My Budget-Minded Wedding Cake

by Holly
(North Carolina)

Our wedding cake

My husband and I didn't want to spend a lot of money on our wedding. We got married in my mother's lovely back yard, and I wanted a beautiful cake, but thought the $5000. that our friends paid for their wedding cake was ridiculous! I don't think we spent that amount on our whole wedding for everything!

What I found is that where you get your cake can be a big factor in the price. We bought ours from a small bakery in the small town where we got married and only spent $100. on it. Our cake was every bit as delicious and beautiful as the elaborate ones that I had seen at the bridal shows I went to, and it was exactly what I wanted. Sometimes you are only paying for the reputation or advertising budget of the baker, so be aware of that and check around and compare prices.

Tips From ~Lorelie~

To find a less expensive cake, try your local technical schools. They usually have a pastry program and are willing to do a job for a lot less than the bakery.

Have a friend who likes to bake and wants a challenge? Ask them to do your cake for you, either at cost or as a gift.

By a plain wedding cake and add your own decorations. Fresh flowers are the easiest to decorate a cake with.

Take a look at the growing directory of cake decorators here on this website for local home bakers or small bakery shops.

Want to see more cheap wedding cake ideas?