Our caterer for our wedding is serving ice cream with strawberries for dessert. Can we get a smaller cake?

Question

We are expecting 200 people. Since we're having dessert, will people want to still eat cake too? We were thinking of getting a cake for less people and setting it up on trays with the coffee after the cake cutting ceremony. Is this ok or is it tacky?

Answer 1

A traditional wedding should have a wedding cake.  Its okay to have family do extra baking that could sit by the coffee urns, but everyone expects a wedding cake regardless of the additional treats, baked goods, chocolate fountain, etc.  You should ideally have a big enough cake to feed each and every guest.  Otherwise, yeah, itll be very tacky...not to mention distasteful and maybe even disappointing to your guests.

Answer 2

Buy sheet cake, Noboby will know if its cut in the back that they are serving sheet cakes.

Answer 3

Not tacky at all...

Here's some things to think about:

Is the ice cream being served at the table as a dessert or will there be a station for guests to pick up their own if they want it? This will make a difference. If it's served it is then presumed that it is the dessert and most people will eat it, making them feel a sense of "I've already had dessert."

As far as the cake goes, I'm an advocate of always having a wedding cake at the reception. It is tradition and some bad "bad luck" not to have one, if you believe in such a thing. I would however, take into account a few factors. One, which we've already discussed, is the ice cream and strawberries being served as a dessert? Two, know your guests. Are they younger, older, a lot of children,  drinkers? Older folks and children tend to eat more cake than others. If you have quite a few drinkers, don't even expect them to realize there's a cake there... alcohol and cake don't mix for some reason.

In my experience with your situation, having a plated dessert should definitely decrease the size of your wedding cake. After you go over your guest list and really see who your guests are, you will be able to make a better decision about the size of the cake. Most weddings I've ever been to, the cake has not been finished.

If I had to make a guess of how big to get the cake without knowing any of the factors I've discussed, I would say get enough for about 100-110 servings.

Hope this helps...have a great wedding!

Answer 4

This is just fine!

Answer 5

People just seem to expect cake at a wedding.  I'd still get it large enough for everyone to have a sliver of cake with their ice cream .....OR, just do a very small cake for the 2 of you, and serve petit fours that match the cake with the ice cream for your guests.  But, you really can't have some cake and not have enough to serve everyone at least a small piece......

Answer 6

No that's fine.  No one cares about the cake other than the bride anyway.

Answer 7

No, the cake is traditional and everybody will expect a portion of cake.  It can be very small it is just what you do at a wedding.

Answer 8

As long as there is there is ice cream for everyone, it is perfectly acceptable to have a smaller cake. Those who want it will eat it and those who don't will stick with the ice cream. If the cake was your only dessert, you would need to have enough for everyone.