Small, large, simple, fancy, one layer or several, white or multicolored, themed or not — no matter what style of wedding, expectations can be high when couples choose their wedding cake.

Online photos of cakes nationwide have upped the ante.

“I don't think they realize what the baker has to do to achieve those looks,” said Tina Villaire, store manager of Mary's Cake Candy & Party Supplies, 180 Bon Aire Shopping Center.

“There are so many options,” Villaire said. “It's overwhelming.”

Maria Wroblewski and her husband, Justin, own Tin Man Sweets Bake Shoppe, 205 S. Main St., Zelienople.

She said even though online photos are sometimes unrealistic, photos are still useful.

Wroblewski said, “It can help because it shows us what they like. But they have to be flexible when they come in. Everybody's skill sets are different. It's art.”

“Most of the girls come and have a distinct vision of what they want,” said Pennie Wogan, who owns Pennie's Bake Shop & Espresso Bar, 800 New Castle St., with her son, Michael Bestwick.

Wedding cakes often follow the wedding theme. Country themes with wildflowers and rustic locations are popular. Other brides may choose a more formal theme.

For the past two years, Wogan has received more requests for a modern look. For example, the cake sides are less smooth and there is more buttercream icing decoration on the outside.

She said from the 1970s to the 1990s, wedding cakes with stairways and fountains and tiers held up by pillars were popular.

Villaire does not think that style will come back anytime soon. Stacked cakes are more popular. She said traditional decorating with a more natural look is coming back.

“They're going back to the '50s and '60s but a much cleaner look,” Wogan said. “It was ruffles and garlands. There was a lot of icing on the cakes back then.”

Fondant can give an elegant, clean look to a cake, and Wroblewski said some designs require fondant.

Fondant has a vanilla flavor but can have a gummy texture and is very sweet. She said the issues are price and taste.

Fondant work is time consuming. Because of the detail involved, Wroblewski said a fondant-covered cake can cost at least two dollars more per serving.

Cakes from Tin Man have layers of cake with a filling and buttercream frosting. A fondant covering could cover the buttercream and could be removed by the guest before eating the cake.

Wogan said fondant covered cakes are less popular now, but fondant accents are still common. Fondant has been replaced with Swiss icing made with granulated sugar. She said it melts in your mouth.

“People consider it lighter,” Wogan said.

Fondant combined with gum paste is still popular for accents on the cake. A brushing of edible dust can add shades of color to those adornments.

Wogan said the price is comparable to a florist preparing flowers for a cake.

Fresh and silk flowers are still common on wedding cakes. Florists often prepare them as small arrangements that decorators position on the cake.

Brides can have lace decorations on their cakes too, even ones that match lace on dresses. After piping buttercream on the cake, Wogan said the decorator uses a brush to make the icing resemble lace.

Wroblewski prefers icing cakes with traditional buttercream icing. Its ivory hue is from butter. However, not all brides want an ivory-colored cake.

“Other bakeries may include other ingredients such as shortening to get a very smooth white icing,” Wroblewski said.

Wroblewski will tint fondant or scrollwork on a cake but doesn't like to tint the buttercream icing.

As an alternative, she can use ribbon on cakes.

“If they really want to have their colors incorporated into the cake it's probably the most cost-effective way,” Wroblewski said.

Pennie's decorations have included automobile emblems, sports team logos and Pittsburgh's three rivers with bridges.

One of her cakes had traditional decorations on one half and a Batman theme with black icing and silhouettes of buildings on the other. Designs on the back side of the cakes were displayed with a mirror placed behind the cake.

Wogan said almost all brides request fillings for their cakes. These might be flavored with a liqueur or a fruit. Salted caramel, raspberry and peanut butter cream are among the many fillings she makes.

She said prices reflect the work and time involved in preparation, the size of the cake, the number of servings and other factors. Many couples save money by having a fancy cake on display and having more servings of cake in the serving area. These can be layer cakes with icing similar to the cake on display.

Wroblewski said wedding cake discussion can cause sticker shock for the bride.

“They think 'Well it's just cake. Why does it cost so much money?'” she said. “You're paying for the artwork. It's edible artwork. You're paying for the time it took the person to learn to do this work, and you're paying for materials.”

“I like to find out a bride's budget when I meet with them. It helps me determine whether the design they're showing me is appropriate for the amount they want to spend. “Sometimes they'll show me a picture of a fondant cake, but their budget only allows for a buttercream design. You'll never achieve the same look of fondant with buttercream,” Wroblewski said. “(But) you can still achieve a spectacular wedding cake that reflects the couple.”

She said the couple has to trust the decorator. If their vision doesn't match the decorator's vision, they may want to find a different bakery.

Although Wroblewski likes preparing many styles of cakes, she said, “I like the creative end of it and getting to make things. I like to get outside the box and do something new.”

Wogan learns more every new season. “Bakers, pastry chefs and decorators, everybody brings new ideas and talents. There's always something we can learn,” she said.