#1: Since the guest list for the night-time reception planned by Princess Sassy and Prince Steadfast totals 315 people, there is no way we can afford to feed them anything more than cake and punch. Our cake options included homemade, Costco, specialty bakery, store bakery, or some combination thereof. Since baking and decorating a large wedding cake would mean most of the work being done at the last moment, we X'd that off the list. The bride's and groom's contempt for Costco fluffy, too-sweet frosting and the limited choices of cake, eliminated that one easily, too. Specialty bakery prices seemed to be around $4 per serving and up, which meant $1200+ in cake. Wow.
--Let's stop and talk 'serving' for a moment. Did you know an official serving of wedding cake is 1" x 2"?! In other words, approximately 2 bites. None of use felt we could invite
Wilton's Wedding Cake cutting guide 38 pieces out of a 10-inch cake! |
We happened onto a possible answer. While visiting Central Market to pick up bags of wheat and oat groats, I wandered by their bakery and began a conversation with a very helpful counter person. She talked to me about their wedding cakes, and handed me an informational sheet that had the baker's name and contact information, as well as cake, frosting, and filling options, and pricing. Not only will they prepare two, 4-tier 8" cakes, each with 2 different fillings, for the bride and groom (and friends/family) to try for free, their highest priced wedding cake is $3 per serving. They also offer sheet cakes at $1 per serving. So we will be able to get a classic, 3-tiered wedding cake to serve approximately 100 for $300, plus 4 full sheet cakes for $400 more. So our 500 servings will be $700, instead of $2000+.
They will have a variation of this "Love's Embrace" cake style. No flowers, some separation, a 3rd tier... and the side design in their wedding colors |
The store is an hour's drive from home and the reception will be an hour's drive in another direction. But Prince Stoic will do pick up and delivery for us that day. Princess Sassy and Prince Steadfast have chosen a divided cake (with short pillars in between each layer), as opposed to a stacked cake, so that it will be easy to move and carry, and can be set together only after safely reaching its destination. This style of cake will also stay neater and dressier looking as it's disassembled for serving.
Cake by Cecile Gady Cakework.com, San Francisco Shown on Brides.com |
The cake Princess Bossy made for her friend's wedding |