Wedding Cake Tier Combos + Total Servings
Questions to Consider When Ordering Wedding Cake:
Are you having one cake or multiple cakes? Remember the 80 percent rule includes enough cake for all your guests between ALL the cakes you’ll have, not just the main bride’s cake.
Are you serving other desserts in addition to cake? If you’re planning on having a full dessert table or serving a different dessert with dinner, you’ll need much less cake. You can probably order about 50 percent cake in this case and fill in with the additional desserts for everyone else.
Do you want to save the top tier of your wedding cake? Many couples choose to partake in the tradition of taking home the top layer of their cake, freezing it, and saving it to eat on their first wedding anniversary. You could also do this with just a couple of slices if you don’t want to save a whole tier!
How is your cake being served? If you’re having a self-serve cake station, you can get away with ordering less cake than if you serve cake with dinner and definitely need a slice for each place setting.
Tips to Save Money on Wedding Cake
Serve smaller slices – Ask your wedding cake baker if smaller slices are an option. Often, cakes are sliced into huge slices that may not get fully eaten. Guests won’t mind a slightly smaller piece and it can help stretch your budget even further.
Create an illusion with “fake cake” – Some couples opt to have a layer or two of “fake cake” (made with styrofoam) so they can have a multi-layer cake for display and for photos, but don’t end up with way more cake than they need.
Utilize sheet cakes – For extremely large guest lists, or if you’re just wanting to stretch your budget, consider having simple sheet cakes hidden away in your venue’s catering kitchen to accommodate for extra servings needed, and then doing a less expensive cake on display, perhaps a smaller cake, or one with a couple of fake layers!
Keep Cost Per Slice and Intricacy in Mind
Remember, most wedding cakes are priced by the slice. Typically, cakes run anywhere from $3 to $8 per slice in this region, but that number can sometimes be $10 per slice or more depending on how labor-intensive and intricate your design may be, or if your baker uses specialty ingredients.
If you’re dreaming of a wedding cake with intricate details, sugar flowers, fondant designs, or non-typical ingredients, expect to pay more than the minimum.
Ready to let them eat cake?! Browse some of our favorite Austin wedding cake bakers and get ready to savor the sweetest part of the day!
