MANILA, Philippines - Rich in symbolism, the wedding cake is always a prominent part of the wedding.

I always get into a lot of dilemmas when I start working with couples and their cake choices. Most of them ask me what it really means?and if it?s that important to have one in the wedding, and why it has to be a fruit cake (which I understand a lot of us don?t really like).

It becomes a real dilemma when practicality, design, and taste will not let them have the cake they can truly enjoy eating. In many cultures, some type of decorated confection is served to symbolize fertility and luck, and to allow well-wishers to share the good fortune of the newlyweds.

In ancient Rome, revelers broke a thin leaf of bread made of wheat, representing fertility, over the bride?s hand. Guests then picked up the crumbs and kept them for good luck.

Today, the cake-cutting ceremony symbolizes a couple?s commitment to care for and nurture each other. So it definitely is a part of the whole ritual.

Over the centuries, the cake has evolved in so many ways in terms of design, ingredients and taste: towering tiers, fancy frostings, fondant icing, and those details that distinguish wedding cakes from regular-occasion cakes.

Cakes used to be made in white only. These days, the bride can choose cakes that are colored and decorated to match their bridal themes and location settings. Toppings can be the usual bride and groom statue, or enhanced with ribbons, fresh flowers or other themed ornaments.

Priorities

To help you decide what kind of cake you want, think of your priorities and the kind of wedding you are having. Do you want a big cake with several tiers, a nicely decorated cake that looks clean and structured, or a simple small one?

Will you be having an outdoor wedding or a traditional indoor one? How big will it be? If you have a big wedding, the cake size should be in proportion to the reception area.

How formal is the celebration? You may have to remember also that the higher the tier, the heavier the cake would be. Bakers usually suggest fruit cake, apple walnut cake, carrot cake and banana walnut cake, because it?s these cakes that can hold up the weight of the tiers and the heavy icing (typically fondant).

Fondant icing holds up especially well, and even helps preserve the cake. For outdoor weddings, you need to choose fondant icing to avoid any melted frosting.

Not chocolate, please

A lot of couples always ask for a chocolate cake. They forget that when they do the traditional cake-cutting, they are being photographed. You wouldn?t want black icing on your teeth when they take the photos, would you? Although chocolate cake is a delicious, all-time favorite, you may want to take the picture-taking into consideration.

Wedding cakes are meant to be eaten immediately. The top layer is often removed, then frozen. An early 19th-century custom was to save a portion of the cake for a future child?s christening.

Now, many couples keep a piece for their first wedding anniversary as a romantic reminder of their wedding day.

Ultimately, you can have any cake that you choose. It is still your wedding after all. But when it?s time to go to your baker and cake decorator, do consider their suggestions, too, because they know what?s best and have the experience to make your cake worry-free, beautiful and memorable.

Remember, the cake helps define the style of your wedding as much as your wedding dress. Today, as ever, it?s not merely dessert. It?s an element that?s as important as everything else.