are cupcakes truly less wasteful?

SB1512

The venue our wedding is at offers cake as part of our package and we have two bakeries to choose from.  I am sort of leaning toward doing cupcakes and then a small cake at the top that we can cut because it my mind it's less wasteful, but is this an accurate thought?  From my experience at weddings with cake, it usually gets distributed when guests are on the dance floor and most pieces don't get eaten or barely touched.  I assumed when the plates get cleared the cut pieces get thrown out, which sort of sucks.  I went to one wedding that used cupcakes and after the bride and groom cut the small cake on top, guests were free to eat cupcakes for the remainder of the night.  There were also small boxes by the cupcake stand and anyone who wanted was able to take some home.  But is it true that already cut wedding cake (that has gone untouched) will get pitched in the trash?  Are cupcakes truly a less wasteful choice?

aragx6

I've been to several weddings where guests were sent home with leftover cake, so i don't think it's necessarily less wasteful. That said, we're doing cupcakes and having boxes so people can take them home too. I think it's a good idea.

MyUserName1

I didn't think of it that way, but I do like that with cupcakes, people can take one or three if they like, or don't if they don't want it. 

The staff will  undoubtedly trash untouched pieces of cake left on tables at the end of the night.

Ultimately, I had cupcakes rather than cake because cupcakes are magic.

rlavach

I think it really depends on your venue. Like PP said, some places will give leftover cake to guests or to the B&G or family to take home. Others toss it. The same would go with cupcakes. We did a cupcake tower with a small cake on the top to cut. Then the servers gave out the cupcakes to each individual, asking which flavor they'd like. We had extra boxes for those who wanted to take home. I got about 5 extra cupcakes & they gave us the top tier. Nothing was wasted.

amys325

We did cupcakes because they were cheaper than a cake.

Are they less wasteful?  Not really sure.

SB1512

Yeah the one wedding I went to last year that had cupcakes, they were on a table and people could take them at will, there wasn't even a server around. 

ootmother2

Quite often, couples will put out small monogramed boxes for slices of leftover cake for the guests to take home.  I think it's a pretty old fashioned custom, dating back to when the unmarried ladies would put it under their pillows that night in order to dream of the man they would marry. (Okay, I was 8 or so when I saw this first done but some wedding suppliers still carry them)

Forgetting that totally, who wouldn't like left over cake?

bertke10

I think they are less wasteful. Any leftover slices of cake that have been sitting out will likely be thrown out. Some people won't eat theirs and it will sit at their plate. People who want more than one piece will probably go without.A cupcake is still in the wrapper and can be put back in the box.
We had about 2 doz cupcakes left over from our wedding. I took them all home and finished all but 2 of them before they finally dried out.
Everyone also liked the variety of flavors.

achiduck

I've been to a few weddings that had cupcakes, one was awesome and I was sent home with an extra (was pretty stoaked about that). My brother and SIL had cupcakes at their wedding and they were so dry and nasty. I took one bite and then strategically covered it with my napkin until the servers came and cleared the plates.

AbbeyS2011

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_etiquette_are-cupcakes-truly-less-wasteful?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding BoardsForum:9Discussion:91fec55c-9dbd-409c-90c7-30813dd59bffPost:20bca268-0aa7-4226-a44c-38c5b7bce266">Re: are cupcakes truly less wasteful?</a>:
[QUOTE]I've been to a few weddings that had cupcakes, one was awesome and I was sent home with an extra (was pretty stoaked about that). My brother and SIL had cupcakes at their wedding and they were so dry and nasty. I took one bite and then strategically covered it with my napkin until the servers came and cleared the plates.
Posted by achiduck[/QUOTE]

That is so sad...a dry and nasty cupcake is the worst thing the world.  Well, almost.

Lizzieyounce

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_etiquette_are-cupcakes-truly-less-wasteful?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding%20BoardsForum:9Discussion:91fec55c-9dbd-409c-90c7-30813dd59bffPost:787448c6-7688-42fa-aa22-49d018aee582">Re: are cupcakes truly less wasteful?</a>:
[QUOTE]Quite often, couples will put out small monogramed boxes for slices of leftover cake for the guests to take home.  I think it's a pretty old fashioned custom, dating back to when the unmarried ladies would put it under their pillows that night in order to dream of the man they would marry. (Okay, I was 8 or so when I saw this first done but some wedding suppliers still carry them) Forgetting that totally, who wouldn't like left over cake?
Posted by ootmother2[/QUOTE]

<div>
</div><div>My cake is a gift. I'm going to have small boxes for guests to take cake home in.</div><div>
</div><div>I think that the tradition of cake under the pillow is charming, but I still wonder, how does one sleep with a slice of cake under their pillow?  It will smoosh the cake and wasting cake is just so sad. </div>

amys325

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_etiquette_are-cupcakes-truly-less-wasteful?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding%20BoardsForum:9Discussion:91fec55c-9dbd-409c-90c7-30813dd59bffPost:20bca268-0aa7-4226-a44c-38c5b7bce266">Re: are cupcakes truly less wasteful?</a>:
[QUOTE]I've been to a few weddings that had cupcakes, one was awesome and I was sent home with an extra (was pretty stoaked about that). My brother and SIL had cupcakes at their wedding and they were so dry and nasty. I took one bite and then strategically covered it with my napkin until the servers came and cleared the plates.
Posted by achiduck[/QUOTE]

<div>This is how I feel every slice of effing cake I have at weddings tastes like.  You can tell when a cake has been frozen and defrosted, dense, dry and nasty.  I have only once eaten the slice of cake given to me at a wedding.  Normally I just leave it for someone else or to be thrown out.</div><div>
</div><div>The one exception was at the most recent wedding I went to in May.  It was a lovely fluffy slice of cake.  </div>

Karen's MOH

Yeah, I could see them being less wasteful. I probably wouldn't take home an extra piece of cake, but I am likely to bring home a cupcake. Seems nicer somehow. Whether cake or cupcake, I like when you go up and get the cake you want, rather than putting it at every plate. That really is less wasteful. 

I have also seen the leftover cupcakes get transfered to the after party and every one got eaten there!

julib33

I can definitely see them being less wasteful. At my dad's most recent wedding they had a beautiful cake made, everyone who wanted a slice came up and got one; there were no servers so this was pretty waste-less.
Until everyone that stayed late got drunk and just started eating the rest of the cake with their hands and throwing it....... Classy right?

But at every other wedding I've been to there was a lot of cake wasted. Once it's on a plate no one wants to take it home or save it.

OwningAHome1981

Not knocking it but I have never seen cupcakes at a wedding and it seems kind of weird to me.