A wedding cake from the bakery specializing in wedding cakes can tend to cost quite a lot. It will cost even more if the wedding reception is with a large number of guests. Specially designed wedding cakes cost anything between $500-$1500. Having mentioned this, you can still get the wedding cake you want without putting a dent to your budget.

Before anything, you will need to know the number of guests that you are going to be expecting. Just for your rough guide, the average 9 inch layer cake will give you 16 pieces.  As a general rule, expect to get approximately 16 pieces out of the average 9 inch layer cake. The size of the pieces can also determine the number you can obtain which can be more than the regular round cake.

After determining the number of guests to expect, you should first check out the options that are available at the bakery. The prices should be significantly cheaper than that offered by the specialty ones.  In addition, with their experience, they should be able to help provide a better estimate on the number of pieces that are to be expected for the different kind of cakes. The frosting used by the grocery or local bakery are those that are in the form of butter cream frosting which is similar to the traditional frosting on the homemade cakes. On the other hand, the frosting used by the specialty cake houses are a special kind and hard known as fondant.  It is possible to make decorations like flowers and have writing on the cake just like one that would be made for a birthday or other occasion. With the softer texture frosting, it is easy to decorate.

Another possibility to get a wedding cake on a budget is to take advantage of any bakers in your family. Rather than giving you a wedding present, they can make the cakes and decorating them as their wedding contribution. As an addendum to this, if you have a large family, several people can contribute cakes which can be used to reception. Be sure to give them plenty of time to complete the cakes. Be sure to specify what flavor of cake and frosting you’d prefer. If you are renting a hall that does not have catering services, you can assign some of those who make the cakes to cut them at the appropriate time.

Here are two options for your “wedding cake”. Using layers of donuts and cupcakes is a good option that will save you money. This is increasingly becoming popular among brides rather than a traditional-styled cake due to the convenience of guests being able to take individual pieces. The next alternative would be for family members to bring along their own dessert. This is similar to the ‘pot luck’ style and can be a good option with more varieties for dessert rather than one variety. As illustrated with the examples given, your wedding can be very much a success without having to be on a big budget.

Here’s to a successful wedding that you have been dreaming of.