Brides want to have their personality expressed in every aspect of their weddings. From the invitation to the bridal gown to the reception, each detail should tie together with her chosen theme. Brides even expect their cake to showcase their style.

Gone are the days of a simple white cake with bride and groom figurines on top. Wedding cakes today are unique, incorporating colors, different shapes, and even writing. The baker will work with a couple to create a one-of-a-kind cake that incorporates the details that are meaningful to them.

Popular trends in cake decorations include black and white designs, calligraphy (perhaps your favorite poem or your wedding vows), monograms, and shots of bold colors. All-over pattern is another strong trend right now. For design ideas, consider dainty Swiss dots, stripes, lace patterns, and especially scrollwork.

Inspiration for the wedding cake often comes from the bride's gown and accessories. Bakers are painstakingly reproducing the embroidery or lace from the bride's dress in frosting on the cake. Accessories can also inspire the style of a cake. Brides are matching the look of the cake to their bridal jewelry sets. For instance, if you are wearing sparkling Swarovski crystals, have your cake adorned with metallic shimmer. To coordinate with pearl bridal jewelry sets, the cake designer can create a pattern out of hundreds of edible "pearls".

Groom's cakes have been customary in the South for ages, and they are now catching on across the country. The groom's cake is a custom cake made in the shape of one of his favorite things. It could be his dog, his car, or a set of golf clubs. Whatever best showcases the groom's interests is a great theme. Often the bride will choose the design of the groom's cake and surprise her new husband with it at the reception. Groom's cakes are creative, edible works of art.

Of course the best part of any cake is eating it! The cake tasting session is typically the groom's favorite part of planning the wedding. The wedding cake should be a delicious as it is eye-catching. Chocolate cake is a perennial favorite, as is the classic white cake, and a light and zingy lemon cake. Fruit fillings are also tasty options; traditionalists might prefer raspberry while the more adventurous couple could choose a tropical fruit like mango. Don't decide too quickly - you really want to have to try all of the flavors. Yum!

There is no limit to how creative you can be with your cake. And if you can't decide on just one cake, no problem - serving multiple cakes is another hot trend. You can have an array of different flavored cakes arranged on one table, have a cake on each reception table, or impress your guests with fantastic little mini cakes at each place setting. Whatever you choose, you can't go wrong, because everyone loves cake!