Flowers, caterers, reception hall, and bridesmaids' dresses. Engraved invitations, honeymoon locale, gift registration, and table linens. These are only a few of the hundreds of components that are involved in planning a wedding. It is easy to forget (between calls to the photographer and decisions about place settings) about the centerpiece of your celebration, your wedding cake. Too often this task is assigned to the caterer or reception hall without much thought to the final product.

Your wedding cake is one of the last things your guests will get at your wedding and one of the first they will remember. How many weddings have you attended where you remember how terrible the cake was?

Size

Bigger doesn't always mean better. A six-tier cake serves no purpose unless you have to feed five hundred people with it. A smaller cake, four tiers or less, is always more delicate and beautiful than a hulking, four foot creation towering the corner. A bigger cake also requires more detail, which is less likely to stand out and shine, the larger the cake becomes. Bigger cakes, due to sheer size, are always more expensive. If you bring in a cake from an outside, a larger cake will come with a higher transportation costs. Always remember that you can have a small cake to cut for photos and a sheet cake to serve to your guests.

Seasonality

If you're planning a December wedding, disregard fresh raspberries in your cake right now. Many summer weddings happen not only due to the beautiful weather but due to the abundant availability of amazing berries that adorn the inside and outside of cakes. Berries are a popular filling but only serve their purpose for a few months a year. Finding berries out of season is expensive (as they have to be imported) and are always of a lower quality than those found locally in June, July, and August. They also don't taste as good and have a tendency to be smaller in size, meaning that more will be needed to obtain the desired effect in your cake. If you must have some sort of berry filling in your cake in January, consider a jam or marmalade as opposed to fresh fruit.

Design

Perhaps the delicate lace filigree design on your veil is so beautiful that you want it copied and featured prominently in your wedding day. Note: Use the design as a centerpiece for the tables and not as a royal icing pattern around the edge of your cake. Intricate, delicate patterns never translate well to cakes and do not stand out in low-lit rooms. You are better off garnishing your cake with flowers that contrast to the color of cake finish and draw people's eyes to the cake itself.

Style

Every year Martha Stewart puts out several wedding issues. Each one features at least ten or so cakes. And every year thousands of brides-to-be rush to clip the same picture and announce, 'This is the cake that I want.' While looking at pictures is essential to rule out likes and dislikes, consider taking components from several cakes that interest you and combining them in order to achieve your desired result. This will result in a one-of-a-kind creation. The caterer or bakery that you decide to do business with also has pictures of cakes that they have done. Looking at these can help you choose a style (tiered or stacked), a finish (fondant or buttercream), and details (anything from dots to flowers to gum paste ribbons). Don't look to reinvent the wheel- you don't want your guests wondering whether on the table in the room is a cake or a pile of white wrapping paper.

Cake or…

Cupcakes are cute. They are classy and hand held, can be stacked in such a way as to resemble a cake, and are of a more manageable portion size after a large meal. They are also very much in vogue in the wedding world and (depending on decoration) can be a more casual alternative to a standard wedding cake. Cupcakes also allow you the option of mixing and matching a number of different cake and icing flavors with ease.

Dessert buffets, with a wide selection of pastries, are a fantastic option if you like to graze or not stick to a regimented schedule of when your guests can eat dessert (for twenty minutes, only between the father-daughter dance and the champagne sorbet). This also gives you an opportunity to share your favorite types of desserts, as well as those of your new husband's, with your loved ones. An incredibly popular addition to a dessert buffet is a chocolate fountain, usually set up with a number of condiments to dip in. Consider this if you have a number of children attending your celebration- it's a great (though sometimes messy) distraction.

Though it appears to be a faux-pas not to have a cake at your wedding, there is no rule that one must be present in order to have a fantastic life of wedded bliss. A light sorbet dish with cookies is just as delicious and can avoid the overstuffed feeling that comes after several courses and drinking.

Package Deal

How easy would it be to walk into one room and have all your wedding needs met? Many reception halls require you to use their caterers and subsequently their cakes for the payoff of a cheaper overall price. This sounds fantastic on paper, but be wary of this option. Many reception halls have a limited selection of cakes that you can choose from and take less care than a professional bakery or cake design establishment. Many times, if you do bring in your own cake, you are charged a cake cutting fee. Find out in advance what this is and weigh out the pros and cons of whether you'd prefer to save a few dollars by using the reception halls caterers or bringing in your own (often times nicer) cake.

Price

If you want fresh passion fruit flown in specifically from Hawaii for your cake, it will cost you. If live butterflies are going to be released from your cake when you cut the first slice, it will not be cheap. If you want Sylvia Weinstock or Francois Payard to make your cake, it will be very expensive. But if you want to keep it simple with less frills and more flavor it doesn't have to break the bank. Consider asking a culinary friend for advice, or even assistance, in baking your cake. Choose a three tier cake for look and cut into a sheet cake for the bulk of your guests. When doing a cake tasting with a caterer or bakery, ask which flavors and designs will cost more (due to increased labor) and how to reign in these costs.

Remember that many factors make a good wedding, and a good wedding cake. Bear in mind the above factors when planning out your cake and your guests will leave wiping the crumbs from their smiling mouths.