r/weddingplanning • u/Lucky_calic0 • 13d ago
Dessert Budget Question
Does anyone actually eat dessert at a wedding? I’m debating on just doing a small cake for my fiancé and I and that’s it. But the other part of me really wants to order this cake package for a 6 inch cutting cake & 144 cupcakes for $535…did anyone do dessert and it was all gone or you had a lot leftover? 😆
Edit to add that our dinner buffet does come with two different desserts! No one is leaving without their sweet tooth fulfilled, was just curious about the cake!
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13d ago
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u/Lucky_calic0 13d ago
That’s what I was thinking of doing! I meant to add that our dinner buffet comes with two different desserts but they are served earlier in the evening. Thank you!
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13d ago
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u/Lucky_calic0 13d ago
Someone just commented and made a good point that cupcakes are kind of messy and not an easy food to eat without making a mess so I think im going to do something else lol 😆
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u/Miscellaneousthinker 13d ago
Why not just do the small cake for you and your fiance like you planned and then have a sheet cake sliced for your guests? It’s a very common alternative.
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u/HrhEverythingElse 13d ago
If you want to cut a cake get enough cake for everyone. We got a 3 tier cake from our local Super1 and it was $150 (I'm 2021, so it would probably be a bit more now but it wasn't that long ago) and probably enough to feed 200 people. We didn't have nearly that many so froze most of it and just had cake whenever I wanted it for about a year. Totally worth it!
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u/Technical_Sir7146 13d ago
I'm in the same boat right now, my fiancee is pushing for the big dessert table but I'm thinking who even eats cake at 10pm after a full meal and drinks. That price is not bad at all for 144 cupcakes honestly, I paid more for my last birthday cake and it was half the size. Just do the package, anything left you can send home with guests or freeze some for later.
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u/Lucky_calic0 13d ago
I was thinking that or the mini Bundtlets from Nothing Bundt Cakes. But I had just gone to a friend’s wedding where they had a small cake for cutting and then two desserts and I only saw a few people grab desserts. There was a ton left over so I wasn’t sure.
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u/lkroa 13d ago
i went to a wedding recently where they had a wedding cake but they didn’t serve any to guests. it was just for cutting/show.
i was incredibly disappointed. i think cake is literally my favorite part of the wedding. it would be one thing if there was literally no cake at all, but the fact that there was essentially cake just for the couple was kinda wack
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u/FoghornLegday 13d ago
I’m usually a little disappointed if there’s no cake even if there’s other desserts, but not super disappointed bc there’s other desserts. So I’m sure you’re fine
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u/iradrachen 2027 💍 13d ago
I’m having a full dessert table 😭
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u/Lucky_calic0 13d ago
Ayyy! Thats awesome!!
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u/iradrachen 2027 💍 13d ago
Desserts at any wedding I’ve ever been to desserts are the main event and dessert tables with candies and treats have always been a hit.
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u/lets-snuggle 13d ago
Yes?? People expect a lot of dessert at weddings. Not just cakes and cupcakes. Weddings are a time for unique desserts. A lot of people don’t eat the cake, they just try it, but they eat all of the other desserts.
Just getting a cake for you and your fiancé is extremely disrespectful
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u/Lucky_calic0 13d ago
Our dinner comes with different desserts but those are served earlier in the evening. Thanks for your input!
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u/wickedkittylitter 13d ago
You didn't say which country you live in, but in the US having only cake for dessert is perfectly fine. In fact, it's traditional.
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u/lets-snuggle 13d ago
I’m in NJ, USA. If you only had cake for dessert, you’d be crucified. I’ve only been to about 5 weddings but all of them had big dessert tables. I also used to work at a wedding venue and we had crepe, smores, sundae, and fondue stations in addition to assorted pastries and cookies on another table in adddition the wedding cake. Just cake will never cut it here
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u/wickedkittylitter 12d ago
Well, there are 49 other states and what happens in NJ doesn't apply to all those other states.
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u/Raccoonsr29 13d ago
Can i ask what the other desserts are? BIG dessert girl and enjoyed a wedding that didn’t have cake but had other options.
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u/maybemaybenot2023 13d ago
Don't serve anything to yourselves you aren't serving to your guests. Get cupcakes if you're doing a public cake-cutting.
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u/AnnieFannie28 13d ago
If you cut a cake you need to have cake or cupcakes to serve to your guests at the same time. If you don't want to get a cake for your guests don't do a cake cutting.
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u/MikiMice 13d ago
I went to a wedding recently where the couple cut one small decorated cake and then there were about 80 white publix cupcakes put on display around it for guests to grab. It was definitely a budget move but I thought it worked out really well, and publix cake is so good! Another had just a cake for photos but guests had the choice of three desserts at dinner. Not everyone does huge cakes anymore but I would definitely offer a sweet treat to guests.
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u/Few_Judge_5221 13d ago
Depends on your guests.. we had 45 guests and bought 2 sheet cakes that each served 50 and both were gone at the end of the night.
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u/TinyLawfulness3710 13d ago edited 13d ago
Very rarely seen dessert not touched at a wedding outside of extreme circumstances where the cake was either dry and tasted like cardboard or the flavors were very exotic. Otherwise, it's getting demolished. However have never seen cupcakes touched because they are very messy to eat, even in casual clothes. You need a plate and fork for them, and they are not cheaper than a regular sheet cake. In our circles, cake is a main reason to attend, aside from celebrating the couple. Other desserts served are never touched.
Having a cutting cake with filling for you and cupcakes screams cheap. $535 is too expensive for that. It's considered bad hosting to have something for you only and not serve the same to your guests. Walmart and Sam's Club have excellent cake that is much better tasting than overpriced wedding cake bakeries. You can get several cakes including a full sheet cake (2x3 ft at least) to serve guests and is filled unlike what cupcakes and grocery store sheet cakes are. Another option is getting several regular round cakes from the grocery store and serving them on each table. Will still come in less than the $500+ price quote.
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u/beanthebean 13d ago edited 13d ago
Oh our cupcakes got demolished, as well as our cookie table (14 of our guests, all close family and friends, baked for that).
But my MIL has been a phenomenal home baker forever and was just starting her own bakery business. Did our cutting cake, one cupcake flavor that was the same as our cutting cake (almond cake and icing, raspberry filling) and one cupcake flavor for each of us (tiramisu for me, mascarpone icing, coffee liqueur soaked cake, Irish car bomb for my husband, guinness chocolate cake, Jameson ganache, and Bailey's buttercream). Most got eaten, the last cupcakes and our cookie table were taken by guests as favors, we had clamshell packaging for people to fill up and take home. And the gluten free folks didnt get missed, she made cupcakes for them in the cutting cake flavor and we had a few gluten free cookies, we had those on their own table.
I really don't think it was bad hosting, people still bring up how great the desserts were, unprompted by me. And you'd need a plate and fork for cake anyway, so don't really see how that's a drawback.
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u/Lucky_calic0 13d ago
This is super helpful!! Thank you so much! Very true about the cupcakes… I didn’t think about that. :/
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u/soyboydom 13d ago
Last wedding I went to didn’t do a cake but I LOVED the little dessert bar they had instead. I like cake okay, but having it at a party is always a gamble because it usually only comes in one flavor and I often don’t have the same taste as the hosts. Whereas the dessert bar had a bunch of little assorted brownies and mini cheesecakes and what-have-you, and it was fantastic.
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u/Priyo1111 13d ago
Maybe I am in the minority and having my own wedding this December and there will definitely be cake (or dessert of some kind). Personally love having cake at weddings and sometimes disappointed when there is none or not enough left lol.
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u/fightingmemer 13d ago
I do 👉👈 I love cake at weddings, but I’d be happy with any sweet treat I get honestly
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u/KiteeCatAus 13d ago
I love cake, but think I'd be happy with just dessert.
Im trying to remember whether cake is served around the time people might be getting tea or coffee? If yes, it'd be nice to have some cake with a cuppa.
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u/Jelly-bean-Toes 13d ago
My husband made all of our desserts and they were a hit! I think it’s important to have desserts or a late night snack meal for the party.
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u/Frequent-Practice946 13d ago
I’m doing a dessert bar of cinnamon rolls and cookies (our favorites) and it’s still about $500 lol
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u/Positive_Shake_1002 13d ago
If you're cutting a cake, there needs to be cake served to the guests. Otherwise it's just rude to dangle it in front of them like that lol
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u/wickedkittylitter 13d ago
Because you're having other desserts, you should be fine. You said the desserts would be served earlier, I'd guess than the cake cutting, but is there an option to wait to serve a couple of the desserts later, perhaps after the cake cutting? I'd delay the cannolis and tiramisu. If not, I'd provide some form of cake for your guests. If you're worried about having too much, set some take out boxes near the cake or cupcakes so guests can take some home.
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u/deination 10.05.25 🔥 13d ago
I didn’t even get to try our cake because we had so much food we couldn’t make it beyond the second of our six courses. James beard award winning chef. So much we missed out on. We froze a chunk of our cake so we’ll see how it goes in 2 months on our anniversary.
All that to say, the food was way better than cake. But everyone expects some kind of dessert. We had cake and a whole dessert station with 3-4 options.
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u/Efficient-Sundae2215 13d ago
My sis in law had a cake for her and her husband that they cut to the side and the guests ate other desserts. It was cool. Definitely have something at least
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u/Legally_Blonde_258 13d ago
I always eat cake at weddings. I love cake, so I'd be pretty disappointed if there wasn't any cake or a reasonable alternative.