Well here we go the start of something so important and special that I don't quite know where to begin... Except at the beginning!

My baby brother finally asked his lovely girlfriend to marry him at Christmas last year, and she said 'Yes!' I'm so happy for them both, and with so much to do and everyone wanting to help them out, I wasn't quite sure what I could do. So I offered up my services as an amateur baker and cake obsessive to them, and volunteered to make their wedding cake.

Eek... what have I done, searching online for cake ideas, advice, decoration and costings, I had a mini breakdown... So much to think about, and that is even without speaking to them both about what they envisage their cake should look like. How many tiers, what sort of cake, should it be fruit or sponge, chocolate or lemon, traditional or contemporary, fresh flowers or sugar paste... the list is endless.

It all seems so trivial, and after all it is only a cake. But it’s not 'just' a cake; it’s a centrepiece, an integral part of the wedding breakfast. The most photographed part of the wedding, except for the bride and groom. So there we go again another panic... Argh deep breathe in... and out, and in... and out. A check in with the happy couple, are they sure they want me to do this, honest I won't be offended if they want someone who will give them their dream cake, it won't be wonky and look out of place. Are they sure I say to my brother. Absolutely positive, they'd love me to do it. Certain? Yes, now stop asking and focus on the task in hand. So back we go, to good old Google, back to the search... I suppose that’s one thing about focusing my academic studies upon research methods, I can hone a search engine pretty well to dig up the sort of information that I need. Everything from the tools I need for icing, how to get it perfectly smooth, no lumps, videos for sugar paste decorating, different types of cakes and the best combinations for tiered cakes, eBay for stands, baking times and scaled down versions for testing... Phew we're feeling a little more confident about this.

So this is where it really starts, the fun begins and the perfect, not so amateurish cake starts to take form...

With the exception of my brother and his fiancée (I don't want to spoil the end result for them), I hope that you take this journey with me and who knows maybe this could lead somewhere exciting!