Picking Up Your Own Wedding Cake?

If I had to choose one thing I heard the most over 2019, it would be horror stories about wedding cakes being picked up from the bakery by family or friends and the nightmare that followed. It's understandable that everyone is watching their budget and trying to make helpful cuts anywhere possible, but honestly there are some things that are best left to the professionals....and cake delivery/set up is one of them!

I actually planned and coordinated a wedding where this issue was addressed, and I counted my lucky stars that they bride took our advice and decided not to have a family member pick up the cake! This was a small three tiered buttercream cake for an afternoon wedding in North Texas in June. First of all, June in Texas is HOT and buttercream melts. On the trip from the bakery to the venue the sun had it's way with the cake melting the icing, and the tiers did some sliding during transport. While the cake looked like a hot mess when it arrived, there were no worries. The bakery had touch up supplies on hand and had it all put back together and looking beautiful within half an hour. If a family member arrived with a melted cake, it would have been one of those wedding day nightmare stories.

Picking up a sheet cake or two from a local store is not what I'm referring to. Tiered cakes, decorated cakes, multiple different cakes.....most of the time, these cakes are heavy, delicately decorated, and require extreme caution with carrying, loading and unloading. If it melts or gets bumped during delivery, the baker is experienced and can fix it quickly. They do this every day, so they fully know what to expect and what to do when these things happen.

Wendy Kromer Confections

In the grand scheme of things, saving a hundred or two by having someone pick up the cake isn't worth the worry. You might even incur additional cost by replacing the damaged cake at the last minute. Your planner can always assist you with many different ways to cut back on the budget and save money, and those are ways that won't put the cake for your special day in jeopardy!