Ask The Celebration Advisor: I'm getting married outdoors in Salt Lake City, Utah. It's late enough in the year that it should be cool (so the almanac says) but my mom is still worried about me getting the buttercream icing that I want on my wedding cake. Do you think it'll be ok or should I try something else? ~ Leigh

The Celebration Advisor: An outdoor wedding in Salt Lake City sounds, well, a little precarious if you have opted for a buttercream wedding cake. However, there are many kinds of buttercream icing so it's a good idea to ask your local baker which type they use.

Buttercream icing for wedding cakes with a high sugar content tend to last longer under heat. The more common types of buttercream icing, French buttercream and Italian buttercream, have a higher fat content and therefore do not withstand heat as well. Once you have discovered which your Salt Lake City wedding bakery uses, you can judge from there.

As much as we all hate to hear this, your mother is probably right. A stiffer icing will most likely last longer. Fondant wedding cakes are popular with modern brides and allow a wide range of shapes and designs. Buttercream icings soften when cooled but fondant was designed for cakes that need no refrigeration and can last a while. Therefore, the rolled fondant icing on wedding cakes tends to harden slightly when left out.

Your biggest decision is whether or not you want to go against your mother even if it is your wedding. You can find buttercream icing wedding cakes that will hold up for a short time (a few hours at best) during your outdoor wedding. If you wait until just before time for the reception to display your wedding cake, your cake should be fine if your wedding cake baker uses a stiffer buttercream. If you want to avoid an argument, go with what mom says on this one and agree on a high-sugar buttercream or a rolled fondant wedding cake icing.

Wedding cake decorations are becoming increasingly unique, but altogether still the same good ol' stuff that your parents and grandparents loved. When discussing your wedding cake ideas with a local bakery, consider these trends concerning wedding cake styles, frosting and cake toppers.

A Glimpse at Traditional Wedding Cakes

Traditional wedding cakes are beautifully formed of either buttercream frosting or fondant icing. Cake toppers typically centered around the bride and groom standing together arm-in-arm as if standing at the altar. White wedding cakes were popular, both as the choice of flavor and icing color. Decorations were elegant but simple; not understated nor over the top. These are beautiful wedding cakes for any reception, but their classic style has since been pushed to the side by more original, unique wedding cakes.

Take A Peek At Popular Modern Wedding Cakes

Wedding cakes for the modern bride tend to take on a very different appearance. Wedding cake ideas are limitless as the modern bride favors unique cake designs that showcase personality and style. Cake toppers range from a groom dipping his bride to kissing couples. Monogrammed cake toppers are also used often. The idea surrounding modern wedding cakes is that each should be a reflection of the bride, so creative designs are very popular.

Ever The Same For Wedding Cake Components

Buttercream frosting and fondant icing are still popular, but modern wedding cakes take these two classic components to the next level. Contemporary cake designs offer a wide range of designs that call for creative use of both sweet treats. Your local wedding cake bakeries can offer more details about the differences between buttercream and fondant. Regardless, fondant wedding cakes and cakes with buttercream icing will forever grace the food tables at wedding receptions.

Cake toppers may look slightly different these days but their popularity as the crowning feature of the wedding cake remains the same. Whether embracing one another as a couple or declaring the initial of the couple's surname, cake toppers are among the most well received wedding cake decorations.

History of the Wedding Cake

The importance of wedding cakes goes back for centuries. Originally, wedding cakes represented fertility, prosperity, and also symbolized the couple’s new life together. Many even think that the tiered wedding cake was not born out of artistic creation, but actually out of necessity.

The tradition of the wedding cake can be found as far back as the Romans. According to legend, Read the rest of WEDDING CAKE IDEAS »