Any way you slice it, the wedding cake has its place among the age-old traditions of matrimony. Symbolizing fertility and good luck, the first slice of wedding cake is generally shared between the newlyweds. They then offer their cake and happiness to their guests.
Even if you are planning a far-from-formal wedding celebration, chances are you will seal your union by eating, at the very least, a bite of cake.
“I’ve seen couples coming out of City Hall carrying a (cake in a) box with string wrapped around it,” says Donna Ferrari, tabletop, food and wine editor of Bride’s magazine. “To taste the wedding cake is part of the ritual.”
But will sharing your good fortune cost you a fortune?
The standard industry practice is to price cakes by the slice, explains Ferrari. At the low end, she says you might expect to spend about $2.50 a slice for a simple butter cream frosted yellow cake without a lot of design. The midrange cake that “tastes delicious and has some artwork” may cost $5 to $6 a slice. And for an elaborate cake, you may need to fork over about $10 to $12 a slice.
“The price of an elaborate cake seems to be the same everywhere,” says Ferrari. “This is a cake that might have a fondant (icing) covering, shows some architecture and is unique.”
Bridal consultant Frank Andonoplas believes the prices for the Chicago area are lower by about 50 cents to a $1 per slice at each level of distinction. “The big kickers to cost are elaborate icing and detailing on the outside of the cake,” notes Andonoplas, who is also the Illinois coordinator of the Association of Bridal Consultants.
Another potential kicker to cost is a cake-cutting or “plating” fee. You may incur these charges if you choose to forgo the wedding-package cake offered by your hotel or banquet hall. These fees can range from $1 to $3 per guest. Also, many reception facilities will not discount the package for this deviation. So on top of the service charge, you may have to literally eat the cost of two cakes–your own and the one the package would have provided.
Although many hotels and banquet halls employ pastry chefs who rival those at specialty bakeries or have working relationships with top establishments, you may still have your taste buds set on a cake from your favorite bakery.
For newlyweds Lori and Marc Chinitz of Skokie, they thought the wedding reception site they found in downtown Chicago would be perfect in every way. That was until they tasted the wedding-package cake. “It was an inferior cake,” recalls Lori. “This was a wedding cake that you would not want to eat.”
Wishing to serve their close-to-300 guests a cake of their choosing, the Chinitzes visited three Chicago-area bakeries. They ordered their cake from Judy’s Bakery in Evanston after falling in love with the store’s “Heaven on Earth” cake–a rich devil’s food chocolate cake with white chocolate mousse icing.
For bringing in their own cake, the Chinitzes paid more than $600 in service charges. But they were happy with their decision–and the cake.
Whether you are going with a wedding-package cake or selecting your own, just when should you start looking for the cake of your dreams? Your search should begin after you have selected your caterer and discussed menu options, according to Theresa Prosser, a wedding consultant with the Swedish Bakery in Chicago. “This way you can get a better idea of how your cake will fit in.”
Experts recommend that you meet with a caterer or bakery about two to six months in advance of your wedding reception, though, realistically, bakeries can fit you in with minimum of three to four weeks, depending on their availability. Keep in mind, variables such as the pastry chef’s popularity and the time of the year may affect your ability to schedule a cake for your desired date.
June dates are still very much in demand throughout the U.S. But early fall, especially in Chicago, is fast becoming the most desirable time for nuptials, because of Mother Nature.
“This year, the demand for September has been huge. We would need another hotel to fill all of the requests,” says Ken Severin, director of catering for the Omni Orrington Hotel in Evanston. “Of late, June has not been terribly pleasant, and brides are looking for more pleasant weather (in September).”
Bakeries can be busy places. Many require an appointment to view the bakery’s design portfolio or sample their wares. Here are some key items to consider when selecting a bakery and your cake:
– Designs and decorations. The talent and skill of a bakery’s pastry chefs are best illustrated by snapshots of past cakes they have made. If a bakery’s portfolio contains magazine clippings or tearsheets, make sure that the bakery’s name is included in the editorial credits, Ferrari notes.
Bringing in your own photographs or sketches can help guide the pastry chef. But if the design strays too far beyond the general scope of the bakery, it can also add to the cost.
“If someone wants a cake style that differs a great deal from the cakes we normally do,” says Sheila Perry, general manager of Deerfields Bakery in Deerfield and Buffalo Grove, “the decorator may charge an extra $30 to $40 to try two to three different ways of developing the look.”
– Tastings. When it comes to types of cakes, fillings and icings, your tastes buds are your best guide.
“Bakers should serve you at least one or two samples of cake they usually bake,” advises Ferrari. “You should be able to get a sense of a competent baker from the tasting.”
– Size and servings. The number of guests you invite doesn’t always dictate the size of your cake. Its dimensions may increase or decrease depending on whether you also serve dessert or offer a sweet table.
To economize, ordering less expensive sheet cakes–to be cut out of sight of your guests–can allow you to spend your money on a smaller but more elaborate display cake.
“You can save significantly by ordering sheet cakes, particularly if you have more than 130 guests,” says Prosser. “Just make sure that the sheet cake has the same cake, icing and fillings as your display cake.”
– Delivery and setup. Delivery charges for wedding cakes can range from $10 to $75. Proximity of the bakery to the reception site generally determines the price. You may be able to save yourself these charges by picking up the cake directly from the bakery.
When a cake has more than two tiers or a complicated arrangement, bakeries such as the Swedish Bakery will insist on sending a pastry chef to deliver and set up your wedding cake.
“If, for example, a cake slides into the side of its box during transport,” explains Prosser, “the pastry chef delivering the cake can easily redecorate it if need be.”
