Wedding cakes have a reputation problem. And honestly? I blame the 80s.
I was born in the 80s, and I have vivid memories of going to weddings as a child and being absolutely dazzled by these towering three and four-tier structures, adorned with sugar flowers, elegant piping, little pillars holding each tier aloft, and of course, the plastic bride and groom standing proudly on top. They were spectacular to look at. I remember being genuinely in awe of them.
But here's what I don't remember: eating them.
Those cakes were almost always a dense fruitcake, and somewhere along the way, the tradition became less about enjoying the cake and more about slicing it for photographs or wrapping it up as a wedding favour. The cake looked magnificent. The cake tasted, well, nobody really talked about how it tasted.
And that, right there, is the wedding cake stigma.
Times Have Changed, And So Have Wedding Cakes
I am so glad to say that we are not in the 80s anymore. The wedding cake world has transformed in the most beautiful way, and at Weddings of Joy, I have made it my personal mission to make sure that every cake that leaves my kitchen in Jeffreys Bay is just as extraordinary to eat as it is to look at.
For me, the way a cake looks and the way it tastes carry exactly equal weight. A showstopper cake that tastes mediocre is only doing half its job. And a delicious cake that looks underwhelming? Same problem. I refuse to settle for either.
Flavours Worth Celebrating
When couples come to me for their wedding cake consultations, whether they're based here on the Garden Route, in Port Elizabeth, or further afield, one of the first things I love to talk about is flavour. Because that's where the magic really starts.
Imagine chocolate cake layered with salted caramel and Italian meringue buttercream, rich, perfectly balanced, unforgettable. Or hummingbird cake, that gorgeous tropical combination of banana and pineapple that makes people close their eyes on first bite. Earl Grey, for the couple who loves something a little more refined. Brown butter chai, for the ones who want something warm and unexpected. The options are genuinely exciting, and there is absolutely no reason, none, why your wedding cake cannot be the most delicious thing at your reception.
My Mission: Better Wedding Cakes for All
That's my motto, and I mean it sincerely. I want people to go to weddings in Jeffreys Bay, in Port Elizabeth, across the Eastern Cape and beyond, and walk away talking about the cake. Not just how beautiful it looked, but how incredible it tasted. I want the wedding cake to be the thing guests are still talking about on the drive home.
The celebration of love deserves nothing less. And it starts with a cake that is worthy of the day, inside and out.
If you're planning your wedding and you're ready to have the wedding cake of your dreams, one that actually tastes as good as it looks, I'd love to chat. Let's break the stigma together.
Weddings of Joy is a bespoke wedding cake studio based in Jeffreys Bay, serving couples across the Garden Route, Port Elizabeth (Gqeberha), and the Eastern Cape.