A pretty, three-tiered wedding cake with white frosting and sugar roses. What could be more natural? What could be more elegant? What could be more out?

These days, as viewers of Food Network's "Ace of Cakes" know, the trends are tilting toward wild and wacky. Duff Goldman, "Ace" host, made an asymmetrical Dr. Seuss-like-seven-tiered-wedding cake once. And here in Hawai'i, we're seeing architectural marvels, cake sculptures covered in brightly colored fondant and even cupcake cakes.

"People are trying to personalize their weddings through cakes," explains Sasha Reichart, who co-owns custom bakery cakelava.

What are hot trends and how are they translating here? We asked Reichart's baker/artist husband, Rick, and Cake Couture owner Carmen Emerson-Bass to give us a slice of their lives.