Is your wedding cake idea a little fuzzy? Start here with the basics and we'll make it more clear.

This wedding cake idea shows the beauty of simplicity - stacked tiers without a stand, smooth frosting, and flowers for decorations - elegant, stylish, and beautiful.

We'll assume that you don't have a good wedding cake idea yet and just throw some options out there first. Then you can put it all together later.

If you would rather look at pictures of wedding cakes, go to this wedding cake idea photo gallery.

Hint: Make two lists, one with each cake idea you don't like and one with each cake idea that you do like. This makes the process of elimination easier. Or you can print out this page and cross off those you don't like, leaving only the cake ideas that are still in the running.

Common Shapes (cakes are getting more unique each day, so don't worry-pick what you want)

Square

Round

Hexagon

Heart

Cupcakes

Your wedding cake idea doesn't have to be fancy to look great. This tiered wedding cake, with simple floral decorations in colors that match the room, is proof of that.

Common Cake Flavors

Vanilla

Chocolate

Marble

Carrot

Lemon

Cheesecake

Cream-filled cakes

Intricate frosting designs and floral decorations make for a simple but elegant wedding cake idea.

Common Fillings

Pineapple

Lemon

Fresh Strawberry

Custard (vanilla)

Pudding

Icing

Fondant - smooth finish, good for outdoor receptions (no fridge necessary)

Buttercream - tastier than fondant, but use it indoors

Cream cheese

Rolled chocolate - see www.elegantcheesecakes.com for this great idea

Colors - Completely up to you, but try to complement your colors for the wedding (take some fabric to the baker for color matching) or complement the setting where the cake will be displayed.

Style

Tiered

Stacked

Fountain

Elegant

Whimsical

Colorful

Traditional

Floating (we're talking about the cake stand here)

Decoration

Flowers

Icing Designs

Candy

Ribbon

Fruits (usually berries)

Words/Letters

Pearls

Jewelry

Lights

Toppers - the sky's the limit these days

Monogram wedding cake toppers

Crystal wedding cake toppers

Unique (job/hobby related)

Traditional

Contemporary style groom and bride

Whimsical figures

Wedding cake accessories

Wedding Cake Serving Sets

Wedding Cake Box (to save the top for your first anniversary)

Don't get hung up on the size of the cake for reasons we'll discuss on the next page. Now that you've come up with a basic wedding cake idea, go to the wedding cake design page to see how to turn this basic info into a better idea, how to have your dream design within your budget, and how to talk to your baker. By the way, this list is by no means exhaustive. It's just meant to help get your creative side going.