Wedding Trend: Cake or Cupcakes?

As a pregnant girl, besides "when is this baby getting here," the other thought that is always on my mind is sweets.  Candy, cookies, cake...I love it all!!  So I thought this would be the perfect time to write about one of the latest wedding trends - cupcakes!

For years, the wedding cake has been a staple part of wedding traditions.  But as we know, today's wedding traditions vary greatly - there is no right or wrong way to any part of a wedding.  Whether it be a choreographed dance with your bridal party, candy buffets instead of favors, or skipping the garter and bouquet toss, wedding traditions are forever changing.  And with that comes the idea of cupcakes replacing an actual wedding cake.

As wedding DJ's, we obviously get to see all aspects of a wedding reception and over the past few years have seen an increase in cupcakes becoming part of the dessert menu.  Cupcakes are great for a few reasons.  First, they tend to be less expensive than a traditional wedding cake, which can run anywhere from $4-10 a person and up, depending on the decoration.  Also, cupcakes are much easier to serve and they don't incur a cake cutting fee.

If you and your fiance still want to participate in the cutting of the cake, you may choose to do it in a few ways.  First, you could cut a cupcake with a fork instead of the typical cake server and feed your new bride or groom.  Or what is also popular for couples who would like to serve cupcakes but still want to have an actual cake to cut, is to order a small cake from your baker in order to cut.  Then,  have the cupcakes served to guests, and the bride and groom can bring the cake home to enjoy on their anniversary (or when they get back from their honeymoon, as my husband and I did).

One last idea for brides on a budget that would really like to have just the traditional wedding cake, but would not like to spend $1,000 or more on a cake is to purchase a cake that feeds a small amount of people.  Then, purchase sheet cakes, which are much more affordable, to serve to guests once your professional cake has been served.  For my wedding, we ordered a chocolate cake with white buttercream frosting that fed 50 people.  It looked beautiful and added to the decor of the room, but only cost about $225 (including delivery fee and rose topper).  We then purchased chocolate sheet cakes with buttercream frosting from Costco (which I think are delicious, by the way) to match our professional cake, and were able to feed 250 people dessert for right around $325.

To help you decide whether a traditional cake, cupcakes or both are the right way to go for your wedding, check out the article below from the online Massachusetts Wedding Guide:

 Wedding Cake vs. Wedding Cup Cake

P.S.

Don't forget to taste test the cakes at several bakeries - that's one of the best parts about planning a wedding!

For information on wedding DJ packages, contact Avid Entertainment.