In one form or another, the wedding cake has been a part of Western wedding culture since the Ancient Romans (according to Wikipedia). I for one, enjoy the occasional piece of cake, but the wedding cake tradition has grown stale for me (pun intended). If you are on the fence about whether to have a traditional wedding cake, let me give you a few reasons to skip it.
1. It's Difficult to Transport
Unless you're going for a small, one-tier cake with little to no decoration, transportation is an anxiety-fueled nightmare. Bakers understand this, and usually have contingencies, but what happens after drop-off? I've had a wedding where the cake was prominently displayed as the guests entered, then needed to be moved to an out-of-the-way location during the ceremony. The table had no wheels, and the cake was quite heavy. Luckily, everyone involved knew what to do and we were able to move the cake back and forth for the cutting. There are no do-overs if you drop, touch, or otherwise maim said cake before the big cutting moment.
2. They are Delicate
Depending on what type of icing/decorations your cake has, you may be dealing with a melting and/or sweating situation. Bakers get around this by using fondant, which is supposedly much better in warm or humid climates. I'm going to be honest here, I have yet to meet someone who likes the taste of fondant. Naked cakes, or icing-free cakes, are another way to work around this, but your decorating options are severely limited.
3. Cake Cutting Takes Time
I'm not talking about the photo-op cake cutting, I'm talking about getting that baby carved up while the cake line begins to form. If you can have a pre-cut cake or a small "cutting cake", this could be less of a problem. The other issue is making sure the cake is cut to allow everyone a piece. Again, Bakers have your back on this and can make sure your cake size is adequate, but this usually still ends with slivers of cake. Either way, you'll have someone behind the scenes furiously trying to cut even pieces of cake while people wait with their plates.
4. Cakes Are Expensive
According to WeddingWire, the national average cost of a wedding cake is $500, and $534 in Indianapolis. Add to that any delivery fees, cake-cutting or serving costs from your venue, and any pedestal or toppers, and you're looking at nearly $900 on the cake alone.
5. Not Everyone Loves Cake
Not everyone enjoys or can have cake. Vegan guests may not be able to partake, and those with sugar issues will have to abstain as well. Now, if you are vegan or perhaps diabetic, you might have a specially made tier of the cake, but that can add to the cost overall.
Bonus: 1-Year-Old Cake is Gross
The tradition of saving the top-most tier or a couple of pieces of your wedding cake is so outdated, and, in my opinion, so gross. There's almost no way it's going to taste good or have any kind of enjoyable texture. No, just...no.
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