When you’re planning your wedding, a wedding cake stand is probably not the first thing on your mind; you pay more attention, naturally, to the wedding cake itself since it will be a focus of attention during the reception. But consider that even the most attractive wedding cake would not look as good if it was placed on top of an ugly stand; a good-looking stand, on the other hand, may help enhance the appearance of a less-than-perfect cake.
You can find wedding cake stands in a wide variety of materials and styles, ranging from china, ceramics, metal and even a Styrofoam stand that will only be used once. Keep in mind when picking among the many available wedding cake stands that there is no one correct way to display the cake; the stand that you choose will ultimately reflect your taste and the tone you would like to set for the reception. Just make sure, however, that the stand goes with the overall design theme of the wedding party. For example, you will need a wedding tier cake stand if your wedding cake has multiple tiers that you want to display separately like a staircase.
Traditional wedding cake stands are intended to display the conventional three-tiered cake in which the tiers are stacked one on top of the other. The stand may lay flat against the table or elevate the cake slightly above the tabletop. But there are now many variations to this traditional display. The upper two tiers, for instance, may be put on pillars which suspend them above the lower tier; this also makes the wedding cake seem to have more height. The wedding cake can also be put on a stand in which each tier is displayed on its own plate to make them look as if they are floating on top of each other.
Non-traditional stands give a sense of playfulness to the reception. The bottom and largest tier can be displayed on a stand which places it in the middle with the two upper tiers on plates suspended on either side. Tiers can also be grouped on stands in descending or ascending order, as if they were stairs. They work particularly well for cakes in which each tier is individually designed, as it allows them to be displayed separately. You can use all kinds of things for supports of the different tiers of an untraditional stand like ice cream scoops you can pick up at a wholesale ice cream store.
In fact, virtually anything can be used as a stand, so long as it will support the weight of the cake. Surfing fans, for example, can use surfboards or body boards as their stand. Or you can use an upturned basket or a Frisbee; the only limit is your creativity. If your reception room has wicker furniture then you might want to consider little replicas of wicker dining chairs for your cake stands.
Apart from an unconventional wedding cake stand, you might also want to consider wedding cake alternatives. For example, cupcakes are an increasingly popular substitute for wedding cakes. A good stand for cupcakes is one that has a separate plate for every cupcake. You can also choose to display the cupcakes using a fake wedding cake in which the cakes are placed on the outside.
Once you’ve chosen the stand you want, you can enhance it with accessories. If you have a high stand supporting the first tier of cake, for example, you can put a fountain, flowers, candles or other decorations underneath it. A stand that has spare unused plates can also be dressed up by putting decorations in the empty plates.
If you don’t want to buy a stand that will only be used once, many bakeries now offer wedding cake stands for rent. A wedding cake stand, however, can make an attractive accessory for your kitchen; you can make dining fun by putting food you are serving on the different plates as if you were eating at a buffet.