Outdoor weddings can be some of the most spectacularly beautiful settings of all, but they can also set the stage for a wedding cake disaster. The problem is that there are so many more variables when you move outside than when you are inside. As a result, the trick is to find a way to minimize the risk of a wedding cake disaster so that you can approach your big day with confidence. To do so, however, means that you must first identify the common threats to the well being of your cake and how to protect yourself against each threat.
Birds: A Wedding Cake Disaster from Above
You've spent your hard earned money on a beautiful wedding cake. Don't risk a wedding cake disaster by placing it in an area where birds might fly over. Invest in the protection of at least a patio umbrella if not a tent if your cake must be outside.
Four Legged Animals: A Wedding Cake Disaster from Below
We've all seen movie scenes where a neighborhood dog chases a cat under the table holding a gorgeous four tiered wedding cake causing the proverbial wedding cake disaster but have you thought about the wildlife? I've seen a squirrel in a park climb right up onto the cake table. It no doubt it would have tasted the cake and might have even climbed the towering creation if it had not been chased off.
What do you do to protect yourself from this kind of wedding cake disaster? At very least appoints someone to stand guard and fend off unwanted intrusions. I would suggest, however, protecting your cake and your entire day by placing the edible artwork you commissioned inside a large wedding tent with screened walls. You can have the walls taken down when your bridal party moves to the reception area if you like, but in the mean time your investment will be protected until you are ready for it.
Insects: A Wedding Cake Disaster Invasion
We all know how much insects in general and bees in specific like sweet things. Protect yourself from a wedding cake disaster by first; knowing your reception location and time. Is that area prone towards insect problems in the time of the year when your wedding is planned? If so, and maybe even if not, take precautions. Get a large tent with screened walls and don't take them down until you have cut and served the cake if you are seeing insects looking for ways to get at your wedding cake. Or better yet, plan your reception inside. Many places that cater to outdoor weddings offer beautiful reception hall options.
Heat and Humidity: The Natural Enemies of Your Wedding Cake
Wedding cakes are food. That much is obvious. But we often forget that almost all foods need a climate controlled environment. In most cases, a cake will stand up outside for the length of a normal nuptial ceremony, but in the event of extreme heat or humidity you might have a natural wedding cake disaster brewing. In high heat or humidity your icing colors will run as the icing begins to soften and sweat. When it softens enough, it will begin to pull away from the cake.
If you don't have an indoor reception opportunity and you are having an outside ceremony at a time when it is likely to be humid, hot, or both you can protect yourself from a wedding cake disaster by choosing a fondant wedding cake with subtle or no added icing color. The fondant will raise the cost of your cake by approximately thirty percent, but fondant holds up better in the heat (better, not invincibly) and you can add color accents with ribbon or fresh flowers - which will save you money over having your icing colored since it has to be done by hand.
So plan that gorgeous outdoor wedding that you've always dreamed about. Enjoy the backdrop of creation. Weigh the incredible rewards against the risks. Decide how much risk you are comfortable with and implement plans to minimize the danger. Once you've done so you should be able to prevent a wedding cake disaster from ruining your big day.