If you have some time before the event put a ad in local shop windows etc there are lots of people out there that do cakes just in their spare time for extra cash, my friends mum does and she charges alot less than it would cost in a shop and everything is spot on even down to the flowers etc
My mum used tomake wedding cakes.
Sponges are OK but if you want the traditional design with tiers supported by pillars, it may be necessary to have a board on to0p of the cake to spread the weight.
I had a nasty fruit cake base for those people that like it (yuk yuk yuk), chocolate sponge middle and plain sponge top and it was fantastic. Had it done at a small local shop 6 years ago and it was �120
Hi I make and decorate cakes. Most wedding cakes nowadays incorporate all sorts of flavours. A lot depends on how many servings you need to get and the style of cake you want. E.g if you are having a large reception and want to give everyone a slice of caked a fruit cake will provide double the amount of portions as a sponge. An alternative is to have a seperate cutting cake to allow for more portions.
In terms of style if you want a stacked cake (each cake is placed directly on top of the other) this can be done by dowelling each cake to support the weight of the upper tiers. If you use a multi tiered cake stand it is even easier.
There should be no problem in making the cake exactly as you like it but obviously wedding cakes are expensive. You can keep the costs down by choosing a simple design. I often think less is more and can be much more classy.
Lots of luck. Don't know where you are in the UK but I am in the south east if that helps?