Cutting the Cake:

You don't want your beautiful creation manhandled by the catering staff at your reception site, so your bridal consultant, or whoever assists in wedding plans, should be sure an experienced staff member is involved in the process. In the hands of amateurs, plates may be untidy and slices will not be the same size, often resulting in an insufficient number of servings -- a true nuptial faux pas, since guests now look forward to enjoying the wedding cake. It really does taste as good as it looks.

What's Hot:

•Ordering a small replica of your wedding cake for your first anniversary
• Cake tastings
•Cupcake cakes, essentially a tower of matching or various cupcakes arranged to look like a cake
•Exotic filling flavors such as fruit curd or Tahitian vanilla
•Keepsake flowers: Preserving the sugar flowers from your cake as a souvenir
•Theme cakes. The more fun and festive the better. Freed's Bakery in Las Vegas does a great job with kitschy theme cakes. Check out Mr. & Mrs. Las Vegas above!

What's Not:

•White on white cake
• Cake toppers
•Pillars that elevate each tier to the point of toppling are out of favor
•Freezing the top layer for the couple's first anniversary. "It's nice for the bride and groom to have a slice, but eating year-old frozen cake? Forget it.