How to Have an Inexpensive Wedding Cake and Eat It Too

Wedding cakes are yet another wildly expensive element to your big day. However, finding an inexpensive wedding cake is easier than you think! A little creativity goes a long way in keeping your wedding cake costs low.

Difficulty:

Easy

Instructions

1. 

   Fake It, Don't Bake It

   Most wedding cakes are priced by the slice, yet many guests end up not having a piece at all! A simple trick to keeping your cake cost down is to pay for two tiers of real cake, and then sit those tiers on top of a "fake cake" base. The bottom tier will look just like the other two-no one will know it's faux. This way, you'll have a nice, three-tier wedding cake for the price of just two layers. Wedding cake bakers are familiar with this trick, so don't worry about trying to explain it to them. Just mention that you'd like one false tier when at your consultation.

   If you're worried about not having enough cake to go around, you can always have a backup, low-cost cake as a stand-by. This cake, known as a "sheet cake," will be kept in your venue's kitchen. After you cut the fancy version, slices of the inexpensive wedding cake will be brought out for your guests. No one will know the difference.

2. 

   Do-It-Yourself Decorate

   Rather than paying a pastry chef to spend hours frosting curlicues onto your wedding cake, choose a very simple, inexpensive version and decorate it yourself using fresh, edible flowers, like pansies. Your florist can help you with this, possibly for free.

   There are other edible decorations you can add to your cake. Check online for sites selling sugar flowers or fondant decorations. A good place to start is Wendy Kromer, at wendykromer.com. Fresh fruit, like strawberries, looks great on wedding cakes, as well!

3. 

   Join The Cupcake Crowd

   Cupcakes have become an extremely popular wedding cake alternative. Visit Cupcake Tree at cupcaketree.com to purchase an easy-to-use tiered cupcake stand. Many wedding cake vendors are also willing to make cupcakes for less, but if you really want to save money, order them from a store like Whole Foods or Sam's Club. You can always bake them yourself, as well!

Tips & Warnings

• Make sure to shop around when looking for a wedding cake vendor. Prices can vary greatly. Also, don't be afraid to bargain! You have nothing to lose by asking for a lower price.

• Cupcakes have become such a popular wedding cake alternative, that some vendors will still charge quite a bit to bake them. Compare the cost of having cupcakes at your wedding to the cost of having an actual cake to make sure you're receiving a bargain.

Resources

• Budget Bride Blog
• Wendy Kromer Edibles
• Cupcake Tree