As wedding planners, we always tell clients that there is a risk in transporting the wedding cakes, whether it be by land or by flight. I mean - anything can happen during the journey - like the time we had to travel 9 hours by car to the wedding destination and all of us had one box of cupcakes on our laps each - and we nearly got into a very bad accident (thanks to the quick reflexes of the driver - Edmund Tham - we are still alive - and the cupcakes were intact.) You can imagine the stress for the planners when the first question asked after the brush with near-death wasn't "Is everyone alright?" but instead "Check the cakes!!!!"
What about the time the fabulous sugee cake from Angelina was flown-in from KL to Phnom Penh? A very stressful flight indeed. Luckily, the flight wasn't full and the cake had a seat of its own. Still, it requires the planner(s) to check on the cake every few minutes - if only just for our own peace of mind.
At the end of the day - is it worth it, though?
The wedding cake plays a symbolical role in all weddings. A tradition dating back to the ancient Roman empire, the modern wedding cake now plays a role in symbolizing the couple's first task together as man and wife when the bride cuts into the cake, aided by the groom. The gesture of feeding the cake to each other is another symbol of their commitment to provide for each other.
With destination weddings being a more intimate celebration - couples are able to spend on a cake which will be served to all their guests at the reception as opposed to the 1,000 pax banquet in town (one would need an extremely large cake to serve!). As such, the trend has become more and more popular for brides and grooms alike to choose and select their cake with the same gusto as they would their decor.
Many a couples - mostly brides :) - would already have their favourite cake (comfort food) in mind and therefore, come what may, they want THAT cake and THAT particular cake-maker and they are willing to go to the extend of transporting the wedding cake from destination to destination. Hey - it is after all your wedding, you know :) But bear in mind - there are risks! (read above :P)
As for me - I can be pretty fussy when it comes to cakes that goes into my tummy and I do have a selection of my favourite cakes, but I did not want the stress of cake transportation - considering that the route for me was Phnom Penh - KL - Bali. And because I did not want my wedding to feel like "work" to me, I left the cake and cake design in the good hands of the pastry chef from Kayumanis Nusa Dua. I told them "Surprise Me." I'm sure they were under slight duress too. But hey - it's my wedding. And I was pleasantly surprised.
Leticia will also be having her wedding in Bali this coming October and she isn't going to have any of that cake-transportation stress either. In fact - she's already done her cake-tasting when I had my wedding last year :) So we know the cake WILL be good. (Tip : If you do not want to fly your wedding cake anywhere - be sure to check out what is available locally and do a round of tastings - there will bound to be something that will appease your cake-buds).
However - recently, right here in Phnom Penh, I've had the privilege to get to know a renowned pastry chef from Honolulu, Hawai'i - Chef Leigh Ann Seto (whom I simply call - "Chef"). Chef has more than 20 years experience as a pastry chef spanning across Asia as well as back in her home country. Some of the well-known chains she has worked for included the Hyatt Regency Waikiki, Hard Rock Hotel Bali, The Kahala Hotel & Resort in Hawai'i and the Grand Wailea Resort, Maui (which hosts an average of four weddings per day! And kept Chef super-busy).
Her cakes? For a cake fanatic like myself - they are to-die-for - especially her Devil's Chocolate Cake (real chocolate with a hint of peanut butter!). Trust me - IF I had known Chef earlier - this cake together with whatever designs she's creating (Chef's experiences with weddings in Hawai'i has also helped Chef create magnificent designs for wedding cakes) - would be MY wedding cake. I wouldn't care if I am doing the PP-KL-Bali route. The cake WILL come with me and the cake WILL have a seat of its own. It is what I call a slice of heaven. Particularly so when chocolate is Chef's favourite ingredient to use and I am every bit a chocolate chick.
And she's right here in Cambodia. Any orders? :) And oh - if you're going to be asking for cakes with "grand staircases" or cakes with "standing tiers" - Chef will knock you on the head.
** Photo of Wedding Cupcakes provided by La Flaire / Photography by Arden Khoo
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