and taste. Kapruka wedding cakes carry the same essence and are efficient in every way.
At Kapruka, usually most orders are finalized 3-4 months in advance but can be done prior to that if you prefer. All orders must be finalized at least one month before with the remaining balance due two weeks prior to the wedding. Customers can fill out a contract with an estimated deposit based on the guest count, and decide on design and structure. Customers can also decide if they want to use fresh cake for the structure, as well as coordinate with florists to make sure the cake structure matches the floral decorations.
To add more flair to your wedding and make it unique, Kapruka offers cupcake creations with a special stand on which they are displayed that is often trimmed with a ribbon in a color that matches the wedding colors. Often, a bride will request a small cake on the top level of the cupcake stand. This tier is used for pictures in the ceremonial cutting of the cake.
Modern cakes are a centerpiece to the wedding to make your special day more glamorous and beautiful. The wedding cakes enhance the aesthetic of the wedding and set a romantic mood to all the guests. This is why every intricate detail of the cake is important to consider to beautify the most important day for a bride and groom. We hope that this article was beneficial in finding the perfect wedding cake in Sri Lanka.