When Should You Order Your Wedding Cake?

Baking a cake isn’t rocket science and doesn’t usually take over several hours. However, custom cake creation involves tastings and design discussions that prolong the process.

Furthermore, every baker has a different workload that can vary depending on the season. The cake’s size and design also play a role in the timeline.

As a general rule, book your baker and order the cake as early as possible, but only after you choose the wedding date, style, and venue.

When to Start The Research

Most couples don’t just walk into a bakery and order the first cake flavor that comes to mind. Researching the wedding cake flavors and designs in advance is essential.

If you skip the research, you may get overwhelmed with all the delicious flavors at the cake tasting and may have trouble deciding.

Technically, it’s never too early for research. You can start browsing the available cake flavors as soon as you accept the proposal, but you won’t be able to pick your favorites anyway until you’re sure about the wedding season and style.

For instance, you may admire the triple chocolate flavor, but it may be too heavy and sweet for a summer wedding in tropical style. Or, a wedding cake for an outdoor wedding must be resistant to heat.

Thus, decide on the essential wedding elements like season and style first, then start your cake research.

Communication with your partner is essential in the early stages. Find out whether they have taste preferences and which flavors they can’t stand.

Apart from researching the cake flavors, start reading baker reviews. Don’t leave the choice of the baker until the last moment.

The Cake Tasting Timeline

Cake tasting is one of the most exciting events on the wedding planning timeline – when else would you try so many delicious desserts?

But wedding cake tasting isn’t all fun and games. It’s an important moment, and you should know when to schedule it to order your cake on time.

The golden rule is to make your initial wedding cake tasting inquiry about six to nine months before the big day. The baker will then send out their price list, menu, lookbook, and available dates.

When to make a wedding cake tasting inquiry depends on the bakery’s popularity. If you want to order a cake from a famous place, make the inquiry early because they may be extra busy.

On the other hand, small local bakeries tend to reply quickly and have more available dates. Either way, the wedding cake tasting appointment usually takes place four to six months before the big day.

Four to six months before the event gives you enough time to consider your options and decide on the flavor and enough time for the baker to make even the most complex orders.

Choose your flavor favorites before the cake tasting and communicate your wants with the baker. If you come unprepared, you may have difficulty deciding, and the cake tasting will be unproductive. Some couples even need a second tasting.

When to Choose The Design

You don’t have to bring a detailed wedding cake design sketch to the tasting appointment because the cake’s look also depends on its flavor.

For example, some designs are only possible with fondant, and each flavor is limited to specific colors.

When you decide on the cake’s flavor, you can start creating the design with the baker. The baker’s involvement is crucial because only they can know whether your ideas can be brought to life.

However, like with the flavor, you should have some ideas in advance to speed up the process. Consider your wedding color theme and season when choosing the cake’s design.

As a rule of thumb, two to three months before the big day is when you should finalize the wedding cake design, including seemingly minor accents such as the topper, ribbon, and stand.

Finalizing your design as early as possible is especially important if you want to have fresh flowers on the cake because you’ll also need to communicate with the florist.

If the flowers are out-of-season, the florist will need to order them, and shipping takes time.

When to Book The Baker

Typically, the couple books their baker four to six months before the wedding, after the wedding cake tasting appointment. The couple isn’t obliged to secure the baker during the tasting if they aren’t sure.

Sometimes, couples have multiple cake tastings scheduled and want to see all options before making a decision. In this case, the baker will usually send a follow-up e-mail or call the couple to remind them about the booking.

The booking involves signing a contract and making a deposit. If the couple doesn’t sign a contract, the baker can take a different order on their wedding date.

When to Confirm Delivery Details

Couples don’t always know their wedding reception location when they attend the wedding cake tasting. They can confirm the delivery details when signing the contract if they do.

The latest the couple should confirm their wedding cake delivery details is two weeks before the big day.

Scheduling a delivery may take time, sometimes more than expected, depending on the delivery driver’s availability and wedding location.

If the baker never asked you about the delivery and didn’t call you two weeks before the event, do it yourself to ensure your cake arrives on time.

Picking up a wedding cake on your own is risky unless your venue is located close to the bakery because cakes must be transported at a specific temperature and are fragile.

The Season

The above-mentioned timeline is only a general recommendation. When to place a wedding cake order also depends on your wedding season.

Summer is the most popular wedding season, and it’s no wonder. Sunny weather and vibrant blooms attract many couples. However, getting married in the most popular season also has pitfalls.

The most significant drawback is that all wedding caterers are extra busy. If you’re planning a summer wedding, consider scheduling your cake tasting and placing the order a bit earlier to ensure your desired baker is available for your date.

April and May tend to be busy, too. Couples getting married in mid to late spring should order their cake in September or October rather than November or December.

On the other hand, couples getting married in winter don’t have to worry about the timeline so much. Winter undoubtedly has its unique appeal, but the weather is a deciding factor for many couples.

Even if the wedding day is soon, but you’re getting married in January and February, don’t stress it – you’ll most likely find an available baker without a problem.

Consider also holidays around your wedding date. If you get married on Valentine’s Day, Christmas, or any other major holiday, make the booking earlier because many bakeries will be busy making custom orders.

Baker’s Workload

The baker’s workload is a significant factor affecting the wedding cake tasting and ordering timeline.

Famous bakers working with celebrities are in high demand and may have a long waiting list. Therefore, the earlier you make an inquiry and book the baker, the better.

This may seem counterintuitive, but lesser-known bakers working at small local cafes may have an even tighter packed schedule.

Custom cake bakeries that work only by appointment make cakes for various occasions, including birthdays, Easter, and Christmas, not solely weddings.

In short, if you want to get a cake from a specific baker who is quite popular, regardless of the scale, place the order sooner rather than later.

In contrast, you can make the booking later if you don’t have a specific baker in mind and plan to order a cake from a large bakery chain. Chain bakeries typically employ many specialists and can create multiple cakes in one day.

Cake Size

The times required to make a one-tier and four-tier cake differ. This point may seem apparent, but many couples neglect it when placing their wedding cake order.

Don’t stress about the timeline if you have a small wedding and don’t need a large cake. Unless you want an utterly intricate design, your desired baker will likely be able to fit a small cake in their schedule.

On the other hand, tiered cakes are labor-intensive and time-consuming.

Creating one involves not solely baking multiple individual cakes but also a complex assembly process. If you need a large cake, don’t wait until the last moment to place the order.

Design Intricacy

The cake’s design intricacy can affect the ordering timeline even more significantly than its size. Modern “naked” cakes and traditional buttercream cakes with simple toppers can be baked relatively quickly.

However, wedding cakes often feature intricate sugarcraft, flawlessly smooth fondant coating, and other elements that can take more time than the cake baking process itself.

Of course, you can’t know how long specific design elements take to create. Communicate your ideas with your baker and discuss whether they have enough time to bring them to life.

Adorning a wedding cake with real flowers isn’t particularly difficult, but the flowers will have to be ordered and delivered in advance.