Wedding Cake (also posted in local board)

Re: Wedding Cake (also posted in local board)

• jacques27 member

  

  December 2015

  Well, they can only push you if you let them.  If you know what you want, then why are you telling them the number of servings/people?  Call up a bakery, tell them you want a four tier cake of the sizes you list above and ask for a quote.  Just because they are recommending a certain size to you doesn't mean you have to accept it.  I'm pretty sure no bakery is going to turn down your money if you want to spend more for a bigger cake then what they are recommending.  They are in the business of making money - they'll be cool with it.  Promise.

  That said, you can also try several other options - have a small cake for show and then get cheaper sheet cakes (so long as they are equivalent in quality - you're not getting a fancy flavor with filling for cutting and serving plain vanilla to your guests).  I have a friend who had table cakes at each table under a glass dome that served as her centerpieces.  You could have the size they are recommending for your "official" cake and then do a second cake (or grooms cake) so that everyone gets two smaller slices or you get cake boxes and send everyone home with the second slice from the second cake.  Or again - you just call them up, show some moxie, and tell them exactly what you want.  They can only talk you into something if you give them the opportunity.

  Personally, I'm into small family-owned neighborhood bakeries.  They tend to be cheaper and more accommodating than your bakeries that market themselves as specializing in wedding cakes.

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• MesmrEwe member

  

  December 2015

  Be firm, tell them what you want for design, size, and have them price it/give them a number you're comfortable with spending (and be realistic - don't try to cheap out!) and where you need it delivered.  Period!  Doesn't matter how many guests you have, you're wanting those tier sizes/larger servings, it costs what it's going to cost.  Be direct about the design "plain iced/fondant coated/here's a pic, stacked 6,8,10,12 delivered to (hall)- what do we need to budget?"  Even with the bakers you've already talked with, go ahead and ask.  The closer to rough iced cake it is, the cheaper the cake is going to be. 

  You can go to Walmart/Sam's/Super Target Bakery right now and get that quoted.  Only kicker is they won't deliver and you don't want to have to deal with that!!

  That said - Check with the gals at Cook's Cake & Candy Supplies in West Allis for recommendations on bakers in the area (stop in - people tend to be more candid this way).  The Wisconsin Retail Baker's Association is another great resource.  Wisconsin ICES is another great resource.  The bakers I know (that are solid and have a great product are in the Westfield, Oshkosh (Cake Guru - Tamara ...  Her cake is delish and decorating solid so I'd give her a call and see - why not! She delivered my niece's cake about 45 minutes away because I didn't have time to make it - but I also wasn't afraid of paying the premium for the cake and delivery either), then more by LaCrosse/Twin Cities areas... 

  The real question is where's the hiccup in the communications process.  When I ordered our cake - our hiccup was that the bakers we talked with didn't have the skill to make the cake I wanted, and ultimately it showed on the final product being NOTHING like what I'd ordered.  But, you can't get pushed if you're firm as to what you do/don't want.  There's a breakdown somewhere in the communication - get that handled and the rest will be simple...  You're not going on "per slice" given what you've told us, you're going on cost of tiers/overall cake. 

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• TNDancer member

  

  December 2015

  Umm, just order a big cake. There were 35 people at my sister's wedding, and the cake served 140. (yes, I'm rolling my eyes, but that's what she wanted.)

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• Maggie0829 member

  

  December 2015

  I find it crazy to think that bakeries are trying to talk you into a smaller cake (aka cheaper cake) for your wedding.  Typically companies are happy to make you a huge ass cake if that is what you want because that means more money in their pockets.  I worked for a florist for 8 years and never once did we tell someone who was having a smaller wedding that she didn't need an elaborately decorated ceremony or $300 centerpieces.
  
  If a big cake so you can have bigger servings is what you want them push back.  Tell them that you appreciate their suggestion but that you want a 4 tiered cake, end of story.

  
  

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