The Hidden Costs of Wedding Cake

When you think of a wedding, there are a few iconic images that instantly come to mind: the white dress, the veil, a bouquet of flowers – and a beautiful tiered wedding cake. But when a bride says “Let them eat cake”, like Marie Antoinette, she can find herself in unexpected trouble – but of the financial variety.

Choosing to serve cake at your wedding could come with some unanticipated costs. These expenses are broken down to provide you with some money-saving solutions for your special day.

The cost of the wedding cake itself depends on the design, ingredients and the number of people you plan to serve. Cake prices are generally quoted by the slice (by your guest number). This can be deceiving –at a per guest cost, it might not seems so bad, but when you add it all together and realize this price is for a cake – it can be quite surprising:

Smaller, simple cakes are approximately $1.50 to $2.00 per slice.

Slightly higher-end cakes (think buttercream frosting, special icing décor) are roughly $5 to $6 per slice.

Creative, fondant can run for at least $10 per slice.

With any of these options, should you choose to have an interesting filling or special sugar-based décor touches, the per-slice cost of the wedding cake would increase another $1 or $2.

Additional factors that can add to your wedding cake cost include the cake topper and non-icing décor such as fountains, fruit, flowers, layer separators and the purchase or rental of a cake stand.

This means that if you were hosting an average-sized wedding – which is about 140 guests – you would be paying between $210 (simple, no-frill slab-style) and $1,700 (magazine quality).

But this is just the tip of the ‘icingberg’. Many tiered wedding cakes need to be specially delivered to the reception venue and sometimes assembled on location to ensure they’re presented intact. While some bakeries will include this service with the cake purchase, other brides have been charged upward of $150.

One of the most unexpected costs brides are faced with is the cake-cutting fee. Depending on your wedding reception venue, caterer or bakery, you may be charged a fee for staff to slice your wedding cake for guests to have. On average, this fee is between $1 and $1.50 per slice. And remember, if you’re paying for rentals, you’ll now need to get dessert plates and forks for guests to eat your wedding cake.

When all is said and done, the average bride will pay between $500 and $700 for a wedding cake to be present and served at a wedding. And the real tragedy is that many guests don’t even partake in this pricey confection!

So what is a budget-conscious bride to do? Now that you know where the costs are, here are some ways around them:

If you’re willing to give them a chance, local culinary schools have students and teachers who are up-and-coming bakers. The prices they charge would be quite a bit less than well-established bakeries.

Rectangular and square cakes tend to feed more people than round varieties. Consider this when placing your order – you might be able to save yourself an entire tier.

Because a good proportion of guests don’t eat the cake, place an order that will feed less people than your entire guest list – up to 25% less. Be assured, you’ll still have leftovers!

Related to the above, consider faking your cake. Speak with your baker to see if he or she would be willing to add Styrofoam layers in lieu of real cake layers. You’ll still get the visual effect of a large tiered wedding cake, but the cost of a smaller one (obviously, only the real edible layers would be served to guests!).

Taste-tests prove it: People actually like buttercream – one of the more budget-friendly icing options out there – best. Easily coloured, easily applied, it’s also roughly $2 per slice cheaper than fondant.

If you like feminine cakes, know that it’s more affordable to decorate your wedding cake with a real ribbon as opposed to an edible fondant version.

When talking with your florist, see if they will provide complimentary petals or buds that your baker can use to decorate your cake with.

You may be able to supply your own cake toppers and decorative objects at a better price by searching on TradeMe, wedding forums and online stores.

Delivery and the cake-cutting fee are negotiable charges. Ask and see if they can be removed entirely. If you have your hall or caterer supply your wedding cake, you’ll have an even better chance of avoiding these costs.

If your wedding is more casual, think about serving the cake on napkins (which are usually included in your reception fees) instead of renting dessert plates.

And the final cost-saving advice? Consider going without a wedding cake. If a wedding cake isn’t really that important to you and you think you can use a few hundreds of dollars elsewhere, speak with your wedding reception venue or caterer about dessert options. You may find that non-traditional cakes, cupcakes, fruit, ice cream or a chocolate fountain can prove to be just as yummy but easier for your budget to swallow.

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