Wedding Cake Secrets Every Couple Should Know | Budget, Flavours, Trends & Mistakes to Avoid

Does anyone actually eat the wedding cake? How much should you budget? And is fruitcake finally dead? 🍰

We are looking back on one of our favourite episodes of season 2, and we're joined by Cheshire wedding cake designer Rhian, who shares everything couples should know before booking their wedding cake.

From choosing flavours your guests will actually eat to avoiding expensive mistakes, this episode is packed with honest advice, behind-the-scenes secrets and practical wedding planning tips.

We discuss:

• Why couples should stop under-ordering wedding cake
• Wedding cake trends for 2026 & 2027
• Buttercream vs fondant
• The biggest mistakes couples make
• How far in advance to book your cake
• Wedding cake budgets explained
• Why your wedding cake probably won't melt in summer
• Whether supermarket wedding cakes are worth it
• Why nobody wants fruitcake anymore
• The truth about saving your top tier

If you're currently planning your wedding, this episode is full of useful advice that could save you money while helping you choose a cake your guests will actually remember.

Subscribe to Totally Absolutely Engaged for weekly conversations with trusted wedding experts, honest supplier advice and practical planning tips.

Transcript

SPEAKER_01 0:06

Hello and welcome back to another episode of Unpacked. Today we are joined by Rihanne.

SPEAKER_02 0:12

Hi and to be honest with me, I mean we don't know each other directly, but we know well, we heard of you through Michelle at Rella Stationery. Yes. She says that your cakes are absolutely amazing.

SPEAKER_00 0:27

I should have brought some. You should have a bottle of me.

SPEAKER_02 0:31

But part of that, we just simply know that you're a good cake maker based in Cheshire.

SPEAKER_00 0:36

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 0:37

So what exactly do you do? How long have you been doing it for?

SPEAKER_00 0:40

Um so I'm just approaching my five-year mark.

SPEAKER_03 0:43

Okay.

SPEAKER_00 0:43

I was kind of born out of lockdown. I've always baked. I've always baked for friends, for family. Um, but I got bored in lockdown. I was I was one of those that was furloughed, needed something to do, I was at home with my little boy at the time. So I just baked and baked and baked. And I thought, why am I doing this and not making money like money out of it? So I put I I made a page, I enjoyed doing it, um, and then I did it alongside work for a long time until I had my second little boy and I just didn't go back. And that was in I was due to go back to work in 2023 and just didn't go back. So yeah, creating in 2020. Yeah. Um, weddings started in 2021. I was a bit nervous of them because this so did you start with birthdays? So I started with birthdays mainly, um, and then the weddings came along, and I do a mixture of both. Um, I do love doing the weddings though. Yeah, yeah, just being part of that somebody's special day. But it's more fulfilling, isn't it? It's so much more fulfilling, yeah. And then when you see like the photos at the end and just knowing you're a part of something, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 1:44

Are they much harder projects than your birthday ones?

SPEAKER_00 1:48

In terms of structure, yeah. Um most of the time, because most of the time, but most of the time then they're fairly neutral in colour, whereas like birthday cakes come with like lots of toppers and colours and stuff.

SPEAKER_02 1:59

I was looking at birthday cakes, actually, some are really vibrant.

SPEAKER_00 2:02

They are, yeah, um and I have had some vibrant wedding cakes, um, but then most of them tend to be a bit more neutral, a bit more classic.

SPEAKER_01 2:12

Yeah, yeah. What is your biggest piece of advice that you would give to your bride and grooms?

SPEAKER_00 2:18

Um there's always kind of been a bit of a stigma around nobody eats the cake. I get a message after every wedding saying that they didn't even the bride and groom didn't even get a slice.

SPEAKER_01 2:29

So they paid for it and not even a few.

SPEAKER_00 2:30

And they've not even got a slice. Because they say under cater. But I'll say I I give the servings out for all my wedding cakes. You you take whichever cake you want, but I will say don't undercater too far because if it's good cake, the cake will go. Because they only cut little slices, it's a bit stingy, really, isn't it? So they'll go back for more. And they always do. I love that. So why do people usually say un undercater? But especially if you've been a day guest, you've been fed all day, haven't you? There's the canopies, the three-course meal, and then you've got the evening meal. Yeah, they've started drinking, then you're full of beer, or they have a donut wall on the you try and come and screw me over. Yeah. Taking your job. People are just they think people are just full, and then they've always had a dessert in the evening as well, whether it be a donut wall or whether they've served something. So yeah, these they don't think that people need it, but they still eat it, especially in the evening guests, because the evening guests have they've not eaten tea before, they've come to a wedding because they know they're getting fed. Yeah, yeah. So they come and then they fill their boots. Yeah. Do you have a signature? Oh, go on.

SPEAKER_02 3:40

No, no, I was gonna say, I just uh when I'm collecting like my stuff at night, I obviously see a lot of weddings. Yeah. And I can vouch that there's not always a lot of cake left, if any, sometimes it may depend on how good the cake is.

SPEAKER_00 3:53

Yeah, yeah, because I bet there is so I always say to my suppliers, uh my my co my brides and grooms, don't undercater too much. And if you want some of that cake, you will be so busy you'll forget to get it.

SPEAKER_02 4:07

So get them to cut you a bit off first.

SPEAKER_00 4:08

Get them to cut some off or save a whole tier for yourself. And very often the top tier is saved for them with an extra box and the kitchen whip it off the top of the cake and put it to one side and they pick it up the next day or eat it in bed, as I've had a couple do the other one. Literally received a photo of them eating it in bed. Oh, that's so cute. It was great.

SPEAKER_02 4:30

I wanted a bit of each tier because each tier is normally a different flavour, isn't it? Yeah, yeah, absolutely. When it was mine, I was cut a little bit off. Every single bit. Yeah. I felt I felt rude saying it, but I actually thought. Well, you know, you've got to taste it up.

SPEAKER_00 4:41

You've paid for it, you've chosen what you want. Yeah. So yeah.

SPEAKER_01 4:44

My mum and dad left their wedding cake with my granddad when they went on the honeymoon, left a whole tear and then half of two tears, and he ate all of it. They didn't get to eat any of the cake because my granddad ate the whole thing.

SPEAKER_00 4:57

Oh no, I weren't happy.

SPEAKER_01 5:00

Do you have like a signature style?

SPEAKER_00 5:02

Um, so I'm buttercream based only. Okay. I've done the odd fundant cake, like sugar paste cake, but don't don't tell don't tell people I do that. I hate doing it. Me, meat and sugar paste, or fondant as people call it, we don't get on. You're not best friends. No, absolutely not. I'd honestly take my hat off to anybody that can do it. But yeah, buttercream based. Um, and the they tend to come in trends, so a lot of people I call it the semi-naked style, so it's got like a slight scraping of buttercream around it, a little bit people really like them, and then with the added flowers on as well, which I normally get from the local the florist that's doing everything the other day. Oh, they're really pretty, style. Yeah, there's loads. Um, but I'd say the most popular one this year has been what I call like my ruffle cake, so it's fully coated in buttercream, um, and then it's just kind of like got a ruffled style buttercream to it. People go for it in white or cream, and again we just put flowers on it, and that's been the most popular. In in every sort of venue, like not just rustic venues, but so they they really I think the flowers make it, or whatever the bride and groom choose to add on to it really make it.

SPEAKER_02 6:12

Yeah, brings the theme in.

SPEAKER_00 6:14

Yeah, so it'll sit in a rustic venue, or it'll sit in a modern venue, or somewhere that's more historic, it just fit well.

SPEAKER_01 6:23

Do you tend to find that the styles change a lot over the years? Like what's in trend?

SPEAKER_00 6:27

Yeah, absolutely. So, like the trend at the minute is all like the vintage piping that's coming back, right? Which I absolutely love. I love doing it, I like doing it. Um, they're really back in. And the heart-shaped cakes love them, and you can do them tiered as well.

SPEAKER_02 6:43

So are flavours trended as well, or are they always just very random?

SPEAKER_00 6:47

They can be quite random. Yeah, people normally always go for like a vanilla and either strawberry or raspberry jam. It's a it's a crowd pleaser, and they like to choose one that pleases everybody, but then they they massively vary.

SPEAKER_03 7:02

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 7:03

And sometimes people go for all flavouring one cake, which I don't get. I don't get that one.

SPEAKER_01 7:08

No, I wouldn't do that personally. No, but each to their own. Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 7:12

The fruitcake stuff. When it's like a Christmas cake.

SPEAKER_00 7:15

Yeah, no, I don't even make it. Horrid. No. Horrid. I think I've been asked twice in five years.

SPEAKER_02 7:20

Yeah, it's so disappointing.

SPEAKER_00 7:22

Yeah, I shouldn't say no. Nobody wants to say it. It's only it's only your nan that wants it, isn't it? Literally.

SPEAKER_01 7:29

Who actually enjoys fruitcake? I feel like the force in it. No, yeah, it's a bit gross. So, what's your biggest wedding ick other than fruitcake?

SPEAKER_02 7:36

Mother than fruitcake. I should have waited.

SPEAKER_00 7:41

Um, I don't necessarily think it's um cake related. But my sounds awful, doesn't it? Because I I don't want brides to think that I'm talking about their mother, but it's the overbearing mothers or like the bragging mothers. Oh, yep. So I'm there before the wedding started, as you guys probably would be. Yeah um, taking the cake, and the mother is always floating about. She's always got a dressing gown on, which I love the matching dressing gowns. Like, I'm there for them, they're cute, they are cute. She's already had her hair and makeup done, but she's walking out and she's bragging about everything. And she's coming over and going, Oh yeah, I've paid for this and I've paid for this, and about how much things cost. And everyone has a different budget, and that is just my big biggest, biggest ick. I can't I can't be doing with it. Like making it about them almost, isn't it? Yeah, that and sugared almonds. Sugared almonds. I don't know if people I've seen them a few times. I don't know if people still do them. My sister actually did them, so she's gonna murder me when she watches this. They put them in like little boxes, like lacy boxes, and you tie them with a bit of ribbon on top, and they put sugared almonds in them, and it's your wedding favour. Yeah, I'm confused. I think everybody used to be in the yeah, they used to.

SPEAKER_02 8:57

I've not seen them for a long time.

SPEAKER_01 8:59

But yes, I've seen them a couple of times, but yeah, they're a biggest dick. Like, who wants them? I know, is that supposed to be nice? I don't know. Is that supposed to be pleasurable? I don't know. How bizarre.

SPEAKER_02 9:09

What is the process then? When did so you would they how far in advance does the order need to be? And when do you actually start, mate? I've always wondered how early do you make the cake for a wedding that's so not too early.

SPEAKER_00 9:22

People always think that it literally needs to be made the day before. Once a cake's made and coated, it lasts for seven days. Right, okay. Never lasts as long as a cake bought uh shop bought cake because they've got all sorts of preservatives and stuff in them. Um but if I've got a Saturday wedding, I tend to bake on the Thursday, let it cool, trim all the sponges, and then if I've got time, what I'll do is I'll stack and crumb coat them, which gives it its first layer of icing.

SPEAKER_03 9:47

Right.

SPEAKER_00 9:47

Um if I've not got time, they get wrapped in cling film while they're still a little bit warm to keep the moisture in, otherwise they go dry. And then nobody wants to dry case.

SPEAKER_03 9:56

Nope.

SPEAKER_00 9:56

Um, and then on the Friday I will ice them however they've been iced, put them in the fridge, and then come back to them in the evening when they're nice and firm, so I can then stack and like lay them on top of each other, build the structure because they have to be like doweled and whatnot.

SPEAKER_03 10:11

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 10:12

Um, and then they're left overnight so that they're fully cemented together, so they're pretty sturdy, so I can I can then get them to the venue. Do you have any toppledges? Topple, topple edges, is that a word? A toppledges.

SPEAKER_01 10:25

A topple edge, a topple on the way to the venue.

SPEAKER_00 10:28

I haven't on the way to the venue. The worst I've had is um go into a venue that had got um like a back entrance and it had got a load of like small speed bumps, but they were high, but you couldn't see them. Like the paint had obviously worn off them, um and it it slid and it hit the back of the boot. And I just luckily it didn't do much damage, and I'd I always take a repair kit with me. I've got like a little bag with all my stuff in, and I just had to touch up the gold paint on the back, and that was it.

SPEAKER_01 10:57

A little first aid kit for cakes, yeah. Absolutely.

SPEAKER_02 11:00

Well, we were we were doing a photo shoot um ages ago at Rookery, yeah, and there was a cake person that had dropped a cake off here, and Hannah, who works in the office, had to transport the cake, got there fine, all good, had to bring it back, she had to do an emergency stop, and she smashed the cake all over a dashboard. Oh no, car stank, she had to have it valid and everything. Oh jeez, it's like cream, isn't it?

SPEAKER_00 11:26

It's just I actually have a sign that I put in the back of my car saying wedding cake on board. It looks ridiculous, but I have to drive so slow. I bet. Especially like round corners and things, and I annoy people. People used to beep at me, overtake me, but then as soon as that sign's in there, everyone calms down.

SPEAKER_03 11:42

Yeah. Oh well that's nice ugly.

SPEAKER_01 11:44

Be considerate for a cake. So we've had some customers write in about their dilemmas.

SPEAKER_00 11:52

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 11:53

So I'll fire them at you. Are you ready? I am. Rachel from Congleton says, we are only having a small wedding and we don't have a huge budget. Is paying lots of money for a nice cake worth it, or shall I just buy a nice one from MS?

SPEAKER_00 12:08

In that sort of situation, I would be completely honest with them because everyone does have a budget, and if they've only got a certain amount to spend on a cake and I'm out of their budget, I'm not gonna put myself into their budget and do myself out of money because it's my living. But also we could perhaps adapt size, or we could rather than going for a fully coated cake, we could go for maybe something like a naked cake. We could keep the cost down a little bit with going for artificial flowers rather than fresh flowers from the florist and having them binding things. There's lots of different things we can look at, but I would never compromise on the quality of my work because I I wouldn't be happy sending stuff out that I'd use cheaper ingredients for. Um if they want to just keep it smaller and go for a one-tier cake instead of a three-tier cake, which people often do, then we just do that instead. And if it's still not in their budget and they want to go for an MS cake, then go for it because it's your wedding and you've got to have what you want. But I would 100% recommend if you want that big three-tier style cake, then you've got you've got to spend the money if it's what you want.

SPEAKER_01 13:27

Do you find many people do go for ShopBort over years?

SPEAKER_00 13:31

Um I don't think I've ever quoted and then they've not booked and they've gone and bought ShopBort. I don't think that's ever happened. But people do have them, yeah.

SPEAKER_02 13:41

I see the caterpillars. I mean that's the other thing. Yeah, people yeah, they like doing their little ones.

SPEAKER_00 13:46

They're a bit quirky, aren't they?

SPEAKER_02 13:47

Like if you're not bothered at all, then that's probably an option. But no, by the sounds of it, you can adjust the most.

SPEAKER_00 13:57

You can you can adjust somewhat by reducing the size or reducing the style, because sometimes they come at you and they have caught they have picked the most expensive one because it takes the most work and the most amount of ingredients and whatnot. But when you're saying you just scale back.

SPEAKER_02 14:11

When you were saying you bake on Thursday, you do it on the cling filming and everything. Yeah. That all sounds a bit. It's a whole process. It's yeah, it's a lot of work.

SPEAKER_00 14:19

It's it's not like it's it's not an hour in the oven and an hour decorating. It's not just your usual cake, is it?

SPEAKER_01 14:25

It's a long time. Perfect. Well, we'll go on to the next one. We've got Susie from Trentum. She says, Our wedding is in July. Will the cake melt before we've had time to cut it? On a scale of one to ten, how confident are you that this won't happen and it won't collapse?

SPEAKER_00 14:42

So it's always a difficult one, especially when you work with buttercream, because buttercream has obviously got a melting point. Um, and once it's been delivered, I'm not there to be able to keep an eye on it. So, what I do is I speak to the venues really closely. Um, I've got a tap test, so I ask them to go and wash their hands, go to the back of the cake and just simply tap it. If it feels quite squidgy, it's got to come off show and it's got to go into the fridge for at least two hours before it comes back out again. Um, it's the risk that obviously my customers run. Um but I never had one collapse, thankfully. Um, and I just I have to I personally have to change my ratios when I'm making buttercream. So in the winter I don't have to make uh the buttercream as stiff because it will hold, because venues aren't as hot as they might be in the middle of July. Um so I just make my buttercream a little bit thicker, which doesn't affect the taste an awful lot. Yeah, um, but it just means that that cake stays. Yeah, survives.

SPEAKER_02 15:50

So do you hate marquees? Marquee.

SPEAKER_00 15:52

They're not my favourite.

SPEAKER_02 15:53

Yeah, I mean, we have enough problems with sweet carts, so I don't even I can't really imagine what cake is.

SPEAKER_00 15:59

Yeah, I can imagine like this, yeah. No, so sometimes I will just deliver a little bit later. Um, so normally I would deliver before guests had even arrived for the ceremony, um, or whilst they're at church wherever they're getting married. Um, because if someone's getting married at one, guests normally start arriving by 12. I will go in before that, so I'm fully out of the way and nobody's catching me and my hoodie and my crocs. Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 16:25

Um we've been chatting about crocs at weddings, haven't we?

SPEAKER_02 16:27

Crocs comes up every single time. It does every single time.

SPEAKER_00 16:30

I'm on board with it. I love it. Um glad you are. I'm inviting the opposite. No crocs, brilliant. So yeah, I'm I'm normally out of the way. But if it's a particularly hot day and they've gone for a naked cake or a semi-naked cake, I ask that look, I can bring it later, then we're confident it's gonna last through into the evening until the cake cut in, like the official cut-in with the bride and groom. Perfect.

SPEAKER_01 16:54

Yeah, I was always I always wondered how they didn't just because I know it shows, they put them under the icon. Yeah. And so I guess that me to shows and you don't do them.

SPEAKER_00 17:05

I have got a venue that every time I go to I don't tell them, but they've got an electric radiator right next to their cake table. I mean, you might know where it is, and they will definitely know where it is if they watch this and then I turn it off every time and I don't ask. Because if they want the cake to stay on, it's gonna help. It's glaring heat out. But they do also have lots of dowels in, so it's not just like sponge on sponge.

SPEAKER_02 17:31

You've got like a straw in there, yeah.

SPEAKER_00 17:32

They are they're like big, like thick straws that you put them in, and then the next cake is on a board and they just sit on top of each other.

SPEAKER_01 17:41

They shouldn't really have to do different densities.

SPEAKER_00 17:45

You so depending on how many people they want to feed will depend on how thick the layers are inside a cake. So most of my cakes, each tier tends to have three layers inside, and they're normally about that thick.

SPEAKER_03 18:00

Right.

SPEAKER_00 18:00

And then you get your fill-in in between. Right. But yeah, sometimes I have to I never go thicker than that because you don't want a dense cake. So I sometimes have to reduce the height down a little bit, but then put an extra layer in, just so they can get the heights that they want. Got you off the cake.

SPEAKER_02 18:17

There's a lot to it, isn't there? There is a lot to it. It's like a whole art.

SPEAKER_01 18:20

I didn't realise that it was this intense. Okay, next one. Samantha from Chester. Oh, she agrees with us. I'd rather eat worms than fruitcake. But my fiance says it's traditional and won't let me choose a different flavour. What do I do?

SPEAKER_00 18:37

Um, I'm not sure because I wouldn't make the cake.

SPEAKER_02 18:39

No, and is it that traditional anymore?

SPEAKER_00 18:42

It's not, no, it is only your nan and grandad that want a slice of fruitcake. Um, so I don't make fruitcake. In five years, I've been asked for it twice. Um, I personally don't want to serve a cake that I don't enjoy making or don't like myself. Um, and it would just be left because there wouldn't be enough people that liked it. So I think that's that's their argument to have.

SPEAKER_01 19:07

Could you do a really tiny top tear like this big and just give it him?

SPEAKER_00 19:12

I think you'd really want to just have to maybe get somebody to make just a small one and just have it to the side. And not actually have it on the case.

SPEAKER_01 19:21

What was her name? Samantha's fiance. You need to get a grip. She needs to go to MS to buy a little bit cake. Go to MS. Yeah. Get over the fruitcake, it's not happening. No, it's not. Okay, we've got another local one. So it's Olivia from Biddulf. She says, Should we save the top tier for our anniversary or just demolish it all on the honeymoon?

SPEAKER_00 19:43

I mean, I would 100% demolish it. I would too. Because who can wait that long for cake?

SPEAKER_02 19:47

Yeah, I wouldn't have much option.

SPEAKER_00 19:48

I'll just make you another one.

SPEAKER_02 19:50

Yeah, it's fine.

SPEAKER_00 19:51

Another one.

SPEAKER_01 19:51

Yeah, because people say to freeze it, don't they?

SPEAKER_00 19:53

Yeah, and you can. You don't you have to like wrap it really well. Um, you can't freeze it. I don't really recommend. I don't freeze cake. So I wouldn't make a cake, freeze it, and then take it back out and make it into a wedding cake. That's just not my practice. I'd like to make everything fresh. But if you are going straight on honeymoon and you've asked to you want to save some cake, wrap it and put it in the freezer. Get it out when you get back, let it thaw through, and it's it's absolutely fine to eat. You would you wouldn't know.

SPEAKER_02 20:22

Fair enough.

SPEAKER_01 20:23

I wouldn't even think to freeze my cake.

unknown 20:26

No.

SPEAKER_02 20:26

It's because we've eaten it.

SPEAKER_01 20:28

It's because we're normal and actually eating. Can't imagine saving it. Right. That's all my questions. Do you have anything that you want to add? I don't think so. Any more questions from you, Paul?

SPEAKER_02 20:41

No, you've you've pretty much gone through it very articulately.

SPEAKER_01 20:46

Articulately unlike you. There's been some funny words in this, hasn't there? No, there's been some strange words. Um, how can customers find you?

SPEAKER_00 20:54

Um, so I am on Facebook and Instagram. I'm currently creating my website because I feel like I can't get on any longer without one. Like not everyone is on social media. Yeah. Um, so yeah, I'm gonna start to get that reach soon. So that will be live at some point when I've finished.

SPEAKER_03 21:13

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 21:13

Um, but yeah, Facebook, Instagram, email, my number's out there. She should just be able to find me on Google to find my number and whatnot before my website's there.

SPEAKER_02 21:21

And are you still doing birthdays and things?

SPEAKER_00 21:24

Yeah, so I still do birthdays. I do love doing the weddings over the birthdays. So and the weddings get booked more in advance than birthdays do. So if I get uh three or four weddings in on a weekend, then I can't fit birthday cakes in. So sometimes I do a lot, sometimes I don't do many.

SPEAKER_02 21:44

You go to wedding shows though.

SPEAKER_00 21:46

Yeah, so yeah, I do a few. Um recommended supplier at a couple of places, um but I don't try and do loads because I can't travel too far with a cake.

SPEAKER_02 21:57

No. Because it well, I can, but it's risky.

SPEAKER_00 22:01

Um even in the middle of winter, you have to travel with your aircon on, and people laugh at me when I'm turning up in my fluffy sock. I I literally free I'm freezing. Um so yeah, I don't like to travel too far. I think like North Liverpool is the furthest I've been, and I wouldn't want to go further.

SPEAKER_02 22:18

No, no, it's a bit scary.

SPEAKER_01 22:21

We should make that rule.

SPEAKER_02 22:22

We should. Make my life a lot easier.

SPEAKER_01 22:24

It would. Anyway, thank you so much for coming on. It's been a pleasure. And we will see you all next week. Say bye!