do you have those clients where you just want to point out to them that their wedding guest are going to come and give them a $50 gift and they are telling me they do not want to do favors (to save money of course) and want to spend as little as possible for a slice of cake to save money ($1/slice to be exact)? sometimes i just want to say, why dont you just invite less people and give them some fabulous cake to go with the expensive meal you are already providing?

when i ordered my wedding cake i didnt think about the cost of each servings (of course i had a budget, but i already had a budget as a whole in mind and i just invited a lower number of people so i didnt have to skimp on everything). Do we really need to invite our neighbors from the old house that we havent talked to in 10 years? -

maybe some might not agree, but as a cake maker i am probably bias in thinking of the cake being one of the large elements of a wedding and should be treated like such?

I totally agree...I would rather have a wedding for less people and have a fabulaous meal and cake.When I got married the first time I had 225 people..Hardly was able to get around and see anyone.Second time I had 55 at an exclusive golf club and had a expensive meal and Fabulous cake...which of course my Mom made as she is a decorater as well.I think brides tend to forget that the cake should taste just as nice as it looks and the old saying..You get what you pay for!

I honestly think people use weddings as a money making scheme these days! They're always trying to see what they can get for free and how much of it they can get for free.


I've even heard of people that were charging a "cover charge" for their reception...stating that it was to offset the cost of the alcohol being served (but even people that don't drink had to pay it to get in).....can you imagine being CHARGED to attend someone's wedding AND then feeling compelled to give them a gift??? HA! Yeah right!

I have actually told BTB and GTB that their wedding wasn't an entrepreneurial opportunity..........they should stick to their budget, but it should be an enjoyable time for them and their guests (especially when the guests are forking over gifts of $50+)

They try to nickel and dime EVERYTHING....so that they come in spending less than $5 per guest for EVERYTHING!

I agree. Too many peole want what they cannot afford. If you can't afford to feed "good" cake to 350 people, don't invite 350 people.
I couldn't imaging charging a "cover charge" for the reception . That's tacky in my opinion.

It is the only "wedding" food at the party. Did anyone have wedding potatoes or wedding chicken? No, it's wedding CAKE! Dumb bunnies...

I agree with everything posted so far. I had 65 people at my wedding. One of the main reasons we decided to keep it small was to be able to afford a high end venue/meal. We paid around $50 per head for just the food - but it was the best food I have ever had at a wedding.

Anyway...The majority of our wedding went toward the location and food, so I knew I had to scale back in other areas. I didn't spend a ton on a dress, my wedding ring was $52 (the engagement ring was more), we had simple center pieces...

But until I started planning the wedding I didn't realize how much things cost. We did all our homework upfront so we knew before we booked anything where we wanted the money to go and didn't get sidetracked with frills we didn't need.

Every bride but 2 I have met with this year has left the cake as the last thing booked. I think that sometimes they get caught up in the "oh, I didn't know I could get programs for the ceremony or personalized napkins..." and once all is said and done spent more than they intended on frills. Not leaving much left for what is being booked last...Cake.

Not as tacky as this:

A couple booked my entire restaurant for a 'party' where their invited guests would order off a limited menu and pay for their own food. They omitted to mention that little detail on the invitation, which was for a wedding reception. So they pulled one on me and the guests. Needless to say, only 10% ordered any food, and they all came dressed well and bearing gifts. Huge loss for me, shocked faces all around for the guests, and the couple didn't even 'make the rounds' or talk to anybody but their wedding party. And then they sang songs of praise and worship.
I'm not kidding.

ditto. That needs to be submitted to the wedding etiquette hell website.

At one time we had a client who told us that following dinner at her cousin's huge 300 guest wedding the Bridesmaids were stationed at the cake table with a cash box. If guests, wanted cake they had to purchase it. If I remember correctly she said that they charged $2.50 per slice, which, several years ago, shows that they were out to make a nice profit on their cake.

I am making a cake for a friend and her and her fiance wanted one sort of cake flavor for all the tiers and I had to remind them that their guests were going to the reception for the food and the cake. that is just how it is these days.

I went to a wedding that had a cash only bar you had to pay for everything except water. (bride/Groom didn't inform anyone) Needless to say my hubs and I got 1 beer and a glass of wine and spent 12 dollars.

sham wow. That is incredibly tacky. I have heard it all.

Oddly, my uncle is quiet wealthy. When cousin got married, it was really a small do at a local private club during the day. Not formal just family and some friends. They charged for drinks at the bar. Get the h3ll out. Not for cokes or water but for alcohol. My uncle is a millionaire and groom's parents were too.

I can remember thinking "how tacky is this?" and I don't even drink!!

I think this is soo sad. Why do couples do this to their guests??? If you know you are on a budget then why don't they do things that are in their budget ooh I don't know smaller guest count, cheaper invites and a cheaper reception place.

Besides doing cakes I also do event planning as well and I have a client who is planning her wedding for next year and I am very up front with her and she had to increase her budget to get what she wants. Also I told her the more guests she invites the more everything else will go up. I think couples really don't realize how expensive it is to have a wedding these days.

I have seen weddings have 300 or 400 of their "closest" friends and family... do you really need that many people at your wedding??? Because I thought wedding for really for the bride and groom? My husband and I got married with one witness and when we renew our vows we are planning to invite people but you better believe it will not be hundreds of people there. They don't realize the more people, the bigger the cake the more expensive it is.

I've got a good one!! My nephew got married last fall, very fancy evening wedding at a winery in Sonoma, Ca the food was to die for: 3 course meal double cut pork chops, etc., etc., the cake was beautiful, the flowers were exquisite...this could have easily been on Platinum Weddings.......

my sister-in-law just told me last month, that they didn't actually get married (file the marriage license) because with their incomes they do better tax-wise remaining single!

LMAO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I work at a grocery store bakery and this store has the cheapest cake prices in town. Seriously, no one can beat them. So this lady was wanting to get some cakes to serve at some kind of event (not a wedding or anniversary dinner, not sure what it was actually) and was amazed at the prices for them. She was telling me how she was checking out other places too and one place, if I remember correctly, had wanted $60 for a cake to feed about 50 people.

I just kinda held her gaze without blinking and said, "Really? 60 bucks? Well for 50 servings that's still a really good deal. Only just over a buck a serving. Not too shabby at all." She just kinda shrugged and ordered a few cakes from the store.

i try to do my little part everyday!

I got a bait and switch story for ya.

My mom's work has a Christmas party every year, 2 yrs. ago they decided they needed to cut expenses and just had a potluck, well almost nobody showed and all the big wigs were mad (because they showed).....so last year they said "we're doing it right this year!"

They secured a party room in a local restaurant (fancy restaurant) and send out nice heat embossed stationary cards inviting everyone to the Christmas party. Enclosed with the card was a "dinner voucher", my mom was so excited as was everyone else...they were going to a nice restaurant w/ great food and for FREE!

They all showed up wearing nice clothes, ready for a great evening.....they got seated and asked the big wigs "what can we order" he says............"anything you like, I'm not your father!" and they all had a big laugh!

My mom ordered shrimp and a salad, they stayed and had drinks for 2 hrs. after dinner and then the bills came out ONE BY ONE and were handed to EACH person. They thought, this is odd....but.......ok, here's my "voucher".

Turns out the "voucher" was good for $10!!!!!!!! The side salad at this place is $18, there is NOTHING on the menu for $10. They started to complain and the big guy was like "did you guys REALLY think the company was paying for all of this?????? We gave you a voucher to help, but come on...be reasonable!!!"

Needless to say I can't WAIT to see what they do THIS year! lol

And here I thought the last reception I attended was tacky--our wedding invitation had a note inside requesting that I bring a large salad with me to the reception.

While I can see having a cash bar at a reception (some couples feel this may cut down on alcohol consumption...and possible trouble that could cause), CHARGING for a piece of cake? A cover charge? Oh my gosh....I've really heard everything! Crazy people!

They're the couples that will end up divorced in a couple of years.

someone tries to charge me for food at a wedding reception, not only am I leaving, but I'm taking my gift with me.

And then I'll have nothing to do all night long but post on facebook what a tacky couple they are!

My husband and I paid for our own wedding, and we did it cash. Therefore, haha, it was a SMALL wedding...only about 100 guests. I told my mom, no, I'm not inviting your work friends that I've never met. We had exactly the wedding we wanted, and were able to serve awesome food and cake at the reception. Don't regret any of it.

I give quotes to BTB all day long for cakes to feed 200-300...and I don't hear back from a lot of them, haha!