So I made a 3 tiered wedding cake along with a sheet cake for my Uncle's wedding. It was for 170 people and I figured out the amount of cake I would need according to the Wilton chart and it was right around 170 so there should not have been much left over. However, the caterers cut the cake and they cut the pieces really small. Also, the order of everything was really odd. They ate dinner first, then had the wedding ceremony & took pictures, then did the cake last. By the time they got to the cake a lot of people were tired of waiting and left before the cake was cut. Because of all of this there was so much cake left over that all they ended up doing was cutting the sheet cake. They never even cut the tiered cake. Has anyone had this happen where they had so much cake left over? I don't want them to think I made too much, but the caterers obviously didn't know how to cut a cake right, which didn't help. 

AWe had that happen at a friends wedding. Just use the left over cake to make cakeballs! You can roll them into balls and freeze them (up to 6mos.) until you need them :-)

Not a wedding cake, but I had nearly four tiers not eaten after one event. Luckily, it was the end of the year at a school, and they were able to freeze the tiers and use them for morning teas at school.

so far I have found with every  time ive made a wedding cake to the desired "servings" there is always at least half left over. I finally have stared telling people to get enough cake for 75% of their guest. That's just what I am doing. By the time they eat dinner finger foods plus you have the wedding cake and a grooms cake its just plain overkill.

AI recommend servings based on type of reception & decision to serve alcohol. Crazy as I think it is, not everyone eats cake. When they serve alcohol, less people eat cake.

I had that happen last year at my son's 8th grade graduation.  I made a 3 tier topsy turvy Dr. Seuss cake and kitchen cakes for 250 people.  I am sure I made too much, but I did not charge for it, and I would have been mortified if there wasn't enough.  As I was leaving I saw the main cake still sitting as the centerpiece in the middle of the main room next to the dining area.  I was so surprised, I didn't know what to do.  I almost took it home with me, but then what?  I just left it.  My son reported that it showed up and was served at a big pool party get together the next day.  Even though my son has graduated from the school (it is a small private school)  I know many of the families and agreed to do the cake again this year - Wizard of Oz.  Slightly smaller crowd, 200,  so four tier hex with 18" hex base cake and NO kitchen cakes this time!

Glad it's not just me then. I was afraid there wasn't going to be enough if the pieces were cut too big and then ended up having the opposite problem! 

For a normal wedding I sell the bride 80% of the number of guests for the cake servings. If there's going to be a big drinking crowd and an open bar, you don't even need that much. Another dessert or a candy buffet or chocolate fountain, you don't need that much. A  lot of younger people instead of an older cake and coffee crowd, you don't need that much. A Sunday night wedding, you don't need that much. there are a lot of factors that go into it, but you never need the same number of servings as the number of guests, no matter what anyone says.

I always ask how the cake is going to be served.  Many places in my city take the cake back to the kitchen and cut, plate it, then serve it to each guest.  Then you need a piece for everyone.  If the cake is cut and served on a sweet table, then guests come up and get their own piece.  Not everyone will take a piece of cake.

For graduation open houses, so many people go to several open houses the same day, they usually don't eat cake at every house!