AisleDash

The classic bride is one whose personal style is understated, polished and timeless. Whose ideal wedding is traditional and filled with beautifully crafted, fine details and accents. The reception venue is, perhaps, an elegant country club or a traditional marquee set in a beautifully landscaped garden.

A superb choice of wedding cake decor, one that would suit a classic wedding perfectly, is the sweetly sophisticated swiss dot. We love the hint of nostalgia that a swiss dot cake evokes. There's something so romantic about it too. Yet, as shown in the picture, right, swiss dots can also be used in a way that is sleek, minimalist and contemporary. (We love that tiered, square cake by Collette Foley.)

Whilst a creamy white icing is the most traditional colour for a swiss dot cake, we have seen some gorgeous pastel confections too, with the icing in one colour and the dots in a contrasting hue.

For a bit of swiss dot eye candy, click on the gallery below.

If you're having a very small and intimate wedding and want to thoroughly spoil and indulge your guests, then here's a way to go all out and treat them to something extra-special. A fabulous cheesecake favor from Elegant Cheesecakes.

We love the classy presentation boxes and are crazy about these gorgeous, little cakes. They look almost too beautiful to eat. There are plenty of unique flavour combinations to choose from, such as:

• Triple chocolate -- bittersweet, milk, and white chocolate cheesecake on a macadamia nut crust
• White chocolate and zesty lemon swirl on a lemon hazelnut crust
• Vanilla cheesecake with lemon and orange zest on a butter cookie crust

The cakes are enveloped in Belgian chocolate and then decorated. They don't come cheap, so unless your budget is the size of North America, it's best suited to a small gathering. (They'd make fabulous favors for a bridal shower.)

Prices start at $150 for 6 mini cheesecakes, including the presentation box. Additional cakes cost $45.

Just a few years ago, choosing a wedding cake wasn't too difficult. Mostly, you could choose from white, white and white. To tie it in with your colour scheme, you would add some coloured ribbon, perhaps some pretty sugary flowers and the ubiquitous plastic cake topper to round it all off.

That has all changed and the choices available today are staggering. The cake has gone from being a dull tradition to a strong statement and is a focal point of the wedding theme. Luckily for the modern bride, it's become easy to have a cake that is trendy, chic and fashionable.

A growing trend is for geometrics and what's better than the circle, that symbol of eternal love. You could go for simple, fresh style or push the limits and show off your daring side with something bright and unusual. A minimalist, white cake with white circles would be stunning in a streamlined sophisticated setting, such as an urban loft wedding. Or choose strong, vibrant colours to make a bold, artistic display.

We've chosen some gorgeous circle cakes for you to drool over. Click on the images below to view.

April Reed is obsessed with cakes - wedding cakes, to be exact - and that makes us very happy! April Reed Cake Design creates some of the most beautiful and elegant wedding cakes we've ever seen (and believe us, we see a lot of cakes): Chic and modern on the outside, sinfully rich on the inside, these cakes are made to please both your eyes and your tastebuds!

Every cake is custom made and begins with a consultation with April herself. Most designs start at $1000, but there is an $800 minimum order. If you're in the NYC area and are as in love with her work as we are, it's best if you contact her as soon as possible - she books up quickly!

Take a look at some of her work for inspiration, and be sure to check out her site for more information.

Melody Brandon, from My Sweet and Saucy, was on her way to becoming a teacher when she had a sudden change of heart and courageously set out to follow her passion for creating delicious desserts .

Swapping dusty chalkboards and school text books for a Kitchenaide mixer and pastry bags, Melody went on to study at the California School of Culinary Art and graduated as a Cordon Bleu Pastry Chef.

We are so impressed by her fabulous desserts, cookies and cakes that we simply HAD to have a chat with her and see what drives the creator of these scrumptious confections.

We've written about cupcakes as traditional wedding cake alternatives before and there really is something so deliciously appealing about tiers and tiers of scrumptious-looking cupcakes. But what do you do if you want something more a little more sophisticated than that?

The solution could be to have mini cakes. Either beautifully iced and decorated, displayed on an elegant tiered cake stand, or lots of individually wrapped cake parcels such as those from UK cake designer, Linda Fripp.

We love the super-chic and visually stunning presentation. It's stylish and eye-catching and, as an added bonus, both of these cake alternatives make serving your wedding cake so much easier.

Browse through our image gallery for a visual cake feast of mini cakes from Maisie Fantaisie and Linda Fripp.

Your beach wedding cake can be as traditional or funky as you want but, frankly, having a beach wedding is a great excuse to have a whimsical, fun cake that reflects the breezy informality of the day.

Frosted sugar sand, white chocolate seashells, sugary, edible driftwood, sea grass, palm trees and, even, painted tropical fish. Designs range from elaborate sandcastles to fabulous underwater scenes. The only limit is your imagination.

The best icing for a beach wedding cake is fondant, as it will keep its shape in warm temperatures. Buttercream may be tastier but could soften a lot, and even melt. Whatever icing you choose, keep the cake in a shady spot and if there isn't any shade then create some with a pretty umbrella or canopy.

Also keep in mind that a cake displayed outdoors might attract insects and, if its breezy, could become covered in sand. If you're concerned about that happening then perhaps keep the cake covered in clear cellophane until its time to cut it. (Make sure to discuss the options with your baker.)

We've picked out a selection of fabulous sandcastle and seashell wedding cakes to inspire you. Click on the images below to view.

One of South Africa's best known pastry chefs, Wade van der Merwe, refers to his cakes as 'Castles of Cuisine'. We can see why. This confectionary specialist has spent over 15 years perfecting his craft and has won bronze, silver and gold medals as part of the South African Culinary Olympic Team.

If you're tempted by the idea of a South African destination wedding (and with such a weak local currency it's a good option for a getaway wedding) then keep Cakes by Wade in mind. Wade is passionate about his work, hugely creative and absolutely committed to making his cakes a highlight of the day.

We love this exquisite 'tower' of creamy white chocolate and delicate red flowers. Elegant, sophisticated and unique.

It's Monday again and what better way to brighten up the longest day of the week than with some wedding cake porn?

One of our favourite cake designers is Erica O' Brien. Based in Long Beach, California since 2005, Erica perfectly combines the two most important elements of a to-die-for cake: aesthetics and taste. There's something about these cakes that make us want to ogle them for a long, long time, before rapturously gobbling them down. (With flavors like lavender-scented chocolate with white chocolate chai mousse, can you blame us?)

Erica uses the best ingredients in her baking, such as Plugra butter and Callebaut chocolate, a good indication of commitment to quality. With flavors and fillings ranging form the traditional to unexpected combinations, and those stunningly beautiful designs, these cakes are all-round winners.

The Internet can be a fantastic tool in helping you plan and organise your wedding. Almost everything you could think of, can be found with a bit of diligent online searching. Ideas and inspiration will bounce off you from every corner of the globe.

The thing is, some things don't easily move from your computer monitor into reality. And nowhere is this more evident than with your wedding cake. You might find a bakery online that has a picture of exactly the cake you've dreamed of, only to find out that they are located 1000 miles away, or in another country.

Of course you could simply use that cake as inspiration and then trudge around looking for a baker who can make a replica. But how do you know if they'll reproduce it well? How do you know what the quality of the cake will be?

This is where Wedding Cakes Across America slots right in. They have a large selection of cakes to browse through and when you see one you simply must have, click on the cake image, enter your zip code in the appropriate box, then click on the Find A Baker button and voila! you will get a list of select, pre-qualified and trusted bakeries near to you that will be able to make a similar cake.

Now that's a great idea!

In the last few years, brides have moved away from a demure, all-white wedding and explored almost every colour in the palette. Gone are the sweet and soft traditional wedding pastels and in their place there are funky brights, elegant 3-colour combinations of black, white and green, or navy, gold and cream, sometimes even a crisp, nautical red, white and blue.

The wheel is turning, though, and there's a slow swing back to a more sophisticated, all-white wedding. It's as if we've seen how far we can push the limits and are now returning to elegant restraint.

An all-white palette is a perfect wedding theme, bringing to mind crisp, new beginnings, and a fresh canvas onto which we can imagine painting a vivid new picture - the newly-wedded life.

Whereas colourful wedding cakes will always have their place, an all-white cake makes a stunning statement in the move towards white chic. Although too much detail can look fussy and overdone in multi-colours, it's the opposite when it comes to white. A variety of decorative textures and embellishments add interest and variety and keep the look visually appealing.

We've picked out some of our favourite all-white wedding cakes to inspire you. Click through our gallery below for a visual feast.

Canadian brides in the Toronto area who are looking for a super-special, unique and melt-in-your-mouth wedding cake should pay a visit to Flour Confections. Owned by the hugely creative and talented Lisa, these are cakes to swoon over.

We love her designs, which range from smart and elegant to artistic and funky. We also love the fantastic variety of cake flavours too. Just reading about what goes into one of those cakes is enough to have you drooling over your keyboard.

There's Vanilla Orchid, a vanilla scented cake layered with Madagascar bourbon vanilla buttercream. Or Bananarama, a moist banana cake paired with hot buttered rum buttercream. Mmmm. And the Provencal, a lemon & lavender scented cake layered with Cassis buttercream.

And if you're a chocoholic, then how about Gianduja, a rich chocolate cake layered with praline buttercream. Hasn't that got you in the mood for a spot of cake tasting? The choice goes on. Midnight Chocolate, Pink Lemonade, Calypso Coconut, Limoncello. And if your favorite filling isn't on the list, then just ask!

For some of our favourite designs, click on the gallery below, or visit Flour Confections for even more temptation, and check out the funky cake toppers too.

... and then some! May was Cake Month at DIY Bride, and whether you're planning to make your own cake or not, there's a lot of interesting information. Want to be an informed bride when you check out the vendors as you choose your cake? Pick up some tips and ideas to take with you. The more you know, the more you'll be better able to get what you want. And if you do plan on making your own cake, you simply must go check it out!

There's everything from terrific videos on how to decorate a cake, to tips on which tools to use, information on cake styles and fashions, facts about the groom's cake, tips on where to find information. If you want to be a cake-savvy bride, check out last month's posts at DIY Bride. You're sure to learn something useful!

If your groom-to-be is an avid golfer, he'll love this groom's cake. A simple two-tier round cake, smooth fondant icing is used to good effect to create a scene that will warm his heart: perfectly smooth greens beneath a cloudless sky. What more could his heart desire? (Besides you, of course!)

Full instructions can be found here, along with all necessary ingredients and supplies. If you're not a baker but love this idea, print off the instructions page and take it to a bakery. With detailed instructions and pictures, they will easily be able to replicate the cake, and your groom will have the green of his dreams on the day of (both) your dreams!

Remember when wedding cakes were all the same: mostly white or off-white with lots of frosting, maybe some flowers, ornate, but just boring? How times have changed. Today you can get custom cakes from many bakeries. And the crazier, the better. These cakes defy gravity. And white? Sure. But how about red, bright blue, dark brown or nuclear green? Why not.

When we saw the cakes by Pink Cake Box in Denville, New Jersey, we just had to stop and stare. They are amazing. Beautiful. And from the descriptions, they come in just about any flavor you can think of. Owner Anne Heap is a graduate of the prestigious French Culinary Institute. She creates a custom design to make each cake personalized. And when we say custom, we really mean it. Beach themes, Asian themes, fall, winter. She can cover it. Even a Corpse Bride theme (and it's beautiful). Or Scrabble®.

You're in luck if you happen to be in the New Jersey, New York, Connecticut or eastern Pennsylvania areas because they can deliver to you. Peruse the gallery to check out Anne's amazing work, and then go visit her site!