Cake designer offers tips for ordering dessert on the big day

Once the date and venue are chosen wedding parties are then tasked with a multitude of other details and one that all guests enjoy is the cake.

Nancy Elam is the cake designer at Hy-Vee in Washington and has been helping couples prepare for the big day for more than 15 years. For those looking for a place to start, Elam says the sooner the better works for her.

'I have had people come in as little as a week ahead of time, which I don't recommend, but the sooner the better. I've also had people order a year out but minimum I would like to see is four to six weeks. That way if I need to order in something special, I have plenty of time,” she said.

When calling about a cake, Elam said two of the first things she needs to know are how many people are expected at the wedding and what the budget is.

'Some people may have a huge cake in mind but don't have a budget to match so be realistic with your expenses. You don't want to break the bank on something you're going to eat,” she said.

For designs, Elam said she can work with parties to create what they have in mind and even scale it down to fit their budgets and needs if necessary. Bringing in a design or having a rough idea is helpful, she said.

A typical three-tier cake will serve about 120-150 people, she said. For larger weddings, Elam suggests purchasing additional sheet cakes to serve to guests. This will cut down on cost while still feeding the group and will make serving easier.

Tastings can be arranged but must be set up ahead of time, she said. The cake flavors will be standard, she said but the varieties of frosting available are something most couples enjoy sampling.

As for trends, Elam said there has not been one that has stood out to her. Grooms cakes, a cake separate from the wedding cake, are starting to gain momentum, she said.

'It's one of those that if they think about it and they have it in the budget, they do it. If the groom has specific interests those seem to be a popular thing,” she said.

Elam said one of the most memorable was a mounted deer head cake she made a couple of years ago.

'Sometimes the grooms cakes are more elaborate than the wedding cake but it's fun to get creative when they bring me a picture and it's my job to figure out how I am going to do it,” she said.

When choosing a cake, Elam reiterated the most important advice she can offer to couples is to be realistic about how much cake they can purchase within their budget. Shows like Cake Boss are fun to watch and produce beautiful, elaborate cakes, but are much more expensive than people realize.

'I can come up with a lot of good things, but don't expect to get a $3,000 cake for $100,” she said.