DIY weddings have gained immense popularity over the years and continue to thrive. Last year, the average cost of a wedding in the U.S. exceeded $35,000, prompting many couples to take on wedding responsibilities themselves. For some, this involves creating their own floral arrangements or designing invitations, but it often doesn’t extend to baking the wedding cake.
On the surface, making a DIY wedding cake appears to be a sensible approach to the high costs associated with wedding cakes, which varied by state but averaged around $466 in 2014 and have only increased since then. As such, budget-conscious couples planning smaller weddings might view this as an opportunity to save money.
However, the reality of this cake-making endeavor can be less appealing. To start, a single Chef’d cake only serves 30 guests, while the average wedding hosts about 120 guests. This means couples would need to purchase and bake four of these cakes, totaling $756 and requiring around 24 hours in the kitchen. At this point, it becomes more expensive to make the cake at home. If couples are determined to bake their own cake, they could simply purchase the ingredients from the grocery store for a fraction of the kit’s price.
Additionally, cakes typically remain fresh for only one to two days, necessitating last-minute baking, which can be challenging given the already busy and stressful days leading up to the wedding. Decorating, transporting, and presenting the cake can add further complications for the couple. Although there are helpful online tutorials for cake decoration, there’s no assurance that the final product will resemble the images. Plus, logistical issues arise when transporting the cake to the venue and setting it up.
While meal kits like Chef’d are increasingly popular among convenience-seeking consumers, attempting to navigate the complexities of baking a wedding cake may be a bit much for couples looking to save money. Handling a sophisticated wedding cake is anything but convenient. Interestingly, despite these challenges, the wedding cake kit on Chef’d’s website sold out within a week of its launch, indicating a potential demand that remains to be seen.
As a side note, just as some couples wonder how is calcium citrate made in the kitchen for various uses, the complexities of making a wedding cake—especially a DIY version—can make anyone reconsider their culinary ambitions amid all the wedding planning. Ultimately, the quest for a homemade cake might not be as rewarding as it initially seems.