Hello all...

I'm new to posting here but I have been roaming around the boards here for a bit since I began trying to make cakes for my fiance and then again when I began doing research for my wedding cake.

I believe in being an educated consumer/customer because I think it saves all parties involved much time, trouble and heartache, especially when you are on a budget. My fiance and I are both students and we are paying for our wedding ourselves. We were going to go to City Hall or just have some sort of private ceremony, but one can imagine the backlash from the family!

So, this brings me to the topic at hand. I have gotten a sense on this board of the time and effort that goes into making a beautiful wedding cake, and how that time affects the pricing. I don't want anything terribly extravagant, just TALL (like 5 tiers) and simple. If I ask for a tall cake that has 5 tiers, all the same simple flavor (or some dummy tiers, I only need like 150+or- servings), in smooth white buttercream, small pearls at the base of each tier, NO designs and a gumpaste bow topper, will the decorator laugh at me when I say I don't want to spend more than about $400? This is in the Cleveland area. (Oh, and I personally think that there is a diff between being cheap and being budget concious- and I would prefer not to go to Walmart for my cake )

I just want to know from people who make cakes if this is feasible or if it's ridiculous. I would really hate to go to my tasting and look like one of *those* brides who asks for the world and then doesn't understand why what she wants costs so much. I really want a tall cake so that's why I got rid of the designs/flavors/decorations hoping that that would reduce the work done by the baker/cake artist, which hopefully would reduce the price.

I don't know if this is allowed, but I have a link to the picture of the cake that I am using as my "example". I could not right click and post the pic. If I am allowed to include the link I will put it in so that everyone can see what I'm talking about.

Thanks for reading!

I think if you use a dummy cake for part of it it should be very feasible. At least you are doing the right thing by researching before you buy, that already sets you apart from "those" brides.

I think in this area you should be ok, that is about $2.50 pp. We have a lot of CC members in the Cleveland area (like me!)so one of us might even be able to do your cake if you want! It really depends on the bakery/person you have doing your cake.
Best of Luck,
Tracy

I would tell you "No, not for $400". BUT, I would do a cake that wasn't quite so tall, 5 tiers is a lot, and it's not necessarily the cost of the ingredients or the complexity of the design, but working with 5 tiers is difficult. Set-up is very time consuming, and a lot of the decorating has to be done at the reception site after the cakes have been assembled. There's dowelling or pillars and those things take time to work with. My advice is, if your budget is $400 for your cake, you may want to look at a smaller version of this cake (maybe 3 tiers?). I know what it's like when you're planning a budget-concious wedding, and maybe you can find someone who is williing to work with you on this, but I wouldn't do it,.....that's just me though!! Good luck to you!

As I said, this area will differ greatly one place to another. It really depends on the bakery/baker and if you are in the city or east/west suburb area.
Good luck and it will never hurt to ask around.
Tracy

Sticking my neck out here, but if you're having to pay for the wedding yourself - do whatever YOU want. If the family doesn't like a small private ceremony they can chip in and help pay for it.

My step-daughter is getting married next summer and if she stated she only wanted a small private ceremony I'd applaud her! Unfortunately, she want all the bells and whistles and guess who gets to help pay for it?

We're located in small-town mid-America and it's still going to cost a small fortune!

Don't let the stress of having to pay for what you can't afford take the joy out of such a wonderful time for you. Do what you can afford and enjoy it!

post the link to the picture so we can see exactly what you're talking about

Aww...thanks for the encouraging words everyone!

More questions!:

So...if I REALLY do want this cake, about how much would say I should budget for? $600-$700 ?? Tbittner, you say that I should be ok in our neck of the woods at $400? I know that it depends alot on location.

So, as bakers, what is TRULY the easiest cake for you to make? A plainly iced cake like the one I want, but like in only two or three tiers?

Can I post the link to the picture? It is from someone's cake business website.

Ok Xandra ...here goes

http://www.dianescakesandmore.com/weddingcakegallery/pearlsandbow.htm

If you are looking in the suburbs you should be ok for the simple version, 5 tiers is a lot of work but if you call around I think you can find it. Also, you could perhaps do 3 taller tiers on a raised plateau you can get added height to the overall look of the cake as opposed to the actual cake being that heigh. Whomever you go with should be willing to work with you on whatever you decide.
Tracy

This might not be what you want, but what if tier 1 and 5 were cake and the rest were dummies. Then do sheet cakes for the rest. Then you can have them already cut and ready to serve back with the caterer and it would be cheaper and you could get what you want. Just a thought. I had to pay for my entier wedding too, so I know where you are comming from.

Stephanie

I think it's great that you are doing this research on your cake. I wish more brides were this way. I don't know much about the area that you are in but I am not sure that you can get a five tiered cake for $400. It is in your favor that you want the same flavors of cake for each tier. Here are a couple of things to think about though:

1. Five tiers is a lot of cake. It is going to take some work to get it straight and to stand up without collapsing. Even if you go with dummy tiers the decorator will still have to buy the dummies and decorate them.

2. Yeah, saying that you want a cake with no decorations sounds like it will save you money but it might be just the opposite. It is hard to get a cake perfectly smooth with buttercream.

You just might be able to find someone willing to do it though. As tbittner stated, there are several CC members and hopefully one of them will chime in since they know the area and what they charge. Who knows, you might be able to get one of them to do it for you. Best of luck with your cake/decorator search and with your upcoming wedding/marriage!

that cake is a fondant cake. if you decide to do it in butter cream, you have to know from the get go that it will NEVER look like that!

what my advise would be is to take that picture around to your local bakers and show them the picture and TELL them that what your budget is and see what they can do for you.

Like I said, I don't thing you are going to get what you're asking for , for the price you can pay...but it doesn't hurt to ask around.

Raspberry..if you lived here I would do it for yah for $400.00.You can always compromise and make the tiers smaller by say... starting at a 12,10,9,7,6,4 since pans are available in every size and use longer pillars to make it appear tall.

good luck on your wedding cake, i had a 'home' cake decorator do my wedding cake and she did a 3 tier cake plus two satelite cakes for $350...mine was pretty simple because i used fresh flowers as my decoration.

Good Luck though...I was really flexible, I sort of went with what the decorator suggested (and people are still talking about how beautiful my cake was)! She moved away before I got into decorating because I would love to get her recipes...boy was that cake yummy!

I have seen buttercream cakes look as smooth as fondant...its just finding someone who CAN do it...I know I couldn't! Good luck to you, I sure hope ya can find someone. I think your research will pay off

You are already two steps ahead of the game because you have done your research and you have RESPECT for whomever will make your cake. I would just take what you already know and start consulting with some people. Just be OPEN to their suggestions and decide which part of the cake is most important to you. In other words, where would you be willing to compromise. A professional decorator will be able to provide you with suggestions. I think by having one cake in mind and wanting it at a certain price will box you in a bit - for all you know there might be something you love even more, that fits your budget.
The other possibility is to juggle numbers and lower the budget in another part of your wedding to allow more $$$ for the cake. I know it's hard. My wedding was on a really tight budget. I don't even remember what our cake cost but it wasn't a whole lot. I bought my wedding dress off the rack for $400 and it was BEAUTIFUL. I still get comments on that dress when people see the pictures.
It's just a matter of deciding your wedding priorities and cutting corners on the things that matter less to you. For our wedding cake topper, we had small Royal Doultan figurines (mice dressed as bride and groom) and we chose those because they would be forever keepsakes.
We really pinched pennies on the invitations and ordered from a company that printed on recycled paper. We figured the information was the same, regardless of the paper quality, and people appreciated the environmental awareness. So, saving money on those things we were able to afford our sit-down dinner since we really wanted that.

All the best!
Carolyn

I think the cake picture you like is GORgeous--just my type of style!

I'm not in your area at all, but fondant cakes here are anywhere from $3.00 to $4.50 a serving...and the bow would cost a minimum of $15 up to $40 extra, depending on who you ask...

So...assuming you could get five tiers to serve 150 people, just take your budget and divide it by 150. With a $600 budget, you could afford that cake from anyone who charged up to $4.00 a serving. I'd say odds are great that you could find it for that or less, as low as $3.00 a serving, maybe less in your area...

With a $400 budget, you'd need to find someone who could do it for $2.50 a serving...which could be much harder. In buttercream it might work, and I can get BC to look pretty perfect, but it's never going to look *exactly* like that gorgeous fondant.

I'd say you're on the right track trying to figure out what you can/will spend on your cake before you set your heart on something. Ask around about cost per serving from your local bakers and see what you get.

Good luck--and keep us posted of course...

I'd LOVE to make that cake...*sigh!* Can you come here and get married? lol!

I;d take another suggestion from here and look for bakers on CC in your area that might be willing to work with you on the price. I've had luck finding bakers on this site for friends. Like others said, you may have to scale back or increase your budget. Being open and flexible to suggestion disqualifies you from being one of those brides
wishing you all the best...

Thanks so much everyone! I'm meeting with what seems like a hundred vendors this weekend since I'll be in town (where the wedding will be) so there's a bunch going on, but I am feeling much more knowledgeable and confident about my cake situation now.

Maybe that's something CC should offer. I way to look up members geographically. Do they already have that?

Isn't this Diane's Cakes and more a CC member? I thought I have seen this on CC before or maybe I have just been to the site before. Looks so familiar though.
Anyway, I hope you find what you are looking for!

One last thought....if you go with real pearls (or fake, but not fonant) that would make the cake even more simple to do. Take it easy on the torting and what fillings you choose: the more simple the better cost wise.

That is a beautiful cake. I would have loved to have that at my wedding.

Stephanie