budget friendly alternatives to a traditional wedding cake?

elmcity bride · February 2010

HI all,
in shopping for wedding cakes i'm kind of having sticker shock!!

i understand the cost of some things but for some reasib I can't justify it for the cake!

aside from a candy buffet does anyone have any ideas for an alternative.

FI wants to do carvel ice cream cakes haha...

kaesha · February 2010

Ice cream sundae bar? Wedding pies? Cheesecake?

Sue-n-Kevin · February 2010

Here's what we are doing:

Having a very small wedding cake, maybe one tier that is edible (the one we keep), and a smaller one to cut. We are buying the most excellent sheet cakes from Costco that around here are $15.99 and feed 48. They have multiple flavors, with creamy middle layers (chocolate mousse, cheesecake, etc). This will be cut for our guests in the back room and served up as wedding cake. I got one for my Mom's 75th birthday, and they have a standard one decorated with all white icing, and roses. Once cut, it looks just like wedding cake

Good luck.

Ken&Cass · February 2010

A lot of people doing cupcakes these days...

kimheartsscott · February 2010

I hated the idea of cupcakes until I thought about doing a "decorate your own cupcake" bar. We are just going to get multiple flavors and different toppings (sprinkles, cherries, whatever) and set up it all cute and colorful like a candy bar.

It will save on cake, cutting and plating fees and will be a nice distraction from the fact that my fiance and I will be avoiding dancing at all costs.

kaesha · February 2010

Or what about cookies and bars?

JenniferLuvsCandy · February 2010

Twinkies or Donuts (Krispy Kreme)

SpceCadet · February 2010

Our caterer has a standard chocolate cake that is AMAZING. It comes to them pre-cut, so it's not usable for show. The cost comes to being about one-fourth of what wedding cakes go for in my area. I'll be making our show cake using two fake layers and one real chocolate layer.

I did a test a while back using straw cookies (see below) and it was super easy. The orange frosting was completely covered by the cookies and shaved chocolate (symphony bar and a carrot peeler). The top will have a monogram letter and small flowers. Because this cake won't be eaten by guests, we don't have to worry too much about food safety so I'll be completing it a few days before the wedding.

danieliza1127 · February 2010

We had cheesecakes. I bought them at the Super Walmart bakery the day before the wedding and they were delicious. They were 12 slice cheesecakes and I think I spent $120 for enough to feed 120 guests. Pics in married bio.

jroseber · February 2010

Ya we decided to have a cake for show and another sheet cake to be cut for the guests. It saves lots of money!

dianna609 · February 2010

We are buying pies from an amish bakery and should run around $130 for 150 guests if we cut big pieces (6 per pie), less than that if we cut 8. My FI and I aren't fond of cake. I don't like it because my mom decorated cakes when I was growing up and the thought of buttercream frosting makes me ill. She still insists that we cut a small cake, though.

So, instead of dropping $600 on a 3-4 tier cake, think about pie. It isn't done often and people will like it. It's different.

Labrnr · February 2010

rice krispie cake

you can even make it, freeze it, cover it all in fondant yourself way in advance.
The rice krispie hard would be easier to work with, making sure it's solid to cover in fondant.

or leave it bare.
pic of mini mock up.

ejoyce8 · March 2010

we are doing cupcakes and grooms pie :-) you can get cupcakes from your grocery store and no one will be the wiser.
what about having your favorite dessert? if you like cookies you can do that or ice cream etc.

happy planning!!

k4slr6 · March 2010

We are doing sugar cookies. We didn't want to spend $$ on cake and have the pressure of feeding eachother. My sister-in-law and I are making them and freezing them and found cheap glass stands that were 50% off at Hobby Lobby to display them on. We are doing 150 cookies. Will let you know how it all turns out. Getting married in August 2010.

JodiMarie76 · March 2010

I like the "fake cake" idea. My FI's aunt can make a cake for us that is just fondant - no actual cake. We will cut a small piece of real cake for the ceremony and then serve the guests sheet cake. FI's sister did this last year and it was a big hit!

dizzinea · March 2010

cupcake teirs? a more plain cake, (don't say wedding, to the baker) buy a fabulous dessert and then top it with flowers or something, a freind did german chocalate cake from a local bakery and did red roses on the top delicious and beautiful and very cheap.

alewpanda · March 2010

Brownie towers, colorful fruit displays on various heights of platters, ice cream bar, iced cookies in your wedding colors....

fairy_diva · March 2010

Buy separate different sized cakes round or square and stack them yourself. You can pick up the parts at Micheals, Joanns of Hobby Lobby. You can buy the cakes at Walmart, Costco or even Kroger.

aecahill · March 2010

Yeah why don't ya'll go ahead and get a small, two-tiered cake you can cut into for the reception, then go to Wal-Mart, Costco, or some other place and get some sheet cakes that can be sliced in the back? No one will know, and Costco's cakes are the bomb!

budget friendly alternatives to a traditional wedding cake?

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