Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links. If you click through a link and make a purchase, it will earn me a small commission, at no additional cost to you! See our disclaimer for details.
Wedding Planning is Expensive
If you are new to wedding planning, I am sure that you will be blown away at the cost of having a wedding.
As I have mentioned throughout my wedding series of articles, I was able to have a wedding under $5,000 just a year ago!
And, no, it was not a backyard barbeque.
I was able to have an inexpensive wedding because I did tons of research, found quality alternative options, and was willing to a few DIY projects. It took time but I did not deplete my savings or put a huge burden on my parents.
In this article I will go ALL IN regarding one of the most surprisingly expensive items on your list: the wedding cake!
But before getting started, be sure to bookmark these other articles!
How Much Does a Wedding Cake Cost?
Wedding cake prices vary based on flavors, sizing, and decorations. On average, you can expect to spend anywhere from $300 to $800 on a typical wedding cake in 2020.
Each of these 8 factors can affect the price of a wedding cake:
- Cake size
- Cost per slice
- Sheet cakes
- Flavors
- Decorations
- Cake stand
- Set up and delivery
Sizing
The size of your cake is the biggest factor that will affect the cost of your wedding cake. Most bakers set up pricing with a “price per slice” pricing scale but some still price cakes based on size alone.
For example, I got a stacked tiered cake (6’’x8’’x10’’) and it cost $280 before choosing flavors, decorations, or paying for delivery.
For reference, my 6’’x8’’x10’’ wedding cake was set to serve 78 guests.
It is also important to note that the shape of cakes also can affect pricing. Round cakes are the cheapest, then square cakes, then hexagon and other shapes are the most expensive.
Sugar free and gluten free wedding cakes typically are more expensive as well.
Cost Per Slice
Most bakers charge “per the slice”.
For example, if you expect 200 guests and a baker charges $2.70 per slice (or “per serving”) then you can expect to pay $540.
The average price per slice for wedding cakes ranges from $1.50 to $3.50. Be aware that bakers usually just provide “base pricing”, so any special flavors, frosting, or decorations would increase the price.
Sheet Cakes
Sheet cakes are less expensive options to having a traditional wedding cake. They also are a good option if you want to buy a smaller wedding cake for photos then have sheet cakes to feed the rest of your guests!
Sheet cakes cost approximately $50 per ¼ of a sheet and $100 for a ½ sheet. A ¼ sheet will serve 48 guests while a ½ sheet can feed up to 96 guests.
Flavors
It is common for bakers to charge extra for premium or gourmet flavors.
Unfortunately, the pricing ranges drastically for wedding cake flavors.
I got one response to an inquiry that stated an extra $6 per slice, whereas another baker charged another $1.50 per slice for a any cake that wasn’t standard vanilla.
To be honest, your guests are not likely to care if you paid an extra $2.00 or so per slice just to get a really unique flavor. Most people will be just fine with chocolate or vanilla (remember to keep your budget in mind!!).
Additional Decorations
Most bakeries will allow you to provide your own decorations but will charge you for them to apply the decorations.
For example, I made my own flowers for my wedding and put together some small floral pieces to be put on the cake. It cost and extra $35 for the baker to arrange these pieces once he delivered the cake to the venue.
Here is a breakdown of what can add extra cost to your wedding cake:
- Wedding topper
- Floral
- Gold accents
- Fruit
Cake Stand
Many bakers will provide an option to pay to rent a cake stand, which costs around $50.
This is one aspect of wedding cake pricing that many people forget!
Tip: I simply went to Hobby Lobby and bought a beautiful wooden cake stand (with my 40% off coupon of course) for under $15!
Set Up and Delivery
Expect to pay anywhere from $30 to $100 for delivery and set up of the cake.
If you live further away from the baker, you most likely will have to pay a mileage fee as well.
All of these prices in this article are averages based on the multiple quotes I received last year when looking to find a baker or company to make my wedding cake.
Average Cost of a Wedding Cake
Tips to Pay for Your Wedding
Here’s the deal: You’re planning a wedding and need to figure out how much everything will cost.
First important tip: START EARLY.
Below I have listed my top 4 pieces of advice to anyone planning a wedding to save money in the long run!
#1. Start Making Extra Cash
Before anything, go read this quick article about how to make an extra $50 a day.
There are a handful of ways to be able to make extra money to pay for your wedding!
For example, I was able to make a handful of extra cash just by filling out surveys on my free time! Although I originally started out with multiple apps (thinking I’d get more money), I only stuck with two of the most reputable ones.
Be sure to check out my detailed step-by-step article here about how to start with one of my favorite survey sites!
Or, save time and go straight to the two apps that I still regularly use!:
Survey sites help a lot with earning both cash and gift cards to pay for all of your small miscellaneous wedding items! Being able to pay for decorations with free Amazon gift cards or to pay for centerpieces with extra cash is a big deal in the long run!
#2. You Need to Get An Idea of Your Finances
For starters, you and your future partner NEED to start tracking your expenses.
I use a free, beginner-friendly platform called Personal Capital, but any will do!
With a free app like this one, you can look at all your assets and liabilities (as in, all your debt and money), and also set up a budget.
I found this significantly easier for both my husband and I to collaborate instead of just one of us being in charge of a paper copy of our wedding budget.
Thing is, IT IS ALMOST GUARANTEED THAT YOU WILL OVERSPEND FOR YOUR WEDDING.
No joke, there will always be something that you didn’t think about. So please think ahead and try to be as prepared as you can! You don’t want to use up all your savings or put your parents into debt over your wedding day!
#3. Save. Your. Money.
I was all about apps and organization when it came to planning this wedding. There would have been no way to plan a legitimate wedding under $5,000 without a bit of organizing!
I used a popular free app called Acorns to set aside money during the entirety of my engagement. Now that I’m married, I use the same app to set aside extra cash in order to invest!
Acorns works by linking to your bank and helping set aside “cents” to a savings account after you make purchases. It’s a genius way to save up money without putting in any effort and I’ve heard of people saving up hundreds!
If you’re interested in checking Acorns out, sign up through this link to get a free $5 credited to your account!
#4. Don’t Go Into Debt
Yes, your wedding day is one of the most special and important days of your life!
No, you should not have to go into debt and use credit cards because you cannot afford it!
No joke I know of multiple women who took out loans or purely used a credit card for wedding expenses. A few years later and they STILL were paying off their wedding. Yikes.
There are some crazy expensive vendors, like a photographer, videographer or venue, that you may have to use a credit card to pay for.
But if anything, I suggest you do the following steps to prevent going into debt over your wedding:
- First, figure out your credit score. I use Credit Karma (because it won’t affect your credit score like a handful of other companies) but any will be fine. This is important to know if you do consider using credit cards – plus, now that you’re getting older, you need to know it anyway!
- Set a budget and stick to it. Discuss your budget with both sides of the family (if they are helping to pay) and with your fiancé. Use a free app like mentioned above if that would help.
- Don’t go with the most expensive options. There can always be cheaper alternatives. For example, it is okay if you choose a small vanilla wedding cake and serve sheet cakes.
Overall, keep in mind that your wedding day is ONE DAY! You don’t need to overspend in areas of your budget like your wedding cake. Keep to a budget and stay determined to save money so the first few years of your married life will be much easier (financially!).