As you are planning your dream wedding, costs can swiftly pile up. However, there are multiple areas where you can cut costs without jeopardizing the look of your wedding.
One area is saving on the cake. For a 100 guest wedding, most will pay roughly $500-$800 for their cake. So, how can you save in this area?
One or Two-Tier Cake
More labor equals more money. Rather than having a multiple-layer cake, consider having a small one or two-tier cake decorated to your heart’s desire and put it on display for cutting. To feed to the guests, have a sheet cake in the kitchen that can be cut, brought out, and served to the guests. This will save you a great deal on your cake budget.
Forgo Fondant
Fondant is a smooth coating made from sugar that can give your cake a pristine look. But, this comes with a price tag. Along with this, many consider fondant to be less tasty than buttercream frosting. If you are looking to save, ask your baker to use buttercream or ganache instead of expensive fondant.
Place on Your Own Finishing Touches
Flowers or lace made with fondant are more labor-intensive. Instead, consider placing on real flowers, ribbon, or lace after the cake has been delivered to your venue. You may be able to find a family member or friend who is crafty to do this for you at no cost.
Go Naked
Naked cakes are cakes without frosting or fondant that can be dressed up with fresh fruit, greenery, or flowers. Naked cakes give a rustic look and are becoming popular in recent years. But most importantly, naked cakes are a great way to reduce costs.
Choose Another Dessert
If you are not set on having a cake, you may want to consider other dessert options. There are many tiered stands that can display an array of desserts such as macarons, cupcakes, or even pies. These will give your guests something different and can save you money in the process.
Here are a few dessert ideas and tips:
- Cupcakes
- Tip: Cut the amount of frosting on each cupcake in half so that they are not too messy for your guests.
- Pies
- Tip: By choosing in-season fruit pies, costs can also be cut drastically compared to traditional cakes. Or have family members bake and bring two of their favorite pies!
- Doughnuts
- Doughnuts are labeled the ‘new cupcakes.’ They are also a very affordable option, with being roughly $5-$10 a dozen at most bakeries. For 150 doughnuts, that approximately costs $60-125 in total.
- Dessert Tables
- Dessert tables are a load of fun, and they give you all the options you can imagine! Candy bars, ice cream bars, brownie bars, s’ mores station … anything is possible. The price of dessert bars varies drastically, but it could be an affordable option depending on your dessert bar theme.
- Tip: You can have a homemade dessert table by electing family members or close friends to bring their signature dessert. This can cut your dessert cost to nearly free.
We hope these tips help you save on your cake so that you can use those extra funds for other areas of your wedding! Looking for additional ways to save? Check out our blog, “Tips for Saving on a Wedding Venue?”