Before you begin visiting the cake bakers' shops and sampling their wares (many a bride's favorite planning activity), it will help to know the size of your reception guest list, the sort of meal you'll be serving, the color and theme of your wedding, the time of day, and whether the affair is to be a formal or informal one.

And keep in mind what your sweet tooth -- and your intended's -- tends to demand. There is plenty of room for compromise. If you love lemon and he raspberry, the wedding cake can be made of a variety of flavors, one for each tier if that suits you. Perhaps rather than one single cake, you'd like to offer every table at your reception its own cake, each one differently flavored and uniquely iced. Or perhaps you'd like to serve each guest his or her own miniature tiered and iced cake.

Once a Southern custom, the groom's cake is making frequent appearances at St. Louis weddings. Such treats are often dark and rich and triple chocolate, a dramatic contrast to the snowy whiteness of the traditional wedding cake.

When meeting with bakers, it's nice to be able to speak their language. To that end, Saint Louis Bride Magazine offers this list of bakery terms, many of which sound good enough to eat.

Buttercream - Real buttercream is made with real butter, and so is a bit fussy about heat and humidity. Refrigeration will take care of this problem. This not-too-sweet icing is a favorite, perhaps because it marries so well with fruit juices and liqueur flavorings. Buttercream is often used for basketweave icing, swags, rosettes, and other soft flourishes.

Ganache - A glaze made of chocolate and whipped cream that is lighter than marzipan and fondant. It can be poured over cakes or used as a filling between layers.

Marzipan - A paste of finely ground almonds and sugar. It can be rolled out and used to wrap around a cake, and can be shaped into flowers, fruits and other decorations.

Pastillage - Also known as gum paste, pastillage isn't particularly tasty, but does make beautiful, porcelain-like flowers and fruits that may very well last through the next millennium.

Rolled fondant - A very sweet, rolled icing made primarily of confectioner's sugar. When used as icing, it acts as a smooth base for pastillage flowers and royal icing details. Fondant can also be used to make scrolls and flowers.

Royal Icing - A soft paste that dries to a brittle surface. Royal icing is used for beading, overpiping, flowers, and lattice.