Stacked Cakes: the classic 3-4 tired cakes stacked on top of each other. The cardboard bottom of each successive layer sits on "supports" made of straws or dowels inserted in the lower cake, so it will not sink. A dense cake is needed to have firm support. Carrot cakes, Pound cakes, and American "butter cakes" are just right.

Floating Cakes: arranged on stands of varying heights. The spaces can be filled with netting, ribbon, rose petals, flower arrangements, greenery, etc. The beauty of this style is the beauty of presentation while maintaining easy access to serving the cake. It also allows the use of very light cakes, lots of custard of fruit, and European style cakes.

Separated Tiered Cakes: There is only one stand I feel safe with after seeing several fall. I suggest only three tiers, two in the air and the third on the table. Fine for all types of cake. Lovely arrangements can embellish the space between the tiers

American wedding cakes as we know them are an offshoot of English cakes. The thick cake (usually 4+ inches) is white or yellow butter cake, less butter than pound cake, yet solid. It should always be served room temperature. Cold butter cake seems dry not tender and buttery with a fine "feather" or crumb. Usually seen stacked or on a teired stand. Usually frosted and filled with butter cream. Still today the "butter" cream often times has no butter nor does the cake. The decorating can be delicate to ornate including garish plastic items. The same goes for the cake topper. I can make you the original American style with a Epicurean flair. We have real ingredients, fruit, liqueurs, imagination and taste. European wedding cakes are dense fruit or pound cakes covered with fondant or marzipan and decorated with royal icing which dries hard and thinly.

On the light side three layers of liqueur-syrup sponge cake, custards, fruits, whipped cream, mousse, zabaglione, gianuri, etc.... Usually covered with Marzipan or fondant, white chocolate bands on the sides can enhance the beauty as well.

Decorating the cake is by design of the wedding colors, theme, flowers, or anything else one could wish. Real flowers are always most beautiful but should be edible and easily removed from the cake with out harming the beauty of the yet to be served cake. Flowers can also be sugared to great effect as a decoration.

Tube decorating is wild. Some cakes I would never wish to eat are festooned with tube work by masters yet the cakes do not make you say "yum, I cant wait to have a piece of that cake." Tastefully done, draping string work, borders, and flowers add splendor to any cake.

Rolled or molded methods, such as at left, involve fondant, chocolate "plastic" in white or dark, and marzipan (almond paste). Or the entire cake can be wrapped in fondant, chocolate "plastic" in white or dark, or marzipan to create any sort of fanciful shape, such as below.