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Dessert Bar + Cutting Cake?

megtownxxmegtownxx member
First Anniversary Name Dropper 5 Love Its First Comment
in Wedding Etiquette Forum
Hi friends,
The plan for dessert is to have a few dessert bar options from our caterer, but we were planning on doing a small 6in cake for B&G cutting. Do we serve the rest of this cake to our guests via the dessert station? I've seen pictures and information around that seem to be a little conflicting. Not sure what the general consensus is here with how this goes.
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Re: Dessert Bar + Cutting Cake?

  • ei34ei34 member
    First Anniversary First Comment First Answer 5 Love Its
    Ditto PP.  The actual cake guests are served can be a sheet cake, as long as it's the same type as the cake you've cut.  As long as there's enough for each guest that wants it.
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  • megtownxxmegtownxx member
    First Anniversary Name Dropper 5 Love Its First Comment
    So okay, I agree, but now I'm thinking, so we offer cake on the dessert station, but how much? small cake plus 3 other dessert options....enough?
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  • kwiksilverkwiksilver member
    First Anniversary 5 Love Its Name Dropper First Comment
    megtownxx said:
    So okay, I agree, but now I'm thinking, so we offer cake on the dessert station, but how much? small cake plus 3 other dessert options....enough?
    How many guests are we taking?  With a cake that tiny I wouldn't even bother serving *that* particular cake to your guests.  I mean you can, but you're going to have to provide additional cake of the same flavor.  3 other dessert options is plenty of variety. 
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  • megtownxxmegtownxx member
    First Anniversary Name Dropper 5 Love Its First Comment
    KwikSilver said:
    megtownxx said:
    So okay, I agree, but now I'm thinking, so we offer cake on the dessert station, but how much? small cake plus 3 other dessert options....enough?
    How many guests are we taking?  With a cake that tiny I wouldn't even bother serving *that* particular cake to your guests.  I mean you can, but you're going to have to provide additional cake of the same flavor.  3 other dessert options is plenty of variety. 
    Guest count is 160-180. I agree, 6 in cake prob won't cut it(sorry,pun), but with 3 addtl options that would be enough for the full guest count because cake wasn't part of the spread originally, I wonder how much cake I'd need to provide to not be rude. I dk if anyone can answer that for me here, I'm just sort of thinking out loud at this point. Ultimately, id like to just cut a small cake for traditions sake, but seeing that it's rude not to offer cake as an option, now I'm thinking of how to cover it.
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  • LondonLisaLondonLisa member
    First Anniversary First Comment First Answer 5 Love Its
    megtownxx said:
    KwikSilver said:
    megtownxx said:
    So okay, I agree, but now I'm thinking, so we offer cake on the dessert station, but how much? small cake plus 3 other dessert options....enough?
    How many guests are we taking?  With a cake that tiny I wouldn't even bother serving *that* particular cake to your guests.  I mean you can, but you're going to have to provide additional cake of the same flavor.  3 other dessert options is plenty of variety. 
    Guest count is 160-180. I agree, 6 in cake prob won't cut it(sorry,pun), but with 3 addtl options that would be enough for the full guest count because cake wasn't part of the spread originally, I wonder how much cake I'd need to provide to not be rude. I dk if anyone can answer that for me here, I'm just sort of thinking out loud at this point. Ultimately, id like to just cut a small cake for traditions sake, but seeing that it's rude not to offer cake as an option, now I'm thinking of how to cover it.
    You can still cut the 'cake' without it being cake, per se. If you aren't planning on having the traditional wedding cake, I would just have the caterer nicely plate up of one of the desserts for you. You can cut profiteroles, pie, tiramisu, whatever and still have the same traditional effect. 
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  • MairePoppyMairePoppy mod
    First Anniversary First Answer First Comment 5 Love Its
    edited March 2017
    It's traditional to save the top tier for your first anniversary, so no, you don't have to share it with your guests. Could you include mini cupcakes of the same flavor as your cake? In that case, @ two hundred mini cupcakes should suffice. Or you could have sheet cakes cut in small squares, one serving per guest.
                       
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  • megtownxxmegtownxx member
    First Anniversary Name Dropper 5 Love Its First Comment
    MairePoppy said:
    It's traditional to save the top tier for your first anniversary, so no, you don't have to share it with your guests. Could you include mini cupcakes of the same flavor as your cake? In that case, @ two hundred mini cupcakes should suffice. Or you could have sheet cakes cut in small squares, one serving per guest.
    So there's a longer story to how we got here which is why I was asking this question. We wanted a traditional tiered cake from this specific bakery but decided it was too expensive, including the sheet cake route. Found out that or caterer doing desserts was much cheaper, so thought, oh well just do that and cut our own tiny cake from the bakery we like. And now I'm here discussing alternative options. So cupcakes or sheet cake of the same isn't an option unfortunately. 
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  • megtownxxmegtownxx member
    First Anniversary Name Dropper 5 Love Its First Comment
    banana468 said:
    megtownxx said:
    MairePoppy said:
    It's traditional to save the top tier for your first anniversary, so no, you don't have to share it with your guests. Could you include mini cupcakes of the same flavor as your cake? In that case, @ two hundred mini cupcakes should suffice. Or you could have sheet cakes cut in small squares, one serving per guest.
    So there's a longer story to how we got here which is why I was asking this question. We wanted a traditional tiered cake from this specific bakery but decided it was too expensive, including the sheet cake route. Found out that or caterer doing desserts was much cheaper, so thought, oh well just do that and cut our own tiny cake from the bakery we like. And now I'm here discussing alternative options. So cupcakes or sheet cake of the same isn't an option unfortunately. 
    I think you need to use that baker for something else.

    Not a fan of you going with super expensive baker for just the two of you while your guests get other things.  

    Save the expensive baker for something else - even the RD if you want. 
    Mind you, guests getting other things is my also very wonderful (and expensive) caterer. And like I said, I'm willing to now supplement the dessert table with an additional cake. Will need to discuss with my caterer what the appropriate serving amount would be.
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  • megtownxxmegtownxx member
    First Anniversary Name Dropper 5 Love Its First Comment
    charlotte989875 said:
    megtownxx said:
    MairePoppy said:
    It's traditional to save the top tier for your first anniversary, so no, you don't have to share it with your guests. Could you include mini cupcakes of the same flavor as your cake? In that case, @ two hundred mini cupcakes should suffice. Or you could have sheet cakes cut in small squares, one serving per guest.
    So there's a longer story to how we got here which is why I was asking this question. We wanted a traditional tiered cake from this specific bakery but decided it was too expensive, including the sheet cake route. Found out that or caterer doing desserts was much cheaper, so thought, oh well just do that and cut our own tiny cake from the bakery we like. And now I'm here discussing alternative options. So cupcakes or sheet cake of the same isn't an option unfortunately. 
    You should have enough cake so that any of the guests that wants a piece should be able to have one. Even though you're having other desserts, you need to make sure the same options are available for each one of your guests. If you're cutting cake the same quality/options should be available for your guests. If it is too expensive you should switch bakeries, or not have cake/cake cutting at all. 

    Why not have your preferred bakery do a cake for the RD instead? Assuming you're having a smallish wedding party you can have the cake you want the night before, have enough for everyone there, and not blow your budget for expensive cake at the wedding. 
    Yeah, definitely a good option
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  • banana468banana468 member
    First Answer First Anniversary 5 Love Its First Comment
    I'm sure  the comparison isn't "super duper bakery" vs. "bargain supermarket cake" but I do think that they should be from the same place so the options are closer.

    Having it at the RD is the easier way to go IMO.    Our friends had a special cake at their RD that was designed to look like the groom's car.   It was fantastic. 
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  • megtownxxmegtownxx member
    First Anniversary Name Dropper 5 Love Its First Comment
    banana468 said:
    I'm sure  the comparison isn't "super duper bakery" vs. "bargain supermarket cake" but I do think that they should be from the same place so the options are closer.

    Having it at the RD is the easier way to go IMO.    Our friends had a special cake at their RD that was designed to look like the groom's car.   It was fantastic. 
    Yeah I think that's a really cool idea and something I hadn't considered before 
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  • MairePoppyMairePoppy mod
    First Anniversary First Answer First Comment 5 Love Its
    The special RD cake is the perfect solution.

    TBH, though, I don't pay such close attention to the cake cutting that I'd notice if it was a different quality from the cupcakes. I'd be too distracted by the eclairs and mini-cheesecakes or whatever. But that's me.

                       
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  • ILoveBeachMusicILoveBeachMusic member
    First Anniversary First Comment First Answer 5 Love Its
    I think is long as the cakes are the same type (carrot, chocolate what ever) you don't have to have it from the same bakery if the caterer's cake is same quality. That being said, just have the caterer do your cake if they are that wonderful.
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  • megtownxxmegtownxx member
    First Anniversary Name Dropper 5 Love Its First Comment
    ILoveBeachMusic said:
    I think is long as the cakes are the same type (carrot, chocolate what ever) you don't have to have it from the same bakery if the caterer's cake is same quality. That being said, just have the caterer do your cake if they are that wonderful.
    Caterer doesn't do cakes
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  • megtownxxmegtownxx member
    First Anniversary Name Dropper 5 Love Its First Comment

    MairePoppy said:
    The special RD cake is the perfect solution.

    TBH, though, I don't pay such close attention to the cake cutting that I'd notice if it was a different quality from the cupcakes. I'd be too distracted by the eclairs and mini-cheesecakes or whatever. But that's me.

    This is my thought. As a guest that's how I would feel, and this particular cake is most important to my FH. Regardless, I think there's a option here that's considerate to my guests
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  • CMGragainCMGragain member
    First Anniversary First Comment First Answer 5 Love Its
    edited March 2017
    Check out Sam's Club or Costco.  They make excellent cakes and custom decorate them, too!
    You are your new husband can have his special cake later that night in your room.
    httpiimgurcomTCCjW0wjpg
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  • MesmrEweMesmrEwe member
    First Answer First Comment 5 Love Its Name Dropper
    edited March 2017
    O.k. - have the "Sweetheart cake" from the baker you want (DO NOT serve this to the rest of the guests - long story here - just don't serve it to your guests), be honest with your baker about the situation...  Then you need enough of each dessert option for your guests to have one or more should they so choose over the course of the evening (the beauty of dessert buffets is you can leave them so guests can have what's left as a snack during the course of the rest of the evening)... (ETA - that means if you're serving brownies, cupcakes, and pie that you have at least one portion of each for each of your guests...)
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