One thing we are told time and time again by couples at their wedding cake consultations is that ‘everyone knows no-one eats the cake!’ A myth perpetuated by well meaning (but misguided) friends. If you ask us, this statement holds up about as well as a box of chocolates in a sauna. But we recognise that many people attend weddings where the cake was left sadly untouched, so we want to help you navigate the crumbly question ‘Does anyone eat wedding cake?’ and give you some tips to make sure every last morsel is devoured.
Does Anyone Eat Wedding Cake? YES. Does Everyone Eat Wedding Cake? NO.
Our couples never say that “nobody ate the wedding cake.” In fact, what we hear more often than not is that guests snapped up the tiered temptation so quickly that the couple themselves hardly got a look-in! What we want to do is find the middle ground where everyone who wants to indulge, can…and that starts with making sure you have the right amount of cake.
The truth is, you don’t need to order cake for absolutely everyone at your wedding. Sad though it may be, not everyone has a sweet tooth. There will be people who don’t want to sample your wedding cake. We don’t take it personally, and neither should you. Our recommendation is to plan on serving 75%-80% of your wedding guests, which usually hits the sweet spot where there are few, if any leftovers.
Let (all of) Them Eat Cake
If you ask Google how much cake you need for 100 wedding guests, you’ll get 100 different answers. That’s because there are so many different ways of cutting and serving cake. Wedding cakes are usually cut into small squares rather than into cafe-style gateaux wedges, but your tiers will be about 5” deep which is a deliciously decent portion! There is no ‘one size feeds all’ approach to deciding how much cake to order. Different bakers and caterers have varying approaches. The best thing to do is talk it through with us. We’ll suggest the best size for your wedding cake based on your guest numbers, whether you’d like to keep any, whether you’re serving as dessert or an extra, and so on. You’ll find plenty of confusing illustrations and diagrams online, so take the confusion out of it and let us guide you in your consultation.
Does anyone eat wedding cake? Yes, but only if they can find it!
This is where your venue coordinator, wedding planner or caterer comes in. We’ll advise you every step of the way but it’s important that you discuss with your venue what you want to do. Consider whether you want every tier cut and served, whether you’d like some cake kept aside for friends and family, whether you want guests to be able to take some home with them…
It’s also important to serve the sweet stuff in a way that makes it easy for guests to dive in, so we recommend arranging with your venue or catering team for the cake to be served on trays rather than just left in a corner for people to help themselves. You could have half your cake served with coffee and half saved for the evening when guests start to get peckish. It’s always a good idea to announce that the cake is going to be served. People like to know what’s going on, especially where their stomachs are concerned!
The cutting of the cake can be an easy moment to let people know it is available, if you choose to include this tradition in your wedding day. Whatever you decide, the most important thing to remember is that it’s your wedding so you decide when to have your moment! In some cultures it is a tradition for the couple to make a grand entrance to their reception and cut the cake immediately, allowing it to be centre stage and shine in all its mouthwatering glory. If you’re looking for more tips on making your sweet treats stand out from the crowd, we have the perfect blog for you here on how to elevate your style.
A Note on Flavour
When it comes to the question ‘does anyone eat wedding cake?’, we think a better way to phrase it could be… ‘how can anyone resist wedding cake?’ Especially when there are so many amazing flavours to choose from! One way to ensure that everyone enjoys your cake is to choose more than one flavour. This way everyone finds something they like, and it can be a real talking point if you choose something non-traditional like our peach melba or orange blossom and almond combinations. You can also have lots of fun pairing up our wedding cake flavours with our macaron flavours, getting creative with different taste sensations for your loved ones.
Just in case you’re still not convinced, we asked some of our past couples the burning question: ‘does anyone eat wedding cake, or is it just an edible piece of art that goes to waste?’ and here’s what just a few of them said…
Camilla & Jeremy: ‘By Sunday evening, nothing was left [of our wedding cake] bar the sugar flame-lily!’
Deborah & Ollie: ‘We were absolutely blown away by this cake…we received so many comments on how fantastic it looked, and tasted just as good – we had NO leftovers!’
And just to prove that even with smaller guest numbers your wedding cake can still be a huge hit, Susan and Andrew’s intimate wedding at The Landmark Hotel saw 25 guests put away 3 tiers earlier this year!
We really believe the days of wedding cakes left uneaten are behind us and we’d love to help you create a sweet showstopper that looks incredible and tastes just as good. We’ll guide you through the whole process and every beautiful bite. If you’re ready to prove once and for all that people love wedding cake, contact us.
Photos: Fiona Kelly Photography, Emma Midgen Photography, Samantha Jones Photography
