| How Much Does a Wedding Cake Cost? |
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| | | The cost of a wedding cake varies by type of cake, the kind of baker and geographic region. | | |
| Typical costs: | - The average cost of a wedding cake is $543, according to The Bridal Association of America.
- For wedding cakes, most bakeries and pastry chefs charge by the slice. A low-end option would be a smaller tiered cake in chocolate or vanilla paired with a sheet cake for cutting for around $1.50 a slice.
- A mid-range two- or three-tiered cake in a standard flavor such as chocolate, vanilla, carrot cake or lemon poppy seed with buttercream icing and minimal fondant decorations can run $5 or $6 a slice.
- A high-end multi-tiered gourmet cake with flavored fillings, fondant icing and elaborate fondant, gum paste and sugar decorations can run $10 or more per slice.
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| Additional costs: | - Decorations make a big difference in the per-slice cost. Fresh flowers are one of the easiest and least expensive ways to decorate a cake.
- Fondant, which can cover a cake in a smooth, satiny shell, is one of the most expensive; it can add $1 or more per slice. Elaborate fondant decorations increase the price even more.
- Cheesecakes and cakes with nuts, dried fruits or special cream fillings can add $1 or more per slice.
- Most tiered wedding cakes must be delivered and assembled on site by the baker or a staff member to prevent a cake mishap, and delivery charges can be $50 to $100 or more, depending on distance and size of cake.
- Some caterers charge a cake-cutting fee when figuring the total cost of your wedding cake. Cake-cutting fees can run $1 or more per slice.
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| Discounts: | - Check to see whether your caterer can serve as your cake baker; big catering companies and hotels often employ an in-house pastry chef. By going this route, you could eliminate cake cutting and delivery fees. TheWeddingChannel.com offers tips for saving on a cake.
- If you want the look of a tall, tiered wedding cake without the price, ask your baker to put one tier of real cake, which you will cut into, on top of fake tiers made of Styrofoam and icing; then have a sheet cake waiting in the back to be cut.
- If you are on a strict budget, the Association for Wedding Professionals International suggests looking for a wedding cake baker who is fairly new to the business or attending a wedding show if you decide to sign a contract that day. The AWPI lists wedding shows by region.
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| Shopping for a wedding cake: | - Ask to see a portfolio, and ask for references. Weddings.About.com provides a list of questions to ask a prospective cake designer.
- Tip: Try to arrange cake tastings with several bakers before choosing one. Many bakers offer free tastings, but some charge a small fee.
- Tip: Start shopping around for a baker well in advance of your wedding date. Most bakers will do only a few weddings per week, so dates book up quickly.
- TheKnot.com offers a list of wedding cake bakers by city.
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Article updated March 2007 |
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Recent Posts |
| Amount: $519.00 for the cake |
save on cake decorations
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| Posted by: frugal bride in Santa Clara, CA. | Purchased: July, 2006 |
| Number of Slices: 100-125 people | Cake Type: 3 layers - stacked |
| Decorations: flowers from my garden |
| The florist was going to charge about $40 per cluster of flowers, and I was looking at 3 clusters for each layer of cake. In the end, my mom decorated the cake with fresh hydrangea blossoms from my garden -- it was beautiful, and I saved $120. |
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| Amount: $250.00 for the cake |
Wedding Cake
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| Posted by: Cindy in Plainfield, IN. | Purchased: June, 2007 |
| Number of Slices: 270 | Cake Type: Tiered |
| Decorations: Simple |
| For my daughter's wedding,I purchased white cake mixes for $0.93 & premade Wilton white creamy decorator icing(using coupons from JoAnn Fabrics & Michaels for 40-50% off. I ordered soft premade fondant pearls. I also ordered gum paste flower sprays to top off the cakes. I purchased cake boards, boxes, & accesories from our local cake making store. All these things made for quite a savings! |
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| Amount: $1,200.00 for the cake |
A Fabulous Cake
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| Posted by: Christee in Manassas, VA. | Purchased: September, 2007 |
| Number of Slices: 218 | Cake Type: 5 Tier Multi Flavor |
| Decorations: Fondant |
| The cake was huge and delicious. 3 Layers were French Vanilla Almond with Raspberry Filling, 2 Layers were Chocolate Cinnamon with Strawberry Filling. Vanilla Buttercream with Homemade Marshmallow Fondant and Royal Icing Decorations. Price included Delivery and Setup. |
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| Amount: $400.00 for the cake |
Wedding Cake
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| Posted by: Rebecca in Wheatfield, NY. | Purchased: January, 2008 |
| Number of Slices: 110 | Cake Type: Original Design |
| Decorations: Cake Top and Figurines |
| Our cake was an original design from a local vendor. The cost included everything from the consultation to the delivery and setup. We are having a snowmobile wedding with a snowmobile cake topper, with the Wilton Bride Running after the Groom cake topper. The cake is a sheet cake made into a design with mountains, evergreens and a stream running through the mountains down to an iced over pond which will be in front of the actual sheet cake. For the time and amount of detail, this is an amazing price! |
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| Amount: $468.00 for the cake |
Wedding cake
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| Posted by: GP in Naples, FL. | Purchased: January, 2008 |
| Number of Slices: 26 | Cake Type: carrot with butter cream |
| Decorations: fresh flowers |
Hi
I am an English Bride getting married in Naples FL in May. I can't help but feel my hotel where I am getting married is taking the mick a little. I am having a 6" and 8" two tiered carrot cake with buttercream icing decorated with fresh flowers. They want to charge me $18 per slice. I think this is a little excessive, thoughts welcome?! |
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| Amount: $325.00 for the cake |
Wedding Cake
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| Posted by: Christy Brown in Kingsport, TN. | Purchased: February, 2008 |
| Number of Slices: 116 | Cake Type: 3 tiered: Marble/white/choc |
| Decorations: flowers on top |
| If you know local vendors, make sure you price around, they are all different. I heard about my vendor from someone else & she priced my cake at 1/2 what the others wanted to do a 3 tier stacked cake with different flavors and little decoration. Plus, she gave a great deal for the groomscake: $50 to do a sheet cake with a soccer ball on top designed to look like it was breaking through a net!!! |
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| Amount: $0.00 for the cake |
reply to GP in Naples, FL
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| Posted by: frugal bride in Santa Clara, CA. | Purchased: 2007 |
| GP, $18 per slice sounds awfully steep. Sylvia Weinstock, the superstar cake designer for celebrities and royals, typically charges $17-20 per slice. Unless there's something extraordinary about your hotel cake, I believe they're ripping you off. Can you get the cake elsewhere, or is it a part of the hotel package? Maybe it's negotiable. |
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| Amount: $3,500.00 for the cake |
Extraordinary Design
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| Posted by: Astrid Kipperburg-Liago in Seattle, WA. | Purchased: June, 2007 |
| Number of Slices: 400 | Cake Type: 8 Different Cake Flavors, 16 Fillins |
| Decorations: Extraordinary Eiffel Tower Design |
| Mark Caldwell of Everett Washington Created a one of a kind masterpiece for my wedding. Sharing a love for France, Mark was able to artistically re-create Paris' Eiffel Tower to an brilliant likeness. The entire cake was frosted in a light buttercream then overlayed in sculpted white chocolate. The cake was then airbrushed with gorgeous color and then finished with gold leaf. After the cake was assembled on site, Mark spiraled white rununculus, white hydrangea, white roses, white miniature cala lilies, looped beargrass and swarovski crystals. Centered on top of a satin draped round table, his creation towered just over 9 feet tall! We could not have ever dreamed of something ourselves. Our cake creator sat with us and brought our love of Paris and created the very place that my husband Bradley proposed. Thank you Mark! |
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