The traditional wedding cake, balanced on plaster pillars and topped with tiny figurines of the bride and groom, has been reworked in recent years to produce delectable new confections of stacked tiers, fresh flowers, ribbons and different flavours, as described by Lucinda Ganderton and Sania Pell in Creating Your Perfect Wedding.

The classic wedding cake is a rich fruit mixture, made into three tiers (normally supported by little columns, though it's popular now to have them stacked) and covered with marzipan and white royal icing. Fruit cake keeps well and couples often preserve the top tier for their first anniversary or the christening of their first child. If you want to do this, remove the icing and marzipan, wrap the cake in greaseproof paper and store in an airtight tin in a cool, dark place. Re-ice the cake when you need it.

Alternatives to the fruit cake include chocolate, lemon, coffee or carrot cake, or plain Madeira. Remember that, if you want an iced cake, the cake itself must be fairly firm so as not to collapse.

The inspiration for decorating your cake could come from any number of sources: the time of year or the flowers and colours you are using. You could have a cake made to resemble a pile of wedding presents or an open book of love poetry. You could also take inspiration from your dress. These and more ideas for cakes can be found in Creating Your Perfect Wedding.