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White dress, white shoes, white linens, white cake-let's face it, when you think weddings, you think white. But as wedding trends veer toward more colorful palettes, white is no longer the only option when it comes to your cake. If you're having a nontraditional wedding-let's say, you're wearing a pink gown, or your ceremony is being held in an amusement park instead of a church-you'll need a cake that suits your day. And there are plenty of ways to make your cake tie into your wedding.

Color, Color Everywhere
Weddings are all about matching. Your wedding colors should complete a circle: dresses match the shoes, which match the flowers, which match the linens, and so on. Why not bring the cake into the mix? Kaye Hansen, from Riviera Bake House (660 Saw Mill River Rd.; Ardsley, NY; 914-693-9758), says that fall and winter wedding cakes are usually full of color. "We've been doing cakes with a lot of color for a while and in the fall we see a lot of gold, orange, and burgundy cakes. And in the winter, usually around Christmas, we do a lot of red and white."

A Little Something Extra
Just as you are adding personal touches to your gown, flowers, and music, you can put a little personality into your cake. If you're having a holiday-themed wedding-where your place cards are clipped to sprigs of holly, spiced rum is in the punch bowl, and your centerpieces are adorned with Christmas lights-don't leave your cake out of the mix. "We did a cake once with a Christmas tree on top and presents around the base," Hansen says. "And once a bride brought in a piece of the lace from her wedding gown to be duplicated on the cake."

The Shape of Things
From soft, rounded edges to leaning towers of frosting, the shape of your cake can also make a huge difference. While the tiered look used to be very common, the stacked look (no space between each layer) is now in. Jian Franco from Palmer Bakery (28 Harrison Ave.; Englishtown, NJ; 732-792- 7010) says he has been seeing odd shapes for fall and winter. "I see a lot of the tilted look [where each layer is on an angle]; that seems to be very popular right now." And cakes aren't just round anymore-they can be square, triangle, octagon, or a combination of several different shapes. "People's tastes are changing," Franco says, "and every bride is different."

Well Groomed

What is a groom's cake?
A groom's cake is just that-a cake for the groom, most times a gift from his bride. It usually is a smaller cake (typically it's chocolate) and can be served as an alternative dessert, or given in small gift boxes to guests to take home. While this tradition is very popular in the South, Hansen says only a small percentage of Tri-State couples do a groom's cake.

Superstitions?
It is said that if a single woman places a piece of the groom's cake under her pillow she will dream of the man she is going to marry (a dry cleaner perhaps?).

Why have one?
The more cake the better, right? And since the day is usually bride-centric, it would be nice to give a little slice to the groom.

Famous groom's cake
Ouiser's armadillo-shaped groom's cake from the tear-jerker Steel Magnolias. How could you forget its blood-red center and greenscaled frosting? Ick!

Music To Your Mouth
"The bride cuts the cake, the bride cuts the cake..." Who really wants to cut a cake to this old song? Don't be afraid to liven up the music while you and your hubby feed each other forkfuls of calories. (Remember to be nice if you feed him first, or you could end up with a face full of butter-cream frosting.) Here are some sweet songs to consider:
• "Pour Some Sugar On Me" by Def Leopard
• "Ice Cream" by Sarah McLachlan
• "I Can't Help Myself (Sugar Pie, Honey Bunch)" by The Four Tops
• "How Sweet It Is To Be Loved By You" by James Taylor
• "Sugar Sugar" by The Archies
• "The Sweetest Thing" by U2

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