Wedding Etiquette Forum

wedding cakes

I want to DIY my wedding cakes, anyone tried before?

Re: wedding cakes

  • This is a really bad idea, unless you are a professional cake artist (in which case I'd assume you'd realize the amount of work you're talking about including having to safely transport and assemble the cake on-site and still have time to actually get ready)
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  • I think this thread should be moved to the Food and Cakes folder.
  • My sister did. She was not a professional at the time, but had taken a couple classes (the type offered at hobby stores such as Joann's so nothing super fancy) and was preparing to start her own cake business in the town they moved to after the wedding. She is now successful in that business. 

    There were around 100 people at the wedding. She made the cake and frosting a few days before and just prepped it the day of. The decorating was very simple. Flat frosted in round cakes with ribbon tied around and fresh flowers on it. 

    It was the best wedding cake I've ever tasted. Way better than my own! 

    I think it's feasible depending on wedding size, but make sure ahead of time you're able to make that much cake and don't pick complicated design and decoration. 
  • edited December 2017

    This is a really bad idea, unless you are a professional cake artist (in which case I'd assume you'd realize the amount of work you're talking about including having to safely transport and assemble the cake on-site and still have time to actually get ready)

    We plan to invite our family members, and some close friends, just a small wedding. :)

  • My sister did. She was not a professional at the time, but had taken a couple classes (the type offered at hobby stores such as Joann's so nothing super fancy) and was preparing to start her own cake business in the town they moved to after the wedding. She is now successful in that business. 

    There were around 100 people at the wedding. She made the cake and frosting a few days before and just prepped it the day of. The decorating was very simple. Flat frosted in round cakes with ribbon tied around and fresh flowers on it. 

    It was the best wedding cake I've ever tasted. Way better than my own! 

    I think it's feasible depending on wedding size, but make sure ahead of time you're able to make that much cake and don't pick complicated design and decoration. 
    That sounds great!! my wedding will be in 2019. So I have time to take cakes class. Your advice is really helpful.
  • I wouldn't do it as your first cake.   

    I've attended weddings in DH's family where the mother of the newlywed made the cake with the help of family members.   They have done this repeatedly and the results are good.     
  • If you're experienced already in tiered cakes and you have the equipment and supplies already to make them, go for it...  If you don't already have the experience, your wedding cake isn't the time to do so.  HOWEVER - be sure to check with your reception hall and caterer as some are VERY specific about any food needing to be provided by a licensed vendor.  Up here there are halls that go so far as to check for copies of licenses when a delivery is made.  Whatever you do, the reason to DIY the cake is not to save money as a wedding cake DIY will cost you more than hiring the most expensive baker in the region to make when you factor in your "trial runs", supplies, cost of ingredients, down to the last paper towel.  Then add the value of your time on OT...  

    That said, for what it's worth, Sam's Club with whipped icing, you pick it up and deliver/setup, and finish the servings with filled cakes from Sam's and call it golden!  Price vs. time the week of your wedding.  Tiered cakes can be stressful, and the last thing you want to be doing when you're suppose to be having your hair done is finishing the cake because something went wrong in the prep process (took longer to bake, not enough ingredients, layer dropped in the oven, one tier fell on the floor, etc.)
  • I did with a little help of my girlfriend/BM who is a pastry chef. I basically made everything and she helped me with the fondant. Fondant is really tough if you aren't used to working with it. But we also had a full chocolate truffle bar in addition to the cake. If anything had gone wrong, that was our backup plan. 

    I love to cook and bake, though, and I've made a couple of cakes for friends' events. I practiced a couple times too (yay leftover cake!).

    If you decide to do it, read up on it. Practice. Have a back up plan - Costco sheet cake is a fine back up plan. Have a fool proof plan to transporting it or ask the venue if you can drop it off the day before and store it in their cooler. Obviously you can't make it the day of and there are some special steps to making it in advance that are really important. 
    yeah, i love to bake, too. thats why i want to make it by myself. but the back up plan as you said is important so as not to ruin my wedding lol. And I baked some cupcakes before at my family gathering, they love my cake. So i decided to take some class and prepare for my wedding. thank you for your comment, sweet heart  <3
  • I wouldn't do it as your first cake.   

    I've attended weddings in DH's family where the mother of the newlywed made the cake with the help of family members.   They have done this repeatedly and the results are good.      
    yes, my mom and girls will help me too, thats a huge project
  • MesmrEwe said:
    If you're experienced already in tiered cakes and you have the equipment and supplies already to make them, go for it...  If you don't already have the experience, your wedding cake isn't the time to do so.  HOWEVER - be sure to check with your reception hall and caterer as some are VERY specific about any food needing to be provided by a licensed vendor.  Up here there are halls that go so far as to check for copies of licenses when a delivery is made.  Whatever you do, the reason to DIY the cake is not to save money as a wedding cake DIY will cost you more than hiring the most expensive baker in the region to make when you factor in your "trial runs", supplies, cost of ingredients, down to the last paper towel.  Then add the value of your time on OT...  

    That said, for what it's worth, Sam's Club with whipped icing, you pick it up and deliver/setup, and finish the servings with filled cakes from Sam's and call it golden!  Price vs. time the week of your wedding.  Tiered cakes can be stressful, and the last thing you want to be doing when you're suppose to be having your hair done is finishing the cake because something went wrong in the prep process (took longer to bake, not enough ingredients, layer dropped in the oven, one tier fell on the floor, etc.)
    yeah, these are all problems,i didn't notice the licenses problem.  i will book tiered wedding cake , and DIY other cakes in advance and delivered the venue the day before. my planner said it's ok with that. for my wedding, i need to reconsider this DIY thing. thank you babe
  • Re- some of the above. 

    Tiered cake - my sister had a "tiered cake," but it was on a tiered platform, so no stacking required. Something like this - https://i.pinimg.com/736x/3e/57/2e/3e572e81f7b6fa52b6c1ace530502c26--cupcake-stand-wedding-wedding-cake-stands.jpg

    Fondant details can be made weeks in advance and they will last. As far as fondant all over the whole cake, I don't know. Regardless, I wouldn't do fondant. Even my now professional sister agrees that it's gross! It's for looks, that's all. It is possible to get a nice flat finish with frosting. 

    Make sure to do it ahead of time, and you shouldn't even be doing any baking at all the day of. 


  • Re- some of the above. 

    Tiered cake - my sister had a "tiered cake," but it was on a tiered platform, so no stacking required. Something like this - https://i.pinimg.com/736x/3e/57/2e/3e572e81f7b6fa52b6c1ace530502c26--cupcake-stand-wedding-wedding-cake-stands.jpg

    Fondant details can be made weeks in advance and they will last. As far as fondant all over the whole cake, I don't know. Regardless, I wouldn't do fondant. Even my now professional sister agrees that it's gross! It's for looks, that's all. It is possible to get a nice flat finish with frosting. 

    Make sure to do it ahead of time, and you shouldn't even be doing any baking at all the day of. 


    yeah, you are right. I will get everything ready before that. thank you~
  • While I haven't baked my own wedding cake (though I do plan to) I have baked for my sister’s and friend’s weddings. And while it can be a little nerve-wracking (you don’t want to muck it up!), it was so rewarding, and I actually think it would be less stressful doing it for your own wedding than a friend’s.
  • elenaaaa said:
    While I haven't baked my own wedding cake (though I do plan to) I have baked for my sister’s and friend’s weddings. And while it can be a little nerve-wracking (you don’t want to muck it up!), it was so rewarding, and I actually think it would be less stressful doing it for your own wedding than a friend’s.
    Famous. last. words!  

    You're the BRIDE, not the coordinator, it's not a big deal if you are setting up the wedding cake while a friend/family is getting married, it's kind of a big deal to be the bride and having to do this if your wedding is above 50 guests...  This is also why we lean against DIY Flowers because it is a last-minute project and FAR more work than one realizes unless they're 100% set up to do this normally as part of their profession/training..  
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