Sauced

Imagine the simplest of wedding cakes. No fondant, and no adornments or embellishments on the buttercream-iced layers. After the ceremonial cutting -- during which a very basic cake (a thin coating of nondescript buttercream between the layers) is revealed -- it's whisked away by the catering staff. Minutes pass (really, how long can it take to slice up such a vapid cake?) and then finally, plates issue from the kitchen. Each holds a piece of the formerly mundane confection; now, however, it's accompanied by a warm, enticingly sweet sauce. It's no longer a plain cake, but rather, a fine gourmet dessert...not to mention a twist on the traditional wedding cake.

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When Mr. Bruschetta and I started discussing the dessert we wanted to serve at our wedding, we quickly dismissed the conventional wedding cake, thinking of something with more pizazz and originality. Fortunately, our caterer embraced our idea, and -- while we would be working with a baker for the cake -- offered to handle the gourmet sauces to dress the slices. One of his first menu drafts included a tantalizingly delicious list of coulis to accompany our wedding cake:

• Kiwi/strawberry sauce
• Mango/guava sauce
• Raspberry sauce
• Warm chocolate caramel sauce
• Warm milk chocolate peanut butter sauce
• Creme anglaise with rum and dried grapes

My tummy's rumbling even just reading through his suggestions. Our caterer furthered our idea by suggesting a station at which guests could select from the sauce options for their cake slices. It was fresh! It was original! And then...I got cold feet. I worried that I'd regret not having a "normal" wedding cake. I fretted we'd never find a baker willing to embrace our idea -- since it would seriously meddle with his/her contribution to the feast. And I stressed about overstretching our caterer and his staff, wondering if a crazy dessert idea would pull their focus from our amazing cocktail hour bites and delicious dinner.

When I mentioned my hesitation to Mr. Bruschetta, he was initially upset, and hoping I'd change my mind and embrace our first idea again. But really, that's all it was. An initial thought, a preliminary concept. And I felt comfortable moving forward from that point and entertaining a new vision for our dessert: Let them eat cake! After explaining my reasoning, Mr. Bruschetta agreed. Together, we embraced tradition, and set out to find a baker who could create our ideal tiered treat.

Did you do an about-face on any wedding decisions?