An early trial run, experimenting with various ideas and combinations

It's a good idea to do at least one trial run with the smallest size of cake. This helps you get used to how it all works with your equipment in your kitchen. It's also the best way to estimate the sizes and quantities you'll need.

A trial run can be a great excuse to have a friendly cake-eating get together with the bride and groom. Try out a couple of different combinations of sauces, ganache flavours, sponge recipes and decorations. Then eat lots of cake and have a chat with them. You can catch up on their lives and plans, as well as the arrangements.

Be prepared to add up to 20 pounds in your budget for a trial run of two cakes with different decorations. Be aware that you may also end up rejecting options you were sure would be right.

I bought several boxes of white chocolate Matchmakers in the after Christmas sales. We originally intended to decorate the cakes with them. After making the trial runs, we found that the minty flavour spread through too much of the cake, and so we had to reject them. Lots of people got Matchmakers as gifts for a couple of months after that!

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