One of the most often addressed topics that we discuss at a consultation is: 'how much cake should we order?' or 'do we really have to order cake for everyone?'

The short answer is this:  if your only dessert is wedding cake, then, yes, you should order enough cake for everyone.  If you're having a few desserts along with your wedding cake or a Viennese Table, then you should be fine with ordering less servings than your guest count.  If you have guests with dietary restrictions, don't count them out for dessert. Rather, order something small to accommodate them.

Here's the thing with wedding cake.  When wedding cake is fantastically delicious, your guests want to eat it.  People eat great cake and desserts at weddings and parties.  Your guests are relaxed, they're having fun, and, most likely, have been tearing up the dance floor.   Those who generally avoid dessert on regular days, do look forward to splurging a little with dessert.  Dessert lovers, well, they're going back for seconds.  Recently, we created a 5-tier wedding cake that served approximately 250 people for a guest count of 225. There were 4 cake flavors in that 5-tier cake.  The couple also ordered 2 small sheet cakes that brought the cake servings to 325.  The Bride later told me that the guests kept going back for seconds and thirds and wiped out the enter supply of cake.

Where you have budget concerns with the amount of cake you're ordering, here's what you can do:  (1) you can ask your baker to size the cake so that there's enough for everyone, but the slices are thinner (standard "wedding cake slice"), (2) you can order a smaller, decorated wedding cake and have kitchen cakes (or undecorated sheet cakes) that the Chef will serve right along with the decorated cake, which are at a lower cost per serving, or (3) you can order some individual desserts to make up the difference in cake servings.

I've been to weddings where there wasn't enough cake for everyone, and ended up on the short end of the cake plate. To be honest, it's disappointing - especially to a dessert lover. If you don't order enough cake for your guests, how do you determine who gets cake and who doesn't?

I hope this article brings you some helpful information in your planning.  If you have any questions, please feel free to call or email me.