is the styrofoam/sheet cake a good idea???

Re: is the styrofoam/sheet cake a good idea???

• 031107

  

  May 2011 edited December 2011

  Faux tier pricing is different with each bakery.  Some bakeries offer a slight discount, some no discount.  The customer is mainly paying for the time to decorate the cake - that time is the same whether the cake is real or styrofoam.
  
  In a lot of situations, this option will save you hardly anything at all and even cost you more.  Here is why:
  Say the discount is $1.00 off per serving for the faux tiers.  A small wedding cake (3 tier 10" round , 8" round, 6" round to feed 70) would cost $140.  But you still need cake for your guests.  If you bakery charges $2.00/serving for sheet cakes the total for 180 guests would be $360.  So, $140+ $360 = $500.  You saved $40.  Now, these numbers only work if the bakery charges less for faux tiers and sheet cakes.  If there is no discount for either option, you will be paying more than if you purchased all the servings for your wedding cake.
  
  Now, sheet cakes are usually cheaper because they do not have to be decorated.  The way this usually save money is:
  guests: 180
  cake (10" round, 8" round, 6" round) serves: 70
  sheet cakes (sometimes called kitchen cakes) serves: 110
  At $3/serving the wedding cake costs $210.  The remaining serves come from the kitchen cakes.  Let's assume they are $0.75/serving cheaper at $2.25/serving for a total of $247.50.  Your total would be $457.50.
  Now, that is only $82.50 cheaper than if you had all the servings from your wedding cake.  For me, I would rather pay the little bit extra and have a large cake.

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• fallbride1109 member

  

  May 2011 edited December 2011

  We did 2 fake tiers for aesthetic, not cost, reasons.  Our baker always does the top tier fake and then has the real cake boxed up for the B&G. 
  
  Our bottom layer was also fake because it had non-edible rhinestones.  Since our cake was going to be cut in the kitchen and served at the tables, it didn't matter to us that that layer would be a sheet cake.
  
  All this being said, it didn't save us anything--the same amount of servings still had to be provided (at $3.50/slice)  and the tiers still had to be decorated by hand.
  
  The only real way to save is to have a very small wedding cake on display and then serve sheet cake.  A big cake that is fully decorated and still serves the same amount of people is not going to be cheaper even with fake tiers.
  
  You couldn't tell ours were fake.
  
  

  Planning the Meal
  With All the Trimmings
  

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• Louisa2009

  

  May 2011 edited December 2011

  If the *venue* is charging this, are you sure that they will charge less for sheet cake?
  If the *baker* is charging it, then you can save money getting sheet cakes.
  
  We opted for a cake with 3 tiers to feed only 1/3 of our guests (cost similar to a larger cake with styrofoam bottom) and then 3 sheet cakes in the back (same baker, same flavor)--this came out cheapest and best for our situation.
  
  For our bakery, the price jumped a lot for a larger tier cake, but was only $70 per big sheet cake (vs $200 to add another 30 people to our tiered cake).  Talk to your baker and your venue about specific pricing options.
  

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• jessicamk302 member

  

  May 2011 edited December 2011

  thanks everyone for your help! our venue sent us cost comparisions and the real cake is the better deal. im a little surprised since i have always read on other websites about how using sheet cakes saves more money.

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• Sue-n-Kevin member

  

  May 2011 edited December 2011

  I'm a bit late on this, but here is what we are doing:
  
  My venue allows outside catering. Our caterer is making us a "token cake" of 2 tiers, the bottom for cutting for us and the wedding party, the top tier to save for our first anniversary. We are only having 100 people.
  
  We'll be getting 2 sheet cakes from Costco at $18 each, and each serves 48. Our caterer will be cutting those in the back and putting out for our guests. Costco sheet cakes are delicious, with mousse fillings in between the layers.
  
  The token cake is $86, the 2 sheet cakes are $36, total $122. But we are only able to do this because we have a willing caterer..........your venue may not have this available.

  Wedding Website and Bio

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