Every wedding that I go to I always first take a look at the wedding cake and of course critique it I've been to 3 in the last 2 months. One of them was absolutely beautiful! It was at the Navy Shipyard in Boston, right on the water overlooking the city. Just beautiful and extremely elegant! When we went into the reception I noticed that they didn't have a cake at all, just cupcakes. I thought this was extremely tacky considering how elegant and EXPENSIVE this wedding was (seriously, about 200 people and they had open bar all night!) Seriously! Cupcakes? I thought for sure she would have had a beautiful cake to go with her beautiful wedding. What does everyone else think?

I think it's possible to do cupcakes tactfully for a wedding. I think the cupcakes are only as nice as the stand they're presented on though. You can take the fanciest cupcakes ever and put them on one of those cardboard stands and it looks trashy!

If it's a nice painted wooden stand with beautiful ribbons/fresh flowers around the cupcakes I think they can be just as pretty as a cake...sometimes!

I think that whether you choose cupcakes or cake, it can turn out tacky. I've seen cupcake towers beautifully done and find them quite elegant. And I've seen the ugly plain cupcakes... and that goes for wedding cakes too! It takes a lot of detail and care for making beautiful cupcakes so I don't believe they are all tacky.

It all depends, just like a regular wedding cake. I love cupcakes!!! And hopefully I'll throw a big party next year for my bday or anniversary or something and I'll do cupcakes! just my honest opinion!

No....

I have seen some absolutley stunning cupcake set ups for weddings - just the same as i have seen some bloody horrid 4 tier wedding cakes.

Depends on who made the cakes - and how they are set up i guess.

Cupcakes over here are more expensive than what a stacked wedding cake can be - because of the time and detail involved.
Especially if they are boxed then tired with a ribbon and little card.


I have an order for a wedding late November -
418 Yellow Gerbera cupcakes.

And there won't be anything tacky about them - thats for sure.

Bluehue

Cupcakes can be the most stunning little creations in cake ever made. Tacky ain't defined by the size of the cake.

I do a lot of beach weddings and our cupcake towers are really poplular because then guests do not have to have a plate and a fork they just have their cupcake. We also provide a six inch cake that tops the cupcake tower so that the couple can still have their cake cutting phots.

I believe that cupcakes can be elegant and whimsical. Just like the difference between an all white wedding which is traditional and whimsical topsy turvy wedding with bright colors. I believe to each his own. Because this is my business. I'm all about making the client happy. I'm not here to say what I wont do because I think it's tacky. Now if it's something I truly dont like, I wont put a picture of it in my porfolio.

Nope, not tacky when well done.

I think cupcakes at a wedding can be very elegant it's all in how they are designed and presented. I have seen some of the most beautiful cupcake towers at weddings and they was so beautiful.

If they are for a very casual event I think they are fine. I don't think they are for formal attire events. To have people "open" their own cake is nasty LOL. To mess with those stupid lil wrappers is ridiculous.

Mike

I think it's a broad sweep of opinion to say all cupcake wedding cakes are tacky. All aspects of a wedding including the cake can be tacky it's got nothing to do with whether it's a cupcake or more traditional model... It's certainly not a 'cheap' option either????

Cupcakes for a wedding are not tacky.


But if you have a Cupcake Cake for your wedding, now THAT is beyond tacky!

IMHO there are many tacky things done at weddings, but cupcakes aren't one of them.

I wouldn't call them tacky. If it is a casual event or if the guests are taking them home I think they are fine, but for people to try to take the cupcakes papers off at the wedding is not very practical, IMO.

Read my blog and the imbedded link on the topic of "tacky".

I think it's less "tacky" and more "personal preference". I am not a fan of cupcakes at weddings, but I've seen pics of set ups that were just elegant.

No matter how elegant they look, though, I'm not a fan. Maybe it's my age, but a wedding needs a wedding cake. I view cupcakes as a casual food. I dont' want to get all dressed up and peel a paper away from a cake and shove a big 'ole cake into my face. To me, a formal affair needs a formal dessert.

I think they are appropriate for a backyard reception, for a casual reception such as a pig roast in gramma's back-40 (and I've been to those! They are fun!), etc.

This is another topic where the word "tacky" is thrown out and it's really preference. I site the fountains/stairs topic. Sorry, gang, but I "grew up" with those cakes. I "grew up" in the era where a wedding cake was the GRAND centerpiece of the reception. So, no .... to me, these founatin cakes are NOT tacky.

So just beause it's not your preference, doesn't make it tacky.

Read the blog.

Edited to add the blog link ( ) http://cateritsimple.blogspot.com/2009/10/is-it-tacky.html

I believe there is a time and place for everything. If it is a casual event, then go for the cupcakes. However, I am one for tradition. I think a wedding, no matter how informal, needs a wedding cake.

Tacky is a broad term, IMHO. To me, it falls under the same category as "One man's junk is another man's treasure." I, personally, love the look. I find it most often to be done with elegance and style, and have rarely seen them badly done. That "tacky" set up the OP refers to could quite possibly have cost as much if not more than an elaborately tiered wedding cake.

I'd much rather see a lovely tower of cupcakes than have the bride and groom smash each other in the face with cake.
Now that is not only tacky, but disgusting and completely disrespectful.

Since cupcake weddings have paid my bills on a couple of occasions....no.

i don't think they're tacky, but i don't particularly care to do them-way more time consuming than 1 cake (to make them look cute for a wedding anyway) so, to whoever said they have to do over 400!!!! omg, good luck.

Check out the definition of 'tacky':
http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=tacky

Definitely 'one man's trash another man's treasure'

I have seen some gorgeous cupccakes on this site as well as others. Covered in buttercream or fondant and decorated. I think it could be a very nice option (although I personally prefer the notion of a wedding cake versus cupcakes). But as someone else stated, I think the presentation is key.

... Just a little side note... There was another forum topic here about someone having to decorate Costco sheetcakes for a wedding, and indydebi had the most WONDERFUL ideas for presentation. So I think it can be tastefully and elegantly done, if planned and executed properly.

I think this is such an interesting phenomenon. More and more often I hear the expectation that all brides SHOULD:
1. have a big, beautiful, stunning, formal, expensive cake
2. serve a meal
3. serve free liquor
4. have entertainment

And if they don't, their wedding is considered cheap or tacky. Then in the same breath we criticize brides who think they have to purchase all of these things even when they can't afford them.

I read a comment on another thread that the poster was glad she'd gotten married when it wasn't considered "rude" to just have cake, punch, nuts, and mints. Wow, should a bride really feel embarrassed because she can't (or doesn't want to) put on a big, lavish wedding? How dare she not serve a hot meal?

The OP went to a big, expensive wedding and was probably treated to a lovely dinner and a night of free drinks and entertainment, but was disappointed because the bride and groom didn't live up to her expectations for the cake. Well, maybe they just weren't that interested in the cake and saved that money for the things they wanted more. That seems financially responsible to me.

Another poster says, "I am one for tradition. I think a wedding, no matter how informal, needs a wedding cake." If you feel that way, please be sure to do that for your own wedding, but you just don't get to decide that for any other bride.

Part of the problem brides have with spending too much is this impossible standard guests seem to have about what they are going to get treated to when they attend a wedding. We can't have it both ways, folks. I like a good party as much as the next wedding guest, but not everyone can afford that.

If brides want cupcakes (which I'm not crazy about making, but they help pay my house payment), that's HER call. She doesn't deserve to be called tacky for it.

In the interest of full disclosure, I have to admit that I am a convert on this subject. I've previously expressed the opinion that cupcakes are cheap and low class at a wedding, but I've decided that it's just not for me to say for any party but my own.

Nice Ruth!