Cut costs with a fake cake

by Meg Massie, Posted Jul 8th 2008 9:00AM

Filed Under: Cakes and Catering, Budget Advice

According to the Bridal Association of America, the average wedding cake costs almost $550. Most bakers charge by the slice, at about $5 or $6 per slice for a standard multi-tiered cake. Premium cakes may cost twice that much, or more -- more than you'd pay for original artwork, and you're only going to have it on display for an hour or two. Wow.

One way to save costs is to cut the cake right out of the budget. But who wants to do away with such a delicious tradition? More and more couples are pulling a sneaky bait and switch when it comes to their cakes -- using a fake cake for the display, usually made of styrofoam, and serving guests from a sheet cake they keep hidden in the back, which may cost less than a dollar per serving. Guests never have to know.

You can get special "cakes" designed just for this ruse, which come with a small concealed compartment where you can hide a real piece of cake for the traditional cake cutting ceremony. It sounds a little silly, but you'll get the last laugh when you don't have to write a three- or four-digit check to your bakery.

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Tags: cake, costs, fake-cake, saving-money, styrofoam-cake