GC Couture prides itself on offering first-class customer service, which ensures hotels and venues across the country proudly recommend GC Couture to their clientele, as well as attracting brides and grooms from all over the region and several high-profile celebrity clients.

• 5 Star Weddings: What makes GC Couture a luxury cake supplier?

GC Couture: GC Couture is not just about supplying couples with wedding cakes; our ethos and everything we do is focused on the ultimate experience. From the moment a couple get in touch with GC Couture to book a consultation, right through to the delivery of the dream wedding cake on their special day, everything is carried out to the highest standard, attention and care.

We offer unhurried consultations in our dedicated consultation suite, where couples can not only enjoy cake tastings but they can discuss with us their ideas, their vision and their special requests for their cake. We hold their hand each step of the way. Even when the wedding is over, we find the couples come back to us time and time again for their anniversary cakes, family celebration cakes, and it’s such a pleasure for us to be able to build this type of relationship and rapport with our customers.

Being a luxury cake supplier, we ensure that we use only the finest of ingredients; we never compromise on quality. We pay extra special attention to detail, whether it be the most delicate detail on the cake, or the ribbon on the sample cake boxes, to the range of flavours we offer, everything has been considered, treating every client as if they were our first.

• 5 Star Weddings: What are the starting prices of a GC Couture wedding cake?

GC Couture: £600

• 5 Star Weddings: Where do you get your inspiration from?

GC Couture: Ideas are all around, whether it be from fashion, travel, or culture, I am constantly seeing new things and thinking about how I can translate what I see to a new cake design. Our current 2012 GC Couture collection is based on ‘Princesses of our time’, where I drew inspiration from the wedding dresses and the personalities of the likes of Princess Diana, Princess Margaret, and others, and translated these into cake designs.

The type of clients GC Couture attracts always tend to want a unique wedding cake, something that no other couple has had, so I am pretty lucky that our team can really push our creative boundaries and allow our imaginations to run wild to produce a cake that truly is unique and bespoke for our clients.

• 5 Star Weddings: What advice would you give to couples when it comes to choosing their wedding cake?

GC Couture: I would say to remember that when you go to your initial consultation with your cake designer, have an idea at the stage of the theme or the overall concept of your wedding. That way, your cake designer has something to work with. If you have seen ideas for cakes in magazines that you like, take note of them. Also, remember to tell your cake designer things that you don’t like in a wedding cake. The more information your cake designer has, the better.

More and more couples are choosing three or four different flavours and incorporating their unique flavour choices into the other tiers. That way, not only does your wedding cake satisfy the bride and groom’s taste buds, but it also offers an option for your guests. If you have a particular dietary or religious requirement, make sure you tell your cake designer this in the consultation as well, so they can accommodate your needs. Don’t be afraid to experiment; the consultation process is an opportunity to be creative, so don’t feel obligated to stick to a particular design if that’s not what you want.

Your cake designer is there not only to create magic but also to reassure you along the way. This can be done by getting you involved, by showing you sketches of cakes they have produced in the past. Finally, don’t forget the all-important cake tasting! There are so many flavour options available, so don’t automatically feel you have to opt for vanilla or chocolate. Experiment with different flavour combinations until you find the
Perfect one for you.

• 5 Star Weddings: What flavours are most requested from couples at the moment?

GC Couture: Chocolate & Orange, Nutella, Oreo Cookie, Coconut & Lime

• 5 Star Weddings: In your opinion, what makes a 5 Star wedding cake?

GC Couture: Tall, simple & elegant with a subtle hint of Swarovski’s

• 5 Star Weddings: Should your wedding cake reflect the personality of the couple?

GC Couture: Of course! The cake should not only fit in with the style of your wedding but also your personality, and your cake designer will be able to find out during the consultation stage what your personality traits are and how these can be translated through to the wedding cake. You want to look back on your wedding cake in years to come and be able to identify that your wedding cake really was made for you and you only. Many couples are now taking this a step further and requesting a groom’s cake too, so both the bride and the groom have the chance to create something that’s really “them”.

• 5 Star Weddings: What common requests do you tend to receive from couples?

GC Couture: A lot of couples ask us if we can add top tier to eat themselves, rather than freeze or save for a christening. The rush of a wedding day can mean some couples never even have a proper slice of their wedding cake. It’s nice for them to be able to tuck in, in their own time, once the wedding is over.

• 5 Star Weddings: Have you provided your services for any high-profile weddings that you can share with us?

GC Couture: We provided the birthday cake in 2011 for Cheryl Cole and the birthday cake for Lisa Snowden’s birthday this year. We recently provided the wedding cake for Rochelle (The Saturdays) & Marvin (JLS), Danielle Lloyd & Jamie O’Hara’s wedding, as well as made a cake for Amanda Lamb.

• 5 Star Weddings: In your opinion, what makes a 5 Star wedding?

GC Couture: A 5-star wedding incorporates a few different elements. It’s not cookie-cutter. This doesn’t mean it has to be totally off-the-wall or unique, but a 5 star wedding is the kind of wedding where you can see that the couple has put thought into every detail and really injected their own personalities into it.

There are many ways to do luxury, and I think if a wedding has real soul and feeling, that’s the most important thing. I also believe that the bride and groom having a wonderful time makes a real difference to the experience of the day. After all, it’s their day, so watching them enjoy themselves makes the whole day much more exciting and emotional for everyone around them.

• To see more luxury wedding cakes, visit read more
• Copyright  5 Star Weddings.

1. Elizabeth’s Cake Emporium

Elizabeth’s cake emporium is the home of the best luxury cakes for all occasions. They are known for their intricate details, realistic creations, and more tasteful and sugary masterpieces. The founder is Elizabeth Solaru, a world-renowned sugarcraft teacher with an international reputation for producing beautiful wedding cakes, party cakes, cupcakes, and the most luxurious desserts anyone would want at their event. The company has supplied some of the best venues in the world, including, The Dorchester, The Savoy, Blenheim Palace, The Corinthia, and more. Choosing Elizabeth’s cake emporium will give you and your guests an unforgettable tasty experience.

Link: https://elizabethscakeemporium.com/

2. Rosalind Miller Cakes

Rosalind Miller Cakes are London-based cake studio that is known for creating luxurious and modern wedding cakes. With the best craftsmanship and exceptional artistry, their cakes have been bespoke by Harrods and the wedding gallery. Rosalind Miller will create the most exquisite and dreamy cakes for your celebrations.

Link: https://www.rosalindmillercakes.com/

3. Luxury Cakes by GC Couture

GC Couture is a luxury, award-winning cake brand located in Mayfair, London. Their cakes have been delivered to some of London’s most prestigious hotels and exclusive venues. They have a wide range of chocolate and sweet choices, from mouthwatering cupcakes to delicious wedding cakes for you and your guests. With their outstanding customer service and exquisite cakes at GC Couture, you are in for a treat.

Link: https://www.gccouture.co.uk/

4. Couture Cakes

Each one of their exclusive creations fits perfectly for every occasion. Their cakes are decorated with intricate hand craftsmanship with an eye for detail. Their experience and talent enable them to produce wedding cakes of all styles, from traditional tiered wedding cakes to savoury cheesecake towers. In short, they can create the cake that you always imagined. The finest wedding venues recommend Couture Cakes, and celebrities and royals have enjoyed their spectacular creations.

Link: https://www.couture-cakes.co.uk/

5. Claire’s Sweet Temptations

Claire’s Sweet Temptation aims to provide the wedding cake of your dreams. They create glamorous, luxurious, and the most delicious wedding cakes for you and your guests using fresh and high-quality ingredients. Their creations have been awarded and featured in some of the world’s most prestigious magazines, such as Vogue, Hello!, and WedMagazine and at the Global Wedding Awards Wedding Cake Designer of 2020. At Claire’s Sweet Temptation, you will receive an outstanding wedding cake design with the most heavenly of tastes that will serve as a beautiful memory for everyone.

Link: https://www.clairessweettemptations.com/

6. Peggy Porschen

Peggy Porchen has been titled “the best cupcakes” by Vanity Fair, and there is no doubt that their treats are heavenly. Right in the heart of London and “next door” to Buckingham Palace, their goal is to create dreamy, tasteful and sugary desserts to captivate and connect their customers with their inner child. Choosing Peggy Porchen for your celebrations will be the perfect match for you and your guests to explore the delightful world they will offer through their creations.

Link: https://www.peggyporschen.com/collections

7. Little Venice Cake Company

The Little Venice Cake Company has created over 20,000 bespoke cakes since it opened its doors in 1999. Their award-winning innovative designs and signature touches have been a favourite amongst celebrities, and London’s prestigious hotels. They have served their spectacular creations at Harrods, Fortnum and Mason, Harvey Nicolas and many more.

Link: https://www.lvcc.co.uk/

8. Laduree

Their pastries are known throughout the UK and globally, and they are one of the oldest remaining cake companies to stay open and have been thriving since 1862. Their macarons will make you speechless as their unique taste will leave you with heavenly tastes you will remember forever. With a unique and innovative touch, Laduree will produce the cake of your dreams for any occasion.

Link: https://www.laduree.co.uk/

9. Sugared Saffron

The Sugared Saffron cake company pays attention to detail and ensures that its tasty and authentic creations match everything you want and adapt to your needs. Customer service is unique, as their priority is to sit down and listen to you and your partner to create the perfect delights for you and your guests. Their creations have been featured in Perfect Wedding, The Telegraph, Harpers Bazaar, Belle Bridal Magazine and more. They will not disappoint.

Link: https://www.sugaredsaffron.co.uk/

10. Hall of cakes

Hall of Cakes was established in 2007 by Nicola and has since been the centre of wedding cakes. Their astonishing and luxurious designs have left their mark on every occasion they serve at. With occasional custom cakes and rich creams, they have worked with the BBC, Channel 4 and Channel five. Undoubtedly, the Hall of Cakes will create the cakes of your dreams combined with heavenly tastes.

Link: http://www.hallofcakes.co.uk/

It’s not easy to choose the perfect wedding cake that will fit your standards and ideas, but with the help of the above professional cake makers, you are guaranteed to provide you and your guests with the most elegant and unique wedding cake that no one will forget.

Check out our list of the Top 15 UK Wedding Planners to help your big day go smoothly and stress-free.

Cake designs can vary in style from very clean lines with very little adornments to the most complex multi-tiered concoctions. Cupcake towers with or without a cutting cake are also popular, especially at relatively informal weddings.

Cake Queen, Elizabeth Solaru of Elizabeth’s Cake Emporium provides an A to Z guide on how to choose your luxury wedding cake.

A for Advice

Seek advice from a variety of sources such as the internet, wedding fairs, recent brides, venues, vendors and leading wedding publications and directories such as the Elizabeth’s Cake Emporium. Ultimately, one to one meetings is still the best way of finding a talented cake artist to help translate your ideas into reality.

B for Baker

Get the names of a number of recommended cake designers, ring them up, visit their websites to get a feel for their ‘style’ and pay them a visit. Write down any questions you might have and feel free to ask away. Remember to take your other half along once you’ve narrowed your choice down, especially for the consultation and tasting, for which you might be charged a nominal charge.

C for Chemistry

Just like any other relationship, no matter how talented a cake designer is, there should be a positive chemistry between both of you. He or she should be finely attuned to your requirements and should be able to guide and steer you in the right direction, making helpful suggestions on possible designs, flavours and fillings.

D for Design, Decorations and Dietary Requirements

Even of you don’t have a particular cake in mind, or even a photograph, make a collage of all the things that inspire your style and take it along to your cake maker. It is important for you to have an idea of your colour scheme/theme of your wedding before planning the cake.
In terms of the cake design, a talented cake designer can match the details on your wedding dress for instance or the exact colour of your bridesmaid dresses if you provide a swatch of the fabric. If you are vegan, vegetarian or have certain allergies/ special dietary requirements, please let the cake maker know, so this can be taken into consideration. It is possible to have great tasting and looking cakes that suit every dietary requirement.

E for Etiquette

Read up on wedding etiquette, so you know who has responsibility for paying for what. In some cultures, it is normal to also have a groom’s cake at the wedding, so ensure that you are clued up as to what is the right thing to do. Timing the cutting and serving of the cake is also critical. Get your wedding planner to liaise with the venue and kitchen ahead of the big day.

F for Flavours and Fillings

Gone are the days when wedding cakes were heavy, stodgy fruit cakes. You now have a choice of a variety of luxurious and delicious flavours. At Elizabeth’s Cake Emporium our cakes are made from the finest ingredients and flavours range from triple chocolate delight, vanilla ripple, old fashioned caramel, an uber moist carrot cake tangy lemon to the more unusual white chocolate, toffee nut latte, green tea, and wasabi and white chocolate. Fillings can range from luxury chocolate ganache to buttercreams such as orange, caramel, bailey’s, mocha and Morello cherry. For a bit of variety, you can have different flavoured tiers to cater for different tastes.

G for Groundwork

You have to do a lot of groundwork to uncover the right cake designer but it is worth it for the peace of mind and confidence it will give you in the long run.

H for Hire costs

Just like it is essential to choose the right accessories for your wedding dress, the right accessories and how a cake is displayed can make all the difference. However, the right accessories tend to come at an extra cost, so make sure you bear this is mind when discussing your requirements.

I for Icing

The icing on wedding cakes includes royal icing, sugar paste, ganache, chocolate wraps and buttercream. If you have a particular preference, let your cake designer know, although it is worth noting that a particular design or look may only be achieved using a particular medium.

J for Judgement

Trust your instincts and the evidence when choosing a cake designer. It is better to go for a less elaborate cake that will be delivered on time, to cost and to standard than to go for a badly executed elaborate cake.

K for Kids

If you will be inviting a lot of children to your wedding consider having a separate table for them with their own mini wedding cake. It is gestures like this that help to make weddings memorable.

L for Leftovers

In the old days, it was customary for brides to save the top tier of their wedding cake for their first wedding anniversary or the birth of their first child. You can, of course, do this, and at Elizabeth’s Cake Emporium, we offer you advice on the best way to preserve your top tier should you wish to do so.
Some brides choose to give individually packaged cupcakes to family and friends as an edible memento of such a special day. We have also worked with some ethically conscious brides who donate leftovers to organisations such as homeless shelters (however you have to make sure that this is acceptable for health and safety reasons).

M for Marzipan

Commonly used by cake decorators to cover fruitcakes, it is made from almonds and has a sweet, distinctive taste. However, be aware that some of your guests might be allergic to nuts in any shape or form and it is advisable to warn such guests.

N for Notice

It’s best to give your chosen cake maker as much notice as you can, preferably a minimum of six months’ notice. This will ensure that there is enough time to discuss and execute every detail of the design and content of your cake and there is also enough time for the designer to incorporate any changes. Having said that, you will find that some bakers can accommodate time constraints if you enquire very nicely.

O for Order

As soon as you can, obtain a written quote on aspects of the cake design, the number of tiers, delivery costs, hire charges and other details. This will give you time to see if every requirement of yours had been noted accurately and to raise other issues that you might have.

P for Price

While it is advisable to shop around for the best price in order to get value for money, you may have to pay a premium for a particular cake designer’s brand, design, experience and reliability.

Q for Quality

You want you to cake to accurately reflect your sense of style and elegance. When looking at wedding cakes, pay attention to details such as the finishing touches, how cakes are displayed and the accessories to ensure that they are what you require.

R for Reception

As the cake will take centre stage at the reception, discuss possible display areas and how the table will be dressed with your event planner and cake maker. If for instance the cake will be iced in buttercream for a summer wedding, it is advisable not to display the cake in a hot room or place it near a window.

S for Size or Servings

The size of the cake should be appropriate to the number of guests. So if you are expecting hundreds of guests, you will need several cake tiers. However, to save money, you can be creative by copying a practice in China whereby a Styrofoam cake is hired for the cutting ceremony but a plainly iced cake is served to guests.

T for Tastings

Some wedding cakes can be a case of style over substance. It is important that your cake tastes as good as it looks. A good cake maker will offer you a tasting of a variety of flavours of cakes from which you can make your choice.

U for Unusual

If you want something a bit unusual and off the beaten track, some cake makers such as Elizabeth’s Emporium will happily design a one-off cake for you. For example, the current trend is the cupcake tower, where hundreds of cupcakes are displayed in multiple tiers. The advantage of a cupcake tower is that it is easier to serve the wedding cake as dessert saving on cost.

V for Value Added

As you would be spending quite a considerable sum of money on your wedding cake, choose a cake maker that will contribute something special towards making your wedding great. It could be lending you an unusual cake knife, a great cake stand, a fabulous table cloth or even being a surrogate therapist.

W for Websites

A number of reliable cake designers will post pictures of their creations on their websites, enabling you easy access to their portfolios at a click of a button. This is a great source of ideas for your wedding cake and you will instantly know if you like or dislike a particular cake designer’s work.

X for Xtras

To quote a strapline from a famous advert, every little helps. All the added extras such as the delivery and set up costs, cake stand and cake knife hire costs do add up and when deciding your budget be clear whether it’s inclusive of extras or not.

Y for You

Yes, you the bride. Organising a wedding can be stressful, so don’t sweat the small stuff. Once you’ve chosen a cake designer, relax, being confident that you’ve made the right choice. You are after all paying for the service of a professional who wants to make your day special and also has a reputation to protect.

Z for zzzzzzzzzzzz

Again, in the run up to the wedding, the importance of getting lots of rest and relaxation cannot be overemphasised. Remember that you, the bride will be the centre of attention and you cannot afford to let the stress and strains of organising what is arguably the biggest event you may ever hold take its toll on your looks. So relax and enjoy your special day.

Copyright 5 Star Weddings

I visited The Wedding Lounge, which can create the most spectacular and original designs to give your day the wow factor that everyone will remember. The mirrored tabletops look amazing – dazzle your guests by hiring these, which are reflective, eye-catching, and truly stunning. They have 20,000 luxury chair covers available, over 200 sash colours and an extensive range of chair accessories to choose from. Side tie sashes are very popular at the moment, with the colours navy and gunmetal grey being chosen above other shades.

Elizabeth Cake Emporium caught my eye with its beautifully decorated cakes. The three-time winner of Wedding TV’s The Great Cake Bake, Elizabeth works closely with her clients to produce the most exquisite cakes, cupcakes and cookies, all of which taste as beautiful as they look. With nine flavours to choose from, Elizabeth told me that the most popular is vanilla, chocolate, then carrot, followed by lemon! Yum!

In Water has the most creative and beautiful wedding flowers to transform your wedding venue. They truly possess vision and experience in crafting the most stunning wedding flowers for your special day. Water is constantly generating new ideas and keeping things super fresh for its clients. Gipsofila is currently very popular. I love the romantic look of them, like fluffy clouds, but with a modern twist.

Cornucopia has an eclectic collection of some of Britain’s finest performers. None of them are household names, but all of them perform with the stars, including Dirty Vegas, Howard Jones, Duke Special, Snow Patrol, REM, Michael Bolton, Cliff Richard, Roger Daltrey, Billy Preston, Gary Barlow, to name but a few. So, what are they seeing brides booking? ‘You Rock’ is Cornucopia’s Live Band Karaoke setup for couples who want their guests to have an unforgettable experience. Sign them up to have a go with ‘You Rock’, where they can choose from an extensive songlist, including easy listening to hard rock.

Moving on to Dresses, I had the pleasure of meeting Yemi from Kosibah. Kosibah designer wedding dresses employ the finest haute couture techniques and embellishments to flatter and enhance every woman’s figure. I wanted to find out what types of wedding dresses he sees his brides select. Yemi explained to me that his couture dresses have lots of detail, embellishment, and are clean-silhouette gowns, close-fitting to the hips and flaring out with lots of texture and sparkle.

I loved the catwalk show, especially the beginning, where we were seemingly introduced to the hotel by the general manager and the head chef. That was, until they broke into an awe-inspiring opera of Nessun Dorma!  This was truly amusing and amazing.  After the show, the duo announced that they were actually from Encore Entertainment and could similarly capture the attention of wedding guests on the big day.

On the catwalk, we saw Satin Bow Bridal, which has one of the most dynamic wedding shops for Wedding Dresses in Hertfordshire, featuring many designer wedding dresses and showcasing a number of up-and-coming new designers in the bridal industry.

Caroline Couture’s designs are all handmade, individual pieces with a fresh and original style, featuring beautiful beads and elegant lace with a theatrical flair.

I look forward to visiting the next Luxury Wedding Show at the Millennium Hotel, London Mayfair Sunday, 25th September 2011