The wedding cake is one of those focal points that the entire reception seems to hinge around. That's because the cake is central to some very important rituals that date back to ancient times. The cake cutting ceremony symbolizes the first time that the bride and groom act as husband and wife. And when the couple feed each other from the first slice, it is a sign of their commitment to always provide for one another.

The look of today's wedding cake is the result of a lot of changes in custom down through the years, and it seems as though that evolutionary process is still going on. Kelly Delaney, owner of Cakes For Occasions in Danvers, Massachusetts, believes that brides still seek out traditional cakes but with a little bit of their own personality added. Kelly brings fifteen years' experience as a pastry chef to each and every cake she creates. Add to that her culinary education at the Ballymaloe Cookery School in Cork, Ireland and the Cordon Bleu in London; and her training at the Ritz Carlton in the U.S. and it's easy to see why last November one of her cakes was chosen by America as their favorite and selected as the cake to be served at the NBC's Today Show's destination wedding in Anguila.

Kelly says that shape is an area where a lot of brides have begun experimenting, "The hexagon shape is becoming popular. Round is the traditional shape and square is for those brides who want to be somewhat unique. But for brides who want a more middle of the road approach, the hexagon is best. It lends itself to all types of artwork on the cake and it looks lovely stacked or used with columns with fresh flowers in between."

She added that more and more brides are viewing the wedding cake as the dessert after the meal and so the quality has to be as good as the dessert that follows a meal in a good restaurant. In keeping with this idea, mousse cakes have begun to gain in popularity. She makes mousse cakes in raspberry, white chocolate, hazelnut and chocolate.

Another perspective on the emerging trends in wedding cake design comes from Polyna Berlin whose family owns the San Fernando Valley, California-based Pierre's Pastry. They were the first bakery to design white chocolate wedding cakes in the 1970s. Since then the bakery has specialized in custom designs, colors and flavors and continues to stay ahead of the trends through innovation and creativity.

Polyna notes that layered cakes are very popular, everything from meringue and flavored soufflé to sponge and chocolate raspberry mouse. The most popular is still the traditional tiramisu-like fillings, with sponge cake and mocha or cappuccino mousse.

She also sees shape as an area where many brides express their creativity; "Cakes with unusual top tiers are very popular; for example, a multi-tiered cake with a Chinese jewelry box top filled with edible flowers or half-open white chocolate shells with budding roses." No matter what the shape, Polyna recommends a portion size of a 2 x 3 square.

And finally, don't overlook adding a splash of color. Many of the Pierre's clients request specialty cakes to match the color scheme of the wedding. For example, a bride that is using lilac will request that the color be incorporated into the cake. Molding chocolate can be used to make the roses or other types of flowers in the desired colors.