Most brides have thought about their wedding cake a lot over the years. In their mind they have an image of what it will look like. Usually this is influenced primarily by wedding cakes that have impressed them at some point in their lives. Maybe it was a cake they saw the first time they were allowed to accompany their family to a rich aunt's wedding, maybe it was a design they spotted in a magazine. Nearly every bride has a different story. However, few have thought about their wedding cake construction options.

Does it really make sense for any bride to allow anything in their wedding to be dictated by any factors outside their own situation? For instance, unless a bride is getting married in the exact same space in the exact same wedding venue at the same time of year under at least very similar weather conditions and with the same guests as the wedding that inspired her choice in wedding cake styles then it would be wise for that bride to consider her own specific situation in choosing how to alter that dream wedding cake to fit into their unique wedding situation.

Notice I did not say they need to find a new style?

A bride and her groom have their own sense of style. There is no need to change their style. The trick is to adapt their wedding cake construction to their specific situation. If they do so they will have a unique piece of art that will fit their specific needs.

But what are the options regarding wedding cake construction? In short, a wedding cake can be constructed in the following manners: Stacked, Pillars, Separator Plates, and Stands.

Stacked: This is the traditional wedding cake where one cake is placed directly on top of the next biggest cake. It has the advantage of being one of the most stable forms of wedding cake construction, making it a good choice for weddings that include children, man's best friend, and people with a tendency to celebrate a little bit too much too soon. The stacked construction's primary drawback is that this style does not do anything to enhance the appearance of smaller wedding cakes.

Pillars: Pillars are used between the tiers of a wedding cake to give the cake more height and, therefore, more drama. This is particularly useful if the tier cake is designed to serve less than one hundred to one hundred fifty people. However, depending on the height of the pillars used, this type of wedding cake construction is also the least stable.

Separator Plates: This is a style that is just coming back into fashion. By using separator plates a tiered cake can be assembled with the stability of the stacked option and the height of some pillared options. This is because a structure, which can be made from any food grade substance but which is usually plastic or glass, is placed between the tiers of the cake. In the past it featured a fountain or an elegant sculptured design. More recent uses of this form of construction is designed to mimic pillars and disguised with icing or fresh flowers.

Stands: This is the simplest presentation for a wedding cake, making it a great choice for a DIY wedding. With this construction each cake sits on a separate plate that simply slides into place on the (usually) metal cake stand. The downside is that the sizes of your cakes are pretty well dictated by the size of the stand - of course a crafty person could create their own stand to fit their wedding's needs specifically.

Every wedding has a million details that work together to determine how smoothly the celebration comes together. Wedding cake construction styles are a potentially important element in this decision process. For some, the potential exists to mix construction styles, like setting a stacked cake on a pedestal and utilizing a separator plate between the second and third tiers.

Ultimately, considering the special needs of each wedding will inform the choice of wedding cake construction styles, helping to create a wedding cake that is as perfect for that particular celebration as it is unique.