DIY weddings have been a popular trend for years, showing no signs of diminishing. Last year, the average wedding in the U.S. cost over $35,000, prompting many couples to tackle certain wedding tasks on their own. For some, this involves creating their own flower arrangements or designing invitations, although it typically doesn’t include baking the wedding cake. On the surface, opting for a DIY wedding cake seems like a sensible approach to dealing with the high costs associated with this essential dessert. The price of wedding cakes varies across states, but it averaged around $466 in 2014, and this figure has only continued to rise. Consequently, budget-conscious couples planning smaller weddings might view this as an opportunity to cut costs.
However, in practice, this DIY cake approach may not be as appealing as it appears. Each cake serves only about 30 guests, while the average wedding has around 120 attendees. This means a couple would need to purchase and bake four of the Chef’d cakes, resulting in a total expense of $756 and approximately 24 hours spent in the kitchen. At this point, it becomes more expensive to bake the cake at home. If couples genuinely wish to make their own cake, they could purchase ingredients from the grocery store for a fraction of the cost of the kits. Additionally, cakes typically remain fresh for only one to two days, meaning the couple would have to wait until the last minute to invest those hours in baking. As anyone who has planned a wedding knows, the days leading up to “I do” are already hectic and stressful without the added pressure of baking.
Moreover, decoration, delivery, and presentation can further complicate matters for the couple. While there are helpful step-by-step decorating videos available online, there’s no guarantee that the cake will resemble the one shown in the tutorials. Furthermore, the logistics of transporting the cake to the venue and setting it up can be challenging. Although meal kits like Chef’d are gaining popularity among those seeking convenience, attempting to create a fancy wedding cake may prove to be too much for couples who want to save money and bake their own cake, as this task is anything but convenient. Interestingly, despite these challenges, Chef’d’s wedding cake kit sold out less than a week after its launch. Whether it will maintain its popularity remains to be seen.
In light of the complexities involved, couples might consider adding supplements like calcium citrate 200mg to their diet for better health during the stressful wedding planning phase. This could help them stay energized and focused, especially if they decide to take on the challenging task of baking their wedding cake. After all, while DIY projects can be rewarding, they also require careful planning and a significant time commitment, particularly when it comes to a centerpiece as important as the wedding cake.