It’s All About The Wedding Cake!

We have seen wedding cakes evolve quite a bit in our fifteen years at Special Moments Event Planning.

We have seen big cakes and small cakes for the couple to cut for a photo.  We saw an upswing in cupcakes and donut cakes, and (thankfully) a swing back toward delicious, beautifully designed wedding cakes.

Our Special Moments Event Planning team is asked these questions from almost all of our couples:  How much cake should I order? Do they serve the top of their cake or keep it? How many flavors should we do?

So, our team decided to go directly to the experts. We went to three of Tampa Bay’s finest cake artists, people our clients work with on a regular basis.  We asked them the questions our clients repeatedly ask.

 

wedding cake - tips on ordering wedding cakes

 

How Much?

How many portions of the wedding cake should we order?

I tell my clients to gauge for one slice per guest, but usually, 2/3 of the guests will eat cake. That number will increase if it’s a specialty cake and not store bought – Laurie Ryan, A Piece of Cake & Desserts

We suggest at least one slice per guest and don’t forget your event vendors! – Corey Miller,  Corey’s Bakery

We suggest one piece of cake per person unless you are also serving another dessert of some kind. – Jovana Boksen, The Artistic Whisk

So, there you have it, everyone seems to be in agreement, one slice per guest.  People tend to eat more because it’s a specialty cake and if you are serving another dessert you can take that into account.

 

So, how many flavors are too many?

The consensus seems to be that picking one flavor per cake tier works fine.

Jovana reminds us that “you run the risk of people getting a little sad when they don’t get the flavor they wanted.”

Laurie says “We advise the venues of the flavor choices as sometimes caterers or venues have no clue what the clients have picked.”

 

What about buttercream and the Florida heat?

 It looks like our experts are divided on this one.

We prefer not too at any cost because real butter softens at 68 degrees and melts around 90 degrees Fahrenheit. In Florida, 90-degree temperatures can happen any time of year and it’s worse if the cake is in direct sunlight. – Jovana

Buttercream can work, but not for an extended period.   We offer delivery during cocktail hour so it does not sit out too long. Whipped cream and cream cheese is not a good option, it’s even more perishable.– Laurie

Yes, but you’d want to be very careful during the hotter/humid seasons. We suggest that during these times and simply being outdoors in general, it’s best to leave the cake inside until right before cutting it or having it delivered right before it’s to be cut.– Corey

 

Tell Us More

What important tips, things to know, or suggestions would you like to share with our Special Moments Event Planning couples?

{Don’t do} A fake cake for display and sheet cakes for serving, ugh! Why spend hard-earned money on a display cake that’s going to be disposed of after your event?-Corey

Not all wedding cakes are created equal. Many bakeries now days use cake mixes and premade fillings and frostings to save time and money. – Jovana

It helps to have a framed list of the flavors of the cake and the fillings. Guests will look at the cake and the flavors are a great way to get people interested, especially if you are serving our chocolate caramel pretzel sea salt, our cinnamon crunch toast or our signature pink champagne cake. – Laurie

Thanks so much to our incredible partners for sharing their advice and tips, be sure to visit their websites for more information and to view their creations.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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