Awhile back someone posted an article where a person was talking about how brides can cut corners on their wedding cake. Well, here's another one along the same line...
http://food.yahoo.com/blog/foxyfestivities/19773/the-big-wedding-money-wasters
They obviously don't know the work that goes into making a great cake. 
I love how these "writers " just regurgitate the same 'ole same 'ole and call it "news".
Party Favors: Pictures of the bride and groom? Do you have any idea how much it will cost for 200 photos, and over half of them will end up in the trash. Plus I find it a little arrogant to say "I want to give you a present ....a picture of ME!!!!!" (how many sitcoms have used THIS line?)
And oh yeah ... I want to trust the one very special day in my life to an amateur family friend photographer!
From their written description, it's SO obvious they've no idea what kind of a role a professional DJ plays at a wedding, and they think all a DJ does is play music. The DJ is the Master of Ceremonies .... show me an iPod that does that! Did you know there is a science to DJ'ing? That there is a reason you don't play slow songs at the start of the hour? I was amazed when a professional DJ explained it to me and it makes a big difference between "some guy" and a professional.
Like so many others .... they don't know anything but because they're published, they think they do. Sad.
P.S. I always want to watch a bride bake 300 cupcakes the night before her wedding. I mean, she's got nothing ELSE going on that night, right? 
They said it's easy to bake yourself and decorate it with flags! Ugly. Like a bride doesn't have enough to do! By the time they realize how hard it is to do themselves, it will be too late to turn elsewhere. I think most brides will check around for prices and get what they can afford .. whether it's a Wal Mart cake or a professional.
I couldnt help myself. I had to post a comment. These idiots need to stop giving advice when they have no clue. It gives brides the perception that all bakeries are over charging people for nothing. And that is not the trueth. There are people out there, like myself that are not out there just to over charge people because its a wedding. And people that have no clue what their talking about shouldnt be giving advice!
**singsong voice**"...In the Ghet-toooo!"...actually no, that's an insult to the ghetto.
These women are (say it with me) smokin' crack!
Seriously, can you imagine the bride saying, "Hole up one minute" and running across the room to her iPod to skip over to a song she likes on her playlist?
Baking cupcakes? For her wedding? Enlisting a baker "friend"? This isn't your 4th graders school bakesale, it's your wedding! But whatever, they probably charged $5 for the magazine that ran that article so the bride can play Cheaperina Cheapson at her wedding. Just ridiculous. Ask the "experts" if they baked cupcakes for their wedding...
I can't help but dislike posts like this. Brides will do whatever they want for their special day and if they want to make themselves cupcakes then good for them. These brides that are doing their own cupcakes.... they wouldn't have ordered from anyone on here anyway, i honestly don't believe anyone is losing any money. If the cupcakes didn't work out they'd be going to Walmart anyway. You're either willing to spend money on this or not.
I am making my own wedding cake and the grooms cake and I don't see anything wrong with that. I'm not tacky or cheap or trashy, but yes, i'm having an ipod at my reception. I don't need to pay someone to be a "master of ceremonies" it's not that big of a deal.
This topic has come up over and over again, and it makes me not want to be a part of this community because it shows a lack of respect for other people, not everyone has to have the same wedding and it would be boring if we all did. But please don't try to make me feel bad because I do something different.
No one's bashing you for doing what you're doing- you're right, it's your wedding do with it what you will.
There's plenty of people on this site (myself included) who made their own wedding cake, so no one is attacking or judging you for doing that.
My issue with this goes hand in hand with your issue with the thread: not all cake designers are price gouging, they're trying to make a living. Bride's come in after reading magazines and articles with this same theme in mind expecting to get the world for the price of a 3rd world country. So, just like it irritates you for people to comment on how brides are having "do-it-yourself" weddings, it irritates some of us to have brides come to us and are trying to get something for nothing.
You know it's funny but how much do you want to make a bet this is advice that these writers don't take for themselves. You mean to tell me she would go out and and buy little toothpick flags and bake some cupcakes, which as busy as she is will probably forget to add eggs or add to much water, forget them in the oven while she's running around to call the the florist and...... ooooppps the cupcakes, throw some DH creamy frosting she bought at the Dollar store and the pick and here's the wedding cupcakes. My ass! Excuse my language. I know she was desperate to write an article.....but.....you just don't give crappy advice that you yourself wouldn't do. Hey maybe she was referring to the " My Hick Wedding" on CMT. lmao You have to watch one of those they are hilarious!
goddessa, no one is trying to make you feel bad. I think a bride like you, who is making an informed decision (and it sounds like you are on top of the decisions you're making) will be ok.
What concerns me is a bride who is planning a large wedding, doesn't understand the behind-the-scenes organization that has to be in place; she has a friend program an iPod, and then she wanders aroudn with "what do we do now? what do we do now?" As a caterer, if there is no event planner, then I depend on the DJ's timeline to help me gauge buffet serving time and cake cutting.
A wedding is an orchestrated pageantry of symbolic events that are pretty coordinated. Usually, somebody has to be on top of that to make sure everything runs smooth.
Again, speaking as a caterer, I had one wedding with no one in charge. I eventually pulled the photographer over to the side and told her if we didnt' get the show on the road, I was throwing the food out the back door. Food can NOT just sit out for hours and hours until you FINALLY decide to eat it. There's a timeline that has to be followed.
It also concerns me that articles like this just throw out the idea of "oh gosh darn gee, it's SO darn easy to make 300 cupcakes the night before the wedding!" and a naive bride who won't think it through, and overextends herself on wedding-night-eve.
300 cupcakes; 24 cupcakes in the oven at a time = 12.5 baking batches @ 20 minutes each = 250 minutes = 4.2 hours just in baking time ... not counting mixing, filling cupcake pans, icing, decorating and the ever mind boggling storage. If we assume she will take a lousy 2 minutes to ice and decorate each one (because she's not used to high volume workload, that's why it takes her so long), that's 600 minutes = 10 hours in icing time. Total investment time = over 14 hours ... again, not counting the mixing, filling and cleaning. The baking time can't be cut in half ... it is what it is. But let's assume one helper so the icing time is cut from 10 hours to 5 hours ... that's still 9.2 hours just in baking/icing (not counting the other stuff).
So for a bride to "just do them herself" the night before the wedding, she'd have to allocate (let's say) 12 hours, which means she starts at 10 in the morning to finish by 10 at night. God forbid she need to do any last minute stuff, like attend a rehearsal or anything.
They just make it sound like it's no big deal. If you're having a wedding with 20 or 50 guests, then maybe it's no big deal. But larger weddings? I wouldn't wish that on my worst enemy.
goddessa, no one is trying to make you feel bad. I think a bride like you, who is making an informed decision (and it sounds like you are on top of the decisions you're making) will be ok.
What concerns me is a bride who is planning a large wedding, doesn't understand the behind-the-scenes organization that has to be in place; she has a friend program an iPod, and then she wanders aroudn with "what do we do now? what do we do now?" As a caterer, if there is no event planner, then I depend on the DJ's timeline to help me gauge buffet serving time and cake cutting.
A wedding is an orchestrated pageantry of symbolic events that are pretty coordinated. Usually, somebody has to be on top of that to make sure everything runs smooth.
Again, speaking as a caterer, I had one wedding with no one in charge. I eventually pulled the photographer over to the side and told her if we didnt' get the show on the road, I was throwing the food out the back door. Food can NOT just sit out for hours and hours until you FINALLY decide to eat it. There's a timeline that has to be followed.
It also concerns me that articles like this just throw out the idea of "oh gosh darn gee, it's SO darn easy to make 300 cupcakes the night before the wedding!" and a naive bride who won't think it through, and overextends herself on wedding-night-eve.
300 cupcakes; 24 cupcakes in the oven at a time = 12.5 baking batches @ 20 minutes each = 250 minutes = 4.2 hours just in baking time ... not counting mixing, filling cupcake pans, icing, decorating and the ever mind boggling storage. If we assume she will take a lousy 2 minutes to ice and decorate each one (because she's not used to high volume workload, that's why it takes her so long), that's 600 minutes = 10 hours in icing time. Total investment time = over 14 hours ... again, not counting the mixing, filling and cleaning. The baking time can't be cut in half ... it is what it is. But let's assume one helper so the icing time is cut from 10 hours to 5 hours ... that's still 9.2 hours just in baking/icing (not counting the other stuff).
So for a bride to "just do them herself" the night before the wedding, she'd have to allocate (let's say) 12 hours, which means she starts at 10 in the morning to finish by 10 at night. God forbid she need to do any last minute stuff, like attend a rehearsal or anything.
They just make it sound like it's no big deal. If you're having a wedding with 20 or 50 guests, then maybe it's no big deal. But larger weddings? I wouldn't wish that on my worst enemy.
...yeah, what she said.
I think the biggest money waster regarding weddings is the divorce! I say the theory on saving money should be to get pre-marital counseling, don't cheat, and STAY MARRIED. Heh.
But I guess that wouldn't sell very many magazines, eh? 
Sorry guys, i just tend to have a new jerk reaction about these now... I'm sure you two are right, and I've never had to cater an event or worry about timing in that sense. it's just over the last couple of weeks there have been more posts about anti do it yourselfers. And while I'd love to have a cake done by one of you amazing ladies and would be more than willing to pay, some of us live in areas where it's Walmart or Do it yourself.
All that being said, I can see why these advice articles would get old if brides then are expecting you to make up the difference.
ok, i was a do it yourself bride, but i would never dream of making my own cupcakes.... i mean, us DIY'rs have enough to do making favors, decorating the hall, coordinating everything to even think about the show peice of pictures being a lopsided cupcake, thrown together in a hurry so i can get my manicure and peticure done to show off my pretty shoes and my dress i paid waaaay too much for! Ok, bygones! (my wedding was almost a decade ago, and still no regrets!!!) I think it is poor advice based on the scale of the wedding, not the talent of the bride. If you are having more than a small gathering under 50 people, your crazy, but go for it!!! send up pics and prove me wrong!
Scoutmama you pretty much described my wedding down to the year.
I was running myself ragged trying to get everything done. I wanted it to be classy and nicely-done, but since we were paying for it ourselves couldn't go whole hog. We did a nice job, had a SMALL amount of people invited (and even with that, half of them we don't even talk to anymore- to include family), and I did my own cake (which was knocked onto the floor). The end result- I should've done what my husband suggested. Go before our Pastor with two witnesses and had a rockin' honeymoon (which I still haven't had).
I think for articles like that, a bride has to pick the advice that works for her and ignore the rest you cannot do all those things on there.I dont see why a bride that doesn't have any baking experience can manage a cupcake tower.And even if you can its a lot of work at the last minute.
I was a do it yourself bride too,but that's just cos i'll I'll love to show off at my wedding that I made the cake myself.
what bugs me the most about these "professionals are just trying to rip you off" articles is that no one ever seems to put forth the most GENUINE money saving tip.
DON'T INVITE 300 PEOPLE TO YOUR FREAKIN' WEDDING IF YOU DON'T HAVE THOUSANDS AND THOUSANDS TO SPEND
Seriously - best way to have an elegant wedding AND keep the cost down is to keep it SMALL.
what bugs me the most about these "professionals are just trying to rip you off" articles is that no one ever seems to put forth the most GENUINE money saving tip.
DON'T INVITE 300 PEOPLE TO YOUR FREAKIN' WEDDING IF YOU DON'T HAVE THOUSANDS AND THOUSANDS TO SPEND
Seriously - best way to have an elegant wedding AND keep the cost down is to keep it SMALL.
Great advice and oh so true.... that way, you will also know all the people at your wedding! 
[quote="indydebi"]I love how these "writers " just regurgitate the same 'ole same 'ole and call it "news".
Party Favors: Pictures of the bride and groom? Do you have any idea how much it will cost for 200 photos, and over half of them will end up in the trash. Plus I find it a little arrogant to say "I want to give you a present ....a picture of ME!!!!!" (how many sitcoms have used THIS line?)
And oh yeah ... I want to trust the one very special day in my life to an amateur family friend photographer!
I spent over 3000.00 for my photographer 5 years ago. And he missed many important shots- I don't have any shots of my bridesmaids and groomsmen together at all except really bad ones of them dancing. This from a highly regarded photo studio. The ones of us that he set up studio style were fantastic, but the ones of us during THE WEDDING were crap. Sometimes your friend could be better. 
All I have to say is you pay a grocery store price you get a grocery store cake. Something that was defrosted and decorated in 45 min to an hour. (if you're lucky they spend that much time on a cake) But hey lets save a couple hundred dollars by buying something that no one really cared to do vs. a cake that someone put a lot of time and effort into for your big day. 
People who write articles such as these are the most ignorant SOBs...
Nice weddings are not for cheap skates !! to me if you cannot afford it, then don't have it at your wedding.. better yet don't have a wedding if you cannot afford it.. 
if you have the money for an extravagant wedding, then go for it and don't feel bad about those who cannot have a fabulous wedding just because they cannot afford an expensive wedding dress or reception. But it is nobody's right to tell those who can afford.
People who write articles such as these are the most ignorant SOBs...
Nice weddings are not for cheap skates !! to me if you cannot afford it, then don't have it at your wedding.. better yet don't have a wedding if you cannot afford it..
if you have the money for an extravagant wedding, then go for it and don't feel bad about those who cannot have a fabulous wedding just because they cannot afford an expensive wedding dress or reception. But it is nobody's right to tell those who can afford.
This sounds quite harsh! Wedding receptions are about celebrating the union with friends and family, not about the food, decoratios, or cake. People should not have to go into debt to impress a wedding guest.
I think for articles like that, a bride has to pick the advice that works for her and ignore the rest you cannot do all those things on there.
This is so true. Just recently, I had a bride call me and ask if I could decorate a three tier dummy and make 2 sheet cakes because it was cheaper. However, when I ran the numbers, it was 75 dollars cheaper to just make a 3-tier cake. Ironically, when she came to the tasting, she brought one of those "bridal magazines" with her to "prove her point" and I gave her this exact same advice.
what bugs me the most about these "professionals are just trying to rip you off" articles is that no one ever seems to put forth the most GENUINE money saving tip.
DON'T INVITE 300 PEOPLE TO YOUR FREAKIN' WEDDING IF YOU DON'T HAVE THOUSANDS AND THOUSANDS TO SPEND
Seriously - best way to have an elegant wedding AND keep the cost down is to keep it SMALL.
My sentiments exactly! Why is it that when these articles are written no one ever mentions the reason for the expense.....the number of invited guests.
On the occasions when asked 'what can we do to reduce the cost of the cake' I tactfully (or least I try for tactful) say, 'reduce the guest list. My numbers are based on your numbers'. Why don't these 'do your wedding for nothing' writers EVER include the guest list??
18 years ago, My husband and I had a small wedding with only our closest friends and family--18 counting everybody in the house. Paid cash for everything. The next weekend we had a fairly decent reception for all our other friends--paid cash for that ($75.00 for the wedding cake--no, I did not make it...didn't want the headache. But I did make a small one for the wedding).
My husband and I are planning a BIG shindig for our 20th...catered affair with an outstanding cake that will be made by one of my very talented cake friends and I will pay her going cake price, too. Why??? Because I can. 18 years ago, we couldn't afford--Had a nice wedding but it wasn't a DREAM wedding. WHen we make it 20 years--NOW THAT'S A PARTY!
Whoa! (*The journalist ducks!*) I hate to see such vitriol aimed at writers, although I understand where it's coming from --- and I agree!
You say they're ignorant. Yes, that's exactly what they are. Most of these people are probably getting orders from editors, bosses, etc. to go do a story on the tough economic times and weddings. And, yes, to someone who doesn't know what goes into the beautiful art we see on CC, the prices for wedding cakes/cupcakes/decorated cookies are INSANE. My own mother thought so before she saw me at work on a fancy cake, and I'm an amateur and nowhere near as skilled so many of the people on here!
So, considering that most writers have absolutely NO clue what goes into a wedding cake (or how much time 300 cupcakes would take!), it probably seems a logical jumping-off point for an article. We know it's not true. They don't. They have no idea.
Education is the answer. Is anyone interested in writing a letter to the editor at their local paper? Calling the editor and pitching a local story? I'd love to see that.
It's always so weird when two of my worlds collide. 
Quote by @%username% on %date%
%body%