This is definitely a topic i get asked a lot about.
Why are wedding cakes so expensive!?
Short answer: They're not.
Let's explore why that is and see if I can change your mind.
It's not as easy as giving a set price at all. So much work goes into a wedding cake. A big question to consider is how important is the cake within your budget and how big they are and what kind of design and any extras that you're going for.
You can get wedding cakes from places like supermarkets, department + high street stores. These are made in bulk and not by hand which will keep costs down in your budget and are convenient, that isn't an option for everyone, especially if you don't want the stress of last minute jobs like putting them together and setting up the display yourself. And there's the other things to consider like that it won't be something bespoke and it won't contain the best quality ingredients but will contain things like additives.
There are always options with bespoke cakes even if you have a smaller budget. Less tiers, cupcakes or a semi naked cake all cost a lot less than a big tiered fully decorated cake. You can be so clever as well with decoration, things like flowers can add a huge statement to the cake. You have to be careful of the venue though, if the venue is a marquee with no air conditioning in the middle of the summer, your cake won't be as stable as a completely decorated cake.
Fun fact - I don't and never will add a wedding "premium" But I do have to charge for all of the extras that don't come with a celebration cake. Things you might not even consider like a tasting box, the admin of emails back and forth, delivery + set up to the venue, the box for the wedding cake to travel in are just some of the added costs. Also the bigger the cake and the more detail that there is the more things are going to cost. A big trend in my wedding cakes last year was gold leaf. This is an expensive add on so the cost increased.
Then theres the delivery things to think about. All of my wedding cakes come in a box which costs extra, so they are fully stacked and ready to be set up or refrigerated at the venue. Then theres the charge of petrol and the cost of the journey to make the delivery. Then there's the time it takes to deliver and then set up the cake as well.
The one thing I can't stand hearing most as someone that makes cakes is..
But i can get it cheaper on Facebook. It's just a cake...
If someone can sell you a cake really cheap there will be a reason for this. It could be because they're not registered or insured - which is such a dangerous game to play. Which sounds dramatic but with allergens, cross contamination, knowing if someones kitchen is actually where they're working and if it's actually clean or not and if the correct processes have been followed.
One story that I still think about now was a story that I was told from my Environmental Health Officer that came to do my first inspection. They had to recently investigate a cake maker that wasn't registered and had made a wedding cake so far in advance that when the bride and groom cut into it, it was mouldy!
You never know what you're getting on somewhere like Facebook and it definitely is one of those things where you pay for what you get.
If you buy from somewhere like Facebook as well, you'll never know what kind of ingredients are used, how good their skills are, if there's any recommendations or reviews from genuine customers.
If someone is more expensive, it will always be because of things like if they've built a brand, a professional social media presence on different platforms, their own website so you can see examples of things they've made before. Those little things go a long way when you're planning a big event or wedding.
So what goes into the cost of a wedding cake then ...
The admin. This might sound silly but it's the consultations, the back and forth emailing of answering queries + sending quotes, researching additional things you need for the cake, all of the information and liaising with the venue for the delivery and dietary information
Ingredients. The shopping for them, the ordering of them
Baking + decorating. baking the cake, making the flavour accompaniments - things like caramel or jam - giving the cake ca crumb coat, a full coat, any extra decoration, the doweling and stacking of the cake, delivering the cake, the cleaning up, the tons of washing up,
And then the final costs. Things like equipment, utilities, cake boards and boxes, the materials needed for stacking the cake, admin, accounting, social media upkeep, advertising, stationary, website costs. The list goes on and on.
So these things all add up because it isn't just the cost of ingredients that need to be covered. It's such a long process from start to finish with wedding cakes. But it's totally worth it.
So to really sum it up how much will you prioritise what you want from a wedding cake and your wedding cake maker.
Some of the cakes i'm most proud of are wedding cakes and it really is such a good feeling when you go through the process start to finish and see it all set up on your big day.
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