You've got the dress, ordered the flowers, chosen your rings and booked the venue. So you need to order a wedding cake.?

Here's a few hints to assist you, and your potential baker, so between you, you can achieve the cake of your dreams. Go to meet him or her with a few ready answers.

- Date of your wedding and venue (fairly basic stuff!) Will your baker deliver to your reception site or do you have to pick it up?

- Do you have a theme to your wedding or a colour scheme? Important if you want the cake to match, or if you want your baker to design a cake specific to your theme. Can you provide a piece of fabric or a napkin, or something to demonstrate the colour you want?

- If you've seen a picture of something you like, take that along - there's literally 1000's if you search for "wedding cakes" on the internet.

- Think about the flavour you'd like your cake and its filling to be. Remember, the tiers don't all have to be the same flavour.mix and match for added variety!

- What sort of cake are you looking for? Something romantic and pretty or something modern and fun?

- Give some thought to colours.Do you want your cake to match your bridesmaids dresses, your flowers or something in particular? You don't have to have all the tiers the same colour, have them in pastel tones of one colour fading to white or contrasting tones.

- Do you want fresh or silk flowers on your cake? If so, are you going to supply them to your baker or do you want them to supply them? Or is a cake topper in your plan - where's it coming from?

Prices for wedding cakes vary enormously, dependent upon size and the amount of time required to decorate them. Obviously more elaborately decorated cakes will be more expensive than simple designs. Not all bakers offer "cake tasting" sessions. In general, larger bakeries will do, but most home-bakers won't.

Be prepared to pay a deposit if you want to place an order, normally a percentage of the total cost of the cake. Expect to pay the balance just before you take delivery of the cake.

Ask to see photographs of previous work, and/or testimonials from satisfied customers. You are putting your trust in the person who will provide this special cake for your big day, make sure you feel confident in them and their ideas for your cake.

Above all, once you've come to a decision, sit back and relax, safe in the knowledge that the cake that appears at your reception will be something truly special that fulfills your 'sweet' dreams.