A Derbyshire bakery has revealed purple to be on trend for wedding cakes this year.

Luke Evans Bakery, founded more than 200 years ago, has also found elegant and vintage styles, with intricate designs, are becoming increasingly popular among 2012 brides, following on from the royal wedding last year.

Sharon Dance, who has created wedding cakes at Luke Evans Bakery for 18 years, said: “Last year purple became popular as a colour, and that’s continuing in 2012. Round is the most popular shape of cake, and many couples are opting for brighter, bold designs.

“Trends in wedding cakes tend to go round in circles. It’s like fashion. When they come back round, the younger generation haven’t seen them before so they appear to be fresh and new. Having said that, there are always new designs, ideas and influences, so each wedding cake is individual and unique to a couple.”

The American style of tiers of cake without the use of pillars or stands continues to be in demand, with round being the most popular shape of cake. In addition, modern alternatives to a traditional cake, such as cupcake wedding towers, allow newly-weds to have a range of different flavours of cake and endless choices when it comes to design.

Dance added: “The wedding cake is traditionally the centrepiece of the wedding reception. The possibilities for style, design and decoration are virtually endless, and then of course there’s the type and flavour of cake. Many brides and grooms opt for a three-tier cake, with one tier of fruit cake, another tier of Madeira cake and a third tier of chocolate cake. This means they have something to suit everyone.”