Cakes at weddings date back to pre-Roman times. Today the cake is usually the centrepiece of the reception and its cutting and consumption a matter of real ceremony.

Deciding on the sort of wedding cake you want at your wedding is very important, as is deciding who is to bake and decorate it.

It is essential to have the very best cake, which means it should be baked by a professional or a very talented amateur. The problem with the rich fruit cake that forms the wedding confection is that it is so rich it can easily resemble a pudding, sink in the middle, burn during baking or fall victim to any of a dozen other awful things.

The best solution unless you are absolutely certain of a well-meaning friend or relative's abilities is to order the cake from a professional baker whose experience is solid and dependable.

The baker will have a pattern book full of photographs of various styles of cake for you to choose from. Some bakers can offer small samples of the various recipes to taste. You choose the style, the number of tiers and the type of decoration.

Of course, you don't have to have a rich fruit cake. The American habit of a decorated sponge filled with cream is beginning to find favour over here. It doesn't travel well, though, so you can't send pieces through the post to absent friends.

Three or four tiers are the usual number if a rich fruit cake decorated in traditional fashion is chosen. Tradition says the bottom tier is cut and consumed at the wedding, the second at the first anniversary and the third is reserved for the christening of the first child. The top, fourth tier is cut and pieces sent to absent friends and relatives. Other tiers are normally used as required to supplement the reception servings.

When ordering the cake don't forget to order a stand. This is not automatically provided unless requested. It is also a good idea to arrange for the baker to deliver and assemble the cake on the day. This is not the job for a nervous hand. Finally, don't forget that a ceremonial knife will be required to make the first cut into the cake. This is usually bought specially by the bride or her parents and kept as a souvenir of the event.

Always arrange for someone such as an usher or relative to supervise the cutting of the cake. Normally what happens is the bride and groom make the first, ceremonial cut for the photographer's benefit. The cake is then removed to a servery to be cut for the guests. It is essential to have a family representative there to ensure only the tiers designated are cut and distributed, that any silver decorations are safely put aside and that nothing untoward happens to the tiers that are to be retained.