Do we have to have a wedding cake?

Question

Getting married 3 months from today and just wondering if this is absolutely something we HAVE to have? Neither of us eats desserts, and since it will be a simple and small affair with just close friends, can't really see the need for one. But - well you know. Don't want to upset anyone if we don't - ideas?

Answer 1

I bartend wedding receptions and I think the cake is a waste of time and money.  There is always a lot left at the end of the night.  I have seen cupcakes, cheesecakes, brownies, even cookies.  That way there is something sweet for those that want and you don't have the cost of a cake.  Plus, you can avoid that awful cake cutting that the bride and groom do...

Congrats and best wishes!

Answer 2

My best friend had five little cakes when she got married so there were different flavored cakes, fillings and frosting's. It was great she had those photo frosting crisps on the top of their cakes. They had a baby picture of the bride and groom, a high school photo of them together, their first date and when they became engaged. It was quite nice and different. Many people who attend weddings like to have a slice to take home and then your supposed to freeze the top cake to eat on your first anniversary. But to pay the outrageous prices for formal wedding cake, especially if you don't eat desserts my friends way seems to be the best way. Good luck to you.

Answer 3

The latest trend is Cup Cakes!!!!  I know..first thing you think of is a kids party, but I have seen some beautiful displays at weddings with this idea.  That way if they want a bit of cake they can have it.

Answer 4

A Cup cake tower looks really nice and they can be made to look anyway you like.

Answer 5

Cupcakes are becoming trendy now, even for weddings.  You can buy cupcake "trees" to put them on at craft stores (or even Walmart).  You could make savory muffins instead, if you don't like sweets ... but people will expect SOME type of wedding-ish dessert:)

Answer 6

If it's a simple and small affair, and the people attending are just your close family and friends then they know you (first of all) and aren't going to be offended.  Secondly, it's YOUR wedding.  My thought is this, you're getting married in November (if my calculations are right), so after the ceremony, have coffee and pastries.  You can get pastries at a bakery that are both sweet and savory.  That would take care of the sweet tooth some people expect to touch at weddings.  Also, in lieu of the "traditional" cake picture, have a picture taken of the two of you sharing a pastry or something.  Unique, truly you, and still a sharing intimate moment between the newlyweds.  It's your wedding day and it's all about you.  Make it truly yours, in spite of what others may try to tell you.  Good luck and congratulations!

Answer 7

have cupcakes instead

or I've been to weddings where the caterers/ venue had dessert service with mini cheescakes, brownies, cookies, etc.  Just as good.  

Answer 8

It is YOUR wedding. you get to have or not have whatever you like for it.

If you don't like or eat cake, don't have one. If you don't like or drink champagne, don't have any. If you don't want flowers, don't have any of them either.

It is YOUR big day. Make it what YOU want it to be. Don't worry about anyone else on this day, or what they might think or want. It is only YOURSELF that needs to be happy on this big day.

I had a bakery and catered lots of weddings. It is all about the BRIDE here and what SHE wants and doesn't want.

Answer 9

Well it's your wedding, so you can really do whatever you want.

Having said that, it is VERY traditional to have a wedding cake, and everyone will expect it, and in reality the bride and groom rarely get to eat much of it anyway, so if it's not a budget concern, why not?

Alternately have something else filling that nitch.  Cupcakes as the first person suggested kind of work, but that's still dessert and if one dessert is OK you may as well have a cake.  I would say maybe having something savory that you can put a candle or some type of topper on.

Answer 10

Well  its your wedding and you are paying for it so you can have what ever you want if you want you can have a small cake so if anyone wants some they can help them self's I have heard someone doing cup cakes for a wedding so do what you want its your day  

Answer 11

You don’t absolutely have to have a wedding cake at your wedding, but then again you don’t need to have a lot of other things as well.  However, the one difference between a wedding cake and other options that couples have for their wedding is the prominence that the wedding cake traditionally plays in the ceremony.  Traditionally, the wedding cake is prominently displayed in the dining/reception area during the post ceremony celebration.  The bride and groom cutting the cake and serving each other is highly symbolic of their coming lives together.  It also stands very prominently in the minds of your guests for a long time, even after other memories have fallen by the wayside.  So although you don’t have to spring for one, a wedding cake might be noticeable absent when compared to other things that couples include in their weddings.

Fortunately, today you don’t have to spring for the traditional wedding cake.  You actually have several options.  You can serve cupcakes, which are cheaper, easier to decorate, less formal than a traditional cake, and are showing up more and more at smaller or non traditional ceremonies.  You can also serve smaller wedding cakes that can be displayed at each individual table and can feed from 4-6 people each.  

One option that is somewhat controversial and therefore limited in both appeal as well as availability is renting a large traditionally-designed artificial cake for show and then serving your guests from a sheet or single-layer cake.  A limited number of bakers have fully decorated cakes on hand that can be rented for show at a wedding.  Depending on the design, these artificial cakes can include a small space that can be filled with roughly 1-2 serving of a cake of your choice.  The goal of this is to provide the couple with an opportunity have a photographer capture the traditional cake cutting seen in so many wedding videos.  After the bride and groom are finished, catering or other event staff can move the fake cake into a restricted back area and serve guests slices from sheet cakes or similar setups.  This option allows guests to be served faster and at one time, but it is very controversial (many bakers refuse to put on the charade for reasons ranging from its non traditional background to the costs of storing fake decorated cakes between ceremonies).  The fake display cake has been popular in some foreign countries for several decades now.   It has limited appeal in the United States.  Most couples are unaware that something like this can even be done.

Some couples can take cues from their cultural heritage and serve other types of sweets in place of the traditional western-style wedding cake. People who come from places like India, Mexico, and other countries are familiar with wedding desserts that are typically closer to individual pastries than cakes.  And including cues from your specific background is very popular in wedding planning at this time.