DIY weddings have been a popular trend for many years and show no signs of diminishing. Last year, the average wedding cost over $35,000 in the U.S., prompting more couples to take on certain wedding tasks themselves. For many, this may involve arranging flowers or designing invitations, but it rarely includes baking the cake.
On the surface, creating a DIY wedding cake appears to be a sensible solution to the expensive cake dilemma that couples often face. The price of wedding cakes varies by state, with an average cost of $466 in 2014, and this figure has only increased since then. Thus, budget-conscious couples planning small weddings may view this as a way to cut costs.
However, this cake-making plan might not be as sweet as it seems. A typical DIY cake kit serves only 30 guests. Given that the average wedding hosts around 120 guests, couples would need to prepare four of these Chef’d cakes, totaling approximately $756 and requiring 24 hours of kitchen time. At this point, making the cake at home actually costs more. If couples truly want to bake their own cake, purchasing ingredients from a grocery store would be far more economical than buying a kit.
Furthermore, wedding cakes typically remain fresh for just one to two days, meaning the couple would have to wait until the last minute to dedicate those hours to baking. As anyone who has organized a wedding knows, the days leading up to the ceremony are already filled with stress and busyness, making baking a cake an added headache.
Additionally, aspects such as decoration, delivery, and presentation could create further complications for the couple. While there are helpful step-by-step decorating videos available online, there is no assurance that the cake will turn out looking like the one in the tutorial. Moreover, transporting the cake to the venue and setting it up can also be challenging.
While meal kits like Chef’d are gaining popularity among consumers seeking convenience, this may be a step too far for couples eager to save money by baking their own cake, since managing a sophisticated wedding cake is anything but convenient. Interestingly, Chef’d’s wedding cake kit sold out within a week of its launch. Whether it will maintain its popularity is yet to be determined.
It’s worth noting that for couples experiencing stress—perhaps even headaches reminiscent of a calcium citrate headache—due to the overwhelming wedding planning, attempting to bake a wedding cake could add unnecessary pressure. Therefore, it might be wiser for couples to consider alternatives that ensure both quality and peace of mind.