The book, Wedding Cakes and Cultural History, by Simon R. Charsley and William Woys Weaver goes into great detail on the history of the modern wedding cake and its origins in England less than 150 years ago.

From Publisher's Weekly:

The earliest recipe recorded from Britain for a dish specifically for a wedding is in fact a pie, writes Charsley, an anthropologist at the University of Glasgow.

The wedding cake as we know it today--with its successively smaller layers, supporting pillars, fancy frosting and festoons--had its origins some hundred years later, in a confection that commemorated the marriage of one of Queen Victoria's daughters in 1859.

Even then, a few refinements were missing: only the base tier was actually cake (the rest were pure sugar), and the layers were stacked like hat boxes.

It would take the wedding of Prince Leopold in 1882 before guests could enjoy an entirely "cake" wedding cake, and another 20 years before the tiers were separated by columns (usually disguised pieces of a broom handle).

There are many shrewd observations here, particularly those that link the evolving elaborateness of the wedding cakes to the growing commercialization of private ceremonies (most Victorian amateur bakers lacked the engineering skill to keep the higher layers from sinking into the lower ones).

Charsley is also enlightening on the way the ritual of cake-cutting reflects the changing role of women in marriage.

But general readers should be warned: Wedding Cakes is not a novelty item or gift book.

Although Charsley's writing is relatively free of jargon, his book is clearly aimed at an academic audience; there is thorough documentation of such minutiae as flour proportion and the development of icing, and even the most intellectually inclined gourmands may quickly find that they have bitten off more than they can--or care to--chew.

Still hungry to learn more about wedding cakes? Visit Schroeder's Wedding Cake site that features a cake of the week photo.

Lovin' Oven, wedding and grooms cakes are their specialty.

Occasional Cakes Wedding Cakes and Consulting offers custom-design cakes for weddings and special occasions in the Canadian Rocky Mountain region.

Sweet Flours has refreshingly different wedding cakes, petit four and desserts.

Nelson Glass for handblown glass wedding caketops and wedding accesories including personalized cake tops.

The Wedding Cake Book by Dede Wilson is a one-of-a-kind resource presents an idea book that shows readers how to bake a beautiful wedding cake. Thirty complete recipes are featured, with detailed, step-by-step instructions. 30 color photos. 192 pp. 15,000 print. This is the best selling wedding cake book right now.

The wedding market is a $32 billion business. Experts say that brides-to-be generally buy every book and magazine they can get their hands on when planning a wedding, and yet, remarkably, The Wedding Cake Book is the first cookbook of its kind a gorgeous idea book that really shows you how to bake a beautiful wedding cake.

There are 30 complete recipes in all, with detailed, step-by-step instructions. A one-of-a-kind resource, with gorgeous photography throughout,

The Wedding Cake Book is sure to become a classic cookbook among bakers, and makes the perfect shower gift. Dede Wilson has worked as a pastry chef, recipe developer, product demonstrator/cooking teacher, and caterer. She writes food features and cookbook reviews for numerous publications.

A professional wedding cake baker and member of the IACP, Dede lives in Leverett, Massachusetts.

Bride's Little Book of Cakes & Toasts by the Editors of Brides Magazine is a lovely book that will charm readers with beautiful pictures of wedding cakes of every description, from stately to whimsical, along with a taste of cake lore, advice on making a proper toast, recipes for a perfect cake and a perfect punch, and even ideas for decorating the cake knife. 30 full-color photographs.

If you are the do-it-yourself type, try Wedding Cakes: Exciting Designs with Full Step-by-Step Instructions by Sylvia Coward and published by Sterling Publishing Company, Incorporated.

Say It With Candles has eight inch tapered candles individually wrapped with personalized transparent labels. Your family and guests will treasure these unique wedding favors for years to come.

VSE Associates Wedding Favors has over 100 great ideas in their wedding favors guide.