I know that any of you reading this will be wanting to save money and keep to budget – I understand this completely, and I will always work with clients to find the best value for money. No-one likes to overspend and I do love a bargain!
However, making your own wedding cake is not a money-savvy tip I would give, unless...
(a) you know you’ll absolutely love doing it,
(b) you are a professional cake maker (or have one in the family) or
(c) you’re happy with a basic, rustic cake look!
There are a few reasons for this:
1. Professionals do this every week, they know their stuff
They know how long a cake takes to bake, decorate, and put together at the venue. If you’re doing your own cake, this means you will have to carve out enough time for these tasks just days before your wedding. Also – if you’re not an experienced baker you might stress on your wedding day about if the cake tastes nice, if it’s properly bakes, and if it still looks how it should when you get to eating it!
2. Those beautiful tiered cakes are heavy
Linked to the point above, professional bakers know how to construct a cake to ensure it stays looking beautiful the whole day and won’t collapse! You need heavy-duty structuring in a wedding cake to ensure it’s stable.
3. It’s a big job
Professional cake makers are used to baking in large quantities so will get the cakes right every time! Have you ever baked at home and your sponge has sagged for no apparent reason? Or have you ever forgotten eggs and had to improvise because of time (I’m guilty of this!)? You don’t want that hassle with your wedding cake.
You will also have to consider the cost and effort of a trial cake (do NOT bake your wedding cake without testing your idea first!) AND if you have the correct equipment e.g. do you have the correct size cake tins?
4. You get what you pay for
It may seem like wedding cakes cost an awful lot, but you have to keep in mind that you’re paying for the ingredients (which is a lot actually!), the baker’s experience and time on-the-day too. They will have spent a lot of money enhancing their skills to become an expert cake maker over many years. You will get much more value out of your money than ‘just’ a cake.
5. They know tricks of the trade
Professional bakers will know the tricks to keep your wedding cake from being affected by the weather. Many icings such as buttercream and chocolate will melt in heat – this doesn’t just apply to cakes being in direct sunlight either. A marquee can heat up quickly in nice weather, but also your guests will heat up a room and lighting can raise the temperature too. There are lots of factors to consider!
I know it is difficult to spend money on something you feel that you could easily do yourself, but I wouldn’t want you to have a wedding cake fail on-the-day…
If you really can’t afford a professional wedding cake, you can stick to a rustic homemade cake (easily knocked up), opt for something fun like cookies or cupcakes instead of a cake, or (if you’re not fussed about a fancy cake) buy a simple supermarket cake and add some decorations to it!
You should only make your own cake if it’s something you’ll love doing, and you have some experience! That way you're only adding fun to your wedding planning, and not stress!
You have a number of options, so please think carefully if you’re considering a DIY cake!
This article was written by Dheyna at Smitten Weddings. If you would like to get in touch about my wedding planning services or find out more about me, then please visit my website.
Sources:
· BridalMusings.com. 10 Tips for Making Your Own Wedding Cake: bridalmusings.com/65887/10-tips-making-wedding-cake
· Chelsweets.com. Making Your Own Wedding Cake:
