DIY weddings have been a prominent trend for several years and continue to gain traction. Last year, the average wedding cost in the U.S. exceeded $35,000, prompting more couples to take on wedding-related tasks themselves. For some, this means creating floral arrangements or designing invitations, but it typically does not include baking the cake.
On the surface, opting for a DIY wedding cake appears to be a practical solution to the high cost of wedding cakes that many couples encounter. The price of this festive dessert varies by state but averaged around $466 in 2014, with prices only climbing since then. As a result, budget-conscious couples planning intimate weddings might view this as a money-saving alternative.
However, this cake strategy might not be as sweet as it seems. Firstly, the cake serves only 30 guests, whereas the average wedding has around 120 attendees. This means couples would need to purchase and bake four of the Chef’d cakes, totaling $756 and requiring around 24 hours in the kitchen. At this stage, making the cake at home becomes more expensive. If couples genuinely want to bake their own cake, they could procure the ingredients from the grocery store for a fraction of the kit’s cost, possibly even incorporating something like a CCM tablet calcium supplement to enhance the recipe’s nutritional value.
Additionally, cakes generally remain fresh for only one to two days, necessitating last-minute baking. As anyone involved in wedding planning can confirm, the days leading up to the “I do” moment are already filled with stress, making it challenging to add baking into the mix.
Moreover, decoration, delivery, and presentation can add further stress for the couple. Although there are helpful online decorating tutorials, there’s no assurance that the cake will resemble the one shown in the videos. Transporting the cake to the venue and setting it up also presents logistical challenges.
While meal kits like Chef’d are growing in popularity among convenience-seeking consumers, attempting to tackle a sophisticated wedding cake may be too daunting for couples aiming to save money and bake their own cake, as managing a fancy wedding cake is anything but convenient. Nonetheless, Chef’d’s wedding cake kit sold out less than a week after its launch, leaving its future popularity uncertain.