Cool Cake Stands To Die For

Traditional cake stands are everywhere, in every color, at every price. They're popular and easy to come by, but today's post is about the unique cake "platform:" Something unique, modern, and unexpected to put your cake on.

First let's take a look at bowls as cake stands:

I found this trumpet-shaped bowl at a local florist. I was still in the process of developing this bird cake when I found the bowl, so I used its berries as part of the design. It was important that the stand naturally flow into the cake structure, not only to support it, but visually set it off. The cake is sitting on a perfectly-sized piece of round plexiglass (aka "plexi"), covered with fondant. Voila!

We found this piece of antique Italian Majolica at an auction. Imagine it supporting a Tuscan or lemon-themed cake surrounded with floral fruit sculptures and plates of marzipan, chocolate and fruit-filled confections...whew. Is anyone else getting hungry?

Next I want to talk about the power of four. Any item can become "feet" of a platform, providing that there are four items of equal height (five if you want some support in the center). Imagine four of these Fu Dogs topped with a piece of plexiglass guarding a beautiful red and gold wedding cake:

These are/were offered at CB2.com, but to find your perfect set, Google "Fu Dog" or "Foo Dog" to see all that the web has to offer in terms of color and height fit for your cake.

Another adorable option are these fantastic garden lanterns from the always amazing Floral Art on Abbot-Kinney in Venice, CA. Get four of the same height, top them with a plexi, and you're in business:

One word of caution: Please don't be the gal/guy that thinks putting real candles inside these is a good idea for the cake platform. : |  Use the battery-powered votives, or better yet, how about some water and flowers? Sand and seashells? The sky's the limit.

If you'd rather have your cake directly on the table, consider laying down one of these cool wrought-iron wall hangings then center your cake on top. Each is perfectly flat and extra-large at just about three feet, and makes a striking table decoration to set off your cake. Don't like wrought-iron? Easy fix: Spray paint them a bright color in your wedding palette for a more modern, fresh look:

Gorgeous, right? All of these were found online at the Wrought Iron Decor Store run by Tori Shearer out of the great state of Texas. What you see here is just a sampling of the shapes and styles they have -- browse their site for more options or hop on Google to find one just right for your cake table.

Ultimately your creative eye is what helps you discover, choose, and create the perfect cake platform, wedding day, and reception for you and yours. Be flexible about your design ideas and nothing can stop the success of your fun, beautiful event!

Check out the following shopping tips before locking in to your favorite cake stand or platform. Happy celebrating!

Shopping Tips:

• Try to keep your platform to 1/3 of the total cake height or less. You want it to be cool, but not overwhelm the cake.
• Before you shop, look around your house for potential platforms: Think creatively: Stacks of red books, votive holders, and CDs topped with a level piece of flat plexiglass turn something plain into something amazing.
• Make sure your platform is stable. Use Earthquake Putty to secure any seperate pieces together, and to secure the cake to the platform.
• If you have a cake stand you already want to use, work with your pastry chef to ensure the cake fits the stand. If a stand is too narrow or possibly too weak to hold up your 100 lb.+ cake, it's best to find a new one or scrap it altogether.