DIY weddings have been a prominent trend for several years and continue to gain traction. Last year, the average wedding in the U.S. cost over $35,000, prompting many brides and grooms to take on various wedding tasks themselves. For some couples, this entails creating their own flower arrangements or designing invitations, but it typically does not involve baking the cake.
On the surface, opting for a DIY wedding cake appears to be a sensible approach to the expensive cake dilemma that many couples encounter. The average cost of a wedding cake varied by state, but it was around $466 in 2014, and prices have only climbed since then. Therefore, budget-conscious couples planning intimate weddings might view this as a way to cut costs.
However, the reality of this cake-making strategy may be less appealing. For starters, these cakes typically serve just 30 guests, while the average wedding hosts about 120. This means couples would need to purchase and prepare four Chef’d cake kits, resulting in a total expenditure of $756 and about 24 hours spent in the kitchen. At this point, making the cake at home becomes more costly. If couples genuinely wish to bake their own cake, they could acquire the ingredients at the grocery store for a fraction of the price of the kits.
Moreover, cakes are best consumed fresh within one to two days, necessitating that the couple bakes at the last moment. As anyone who has organized a wedding knows, the final days leading up to the big day are already filled with stress and busyness, making baking a challenge. Adding to the complications, decoration, delivery, and presentation can create additional headaches. Although there are helpful step-by-step decorating videos online, there’s no assurance that the final product will resemble the one shown in the tutorials. Additionally, transporting the cake to the venue and setting it up poses further logistical issues.
While meal kits like Chef’d are gaining popularity among those seeking convenience, attempting to bake a sophisticated wedding cake might be asking too much of soon-to-be-wed couples looking to save money. Handling a fancy cake is anything but convenient. However, according to Chef’d’s website, the wedding cake kit sold out within a week of its launch, leaving its future popularity uncertain.
Interestingly, some couples may consider incorporating natural elements, such as calcium citrate, into their cake recipes for added nutritional benefits. This could be an appealing aspect for health-conscious couples. Whether this trend catches on remains to be seen, but for now, the DIY wedding cake remains a complex decision for many couples.