1. Always have a glass of water on hand. Be sure to take a couple of sips of water in between cakes. (ie) have some strawberry cake, take a few sips of water, have some chocolate cake, take a few sips of water, etc. This cleans your palette so you can have an accurate taste of the next cake. Eating one type of cake after another without cleaning the palette will affect how each cake tastes and you won’t be able to effectively gage the taste. Avoid coffee as it affects the taste of the cake as well. Water is best.

2. Never be afraid to negotiate. If the price tag of the cake you really want is a little out of your budget, ask your cake decorator what they can do to bring the cost down. It can be something as simple as replacing one real tier with a fake one.

3. Remember, the more intricate and the more tiers, the bigger the price. Nowadays, even fake cakes starting to cost as much as real cakes for the sheer fact that the decorating is labour-intensive. Some alternative options are having a three tier cake on a cake stand to add height rather than tiers, having the two bottom tiers fake and the top three real, focusing the “uniqueness” of the cake in the flavours rather than the design, going with square rather than round (you get more pieces of cake out of one tier), etc.

4. Never be afraid to tell the decorator what you don’t like about the cake you’re tasting. If you find that the raspberry filling you had your heart set on tastes like jam from a jar but you really love the design, tell the decorator. Rather than decide “I don’t like the filling so I guess this cake is a no-go” tell the decorator what you don’t like about it and ask if there’s anyway to fix the problem (ie) can she add real raspberries to the “jam” can she make it more crème based, etc. The decorator wants your business and therefore wants to please you so never be afraid to speak your mind.

5. When looking through a cake decorator’s portfolio, focus on ALL their cakes and not just wedding cakes. While birthday, anniversary and shower cakes may not seem relevant to your wedding they most certainly are. You can get a really good sense of a decorator’s creativity and how unique they can go by looking at other cakes. For example, if you want your wedding cake to look like a giant purse you may find that by looking at birthday cakes that your decorator can certainly do it. There is no rule that a wedding cake has to be a round or square tiered cake. It’s your wedding – the sky’s the limit!

6. If you want real florals on your cake be sure to ask what kind of florals they use (ie) gumpaste, silk, organic, etc. Your decorator should know the golden rule but it’s your responsibility to ensure they follow it and so it’s your responsibility to ask. If the florals are not edible they must be organic or silk or there must be a form of barrier between the flower and the cake. This is because pesticides can absorb into the icing of the cake and could be deadly for your guests. Remember, if you choose real florals or don’t bother to ask about organic, silk or barriers and your guests get sick due to pesticides or other chemicals – it’s YOU that’s liable on the wedding day.

7. Be sure to tell your decorator about any restrictions – edible or not (ie) nut allergies, your tent reception is at the bottom of a steep hill, your cake will be outdoors with no covering, etc. This will help your decorator to ensure that there are no surprises on the wedding day and your cake gets to its location safely and in one piece not to mention safe for your guests to eat.

Most importantly, have fun at your tastings!!!