How to Have Your Cake... and Not Eat It Too! (Recessionista Post)

People spend a lot of money on a wedding. According to Reuters, the average cost of a wedding in the US is currently at $27,021, and if you live in the DC region like me, it's about $10,000 more than that. I always find myself so surprised by these numbers because I so rarely come across a couple who can afford that, or who simply won't pay that. I mean, I could have paid for Graduate school at Hopkins with that money and leave with no debt. 

But let me be clear. I think you should have the kind of wedding you want, as long as you can afford it. I would never suggest to a bride to take out a loan on her home or cash in retirement savings to pay for her wedding, come on, that's just silly. However, if you feel like tapping into your savings account just a little, or picking up some OT at work to afford that Priscilla of Boston gown, go for it. But there are plenty of ways to save money in one place in order to have more in another. Today, our entry is a piece of cake, literally! Well, I guess not literally, but there are some good recessionista tips below!

Why a wedding cake? 

If I had known when I got married the first time what a wedding cake symbolized, I may have simply skipped it. Ancient Romans and the Celts are known to have broken a "cake" made of barley or oats over the bride's head as a symbol of the breaking of her virginity and acknowledgement that she was now to be subservient to her husband. In some cultures it was done to bless the couple with great fertility. In England and France they often baked charms into the cake that would be found by random guests and indicated things like who would be married next and who was going to have the next child. And, of course, there is the messy tradition of unmarried girls taking home pieces of the wedding cake and sleeping with them under their pillows to induce dreams of the man they would someday marry.

That being said, times  have changed. We no longer bake the cake out of barley or oats, we don't break them over anyone's head, and cakes are now gorgeous confectionery structures, they can be quite the artistic achievement and serve as a gorgeous decoration to your wedding look. Cakes usually run between $3.50/slice up to 7.00/ slice. For a 150 person wedding, you could spend between $500-1000 on your cake! This is a GREAT way to save some cash in a few different places.

• First of all, if you know you want cake, tell your caterer to cut any dessert options they have listed in the proposal. Why get your guests hopped up on miniature pastries when they're going to get cake in 1/2 hour? One of the desserts (the caterer's or the cake) will end up pretty much going to waste.
• You don't need to buy a piece of cake for every single guest. With people leaving early, issues with diabetes and gluten allergies and people on diets, I find between 1/4 and 1/3 of a cake go completely uneaten (I'm not talking about the top tier, if you were hoping to save that for your anniversary). I would give a guest count of about 25% than the guests expected, it's not a TON of money, but it's probably a Bridesmaid's bouquet amount.
• If the caterer charges a cake cutting fee, and you have a choice, drop the caterer-- that's ridiculous, petty and all other kinds of stupid. They'll tell you it takes special experience to cut a wedding cake. Due to the tiered structure, that's partially true. Have someone you find to be fairly precise and steady handed and ask them to do this, if they don't know how (I'm surprised how many people of my parents age actually DO know this), have them watch this video for a quick how-to.
• Fake cake. In a nod to the elaborate cakes being shown on tv and in movies, businesses are starting to pop up which allow for you to rent or purchase the gorgeous, intricate and large cake that you always dreamed of, with some fancy touches you could never use for an edible confection, such as glue to mount flowers, jewels glitter – whatever you want (and remember how gross fondant is, but beautiful looking? No worries here!) And the best part is it's CHEAP. Most 2-4 tier fake cakes are going to cost you between $100 and $250, depending on customizations you want and shipping. Some are rentals, they will send you instructions to return ship (if you can't find a local supplier), some you can purchase and simply toss at the end of the night, or re-sell. A few points:
• Some stores will make you an edible top tier, or you can coordinate with a baker to match a top layer to the design of the rest of the cake. Another option is to ask for the fake cake company to create a slit you can put your knife in to get the picture of cutting your cake. Just stash a small slice of cake out of the picture range and use that when you're ready to feed each other.
• This allows you to serve your guests a much less expensive, but still delicious sheet cake, cupcakes, cake pops... or even skip the cake serving entirely, because let's face it-- how many wedding cakes have you tasted that were all that delicious? Great way to have the traditional cake photos and serve that Chocolate Mousse your caterer is known for!
• If you go this route, make sure you have designated someone to be in charge of the cake. They will need to set it up (you may need to rent/ buy/ purchase a cake stand) as well as take it at the end of the night to either toss, return (make sure you give them all the shipping info, ready to go) or give back to you. You also need to make sure, if you're serving sheet cake or any other kind of baked good, you have someone to cut/ serve (don't ASSUME your caterer will do this for free, see point 3 above). 
• Want to have something kind of fun and different, and SMALL to serve your guests after a huge meal? Or maybe your trying to only do finger foods but find the cupcake fad to be wearing thin (I'm so with you!), try cake pops!  They can even serve as a centerpiece, or serve each guest 2 or 3 varieties as a tasting!