Planning Tips :: Cost Cutting on the Cake

Keep it Simple
Time is money – but it works both ways! One of the main costs for your wedding cake comes from the amount of time required to create your confection.  The more intricate and detailed the design, the longer it will take for your designer, and the more dough your designer will take from you.  The icing on the cake?  The simpler the design, the less cash you’ll be forking over for it.  Work with your baker to come up with a beautiful design for your wedding cake that still expresses you and your wedding, but that will cost less of the designer’s time and your money.

Photo by Danielle Luc Photography

Fake It
If towering tiers of frosted chocolatey goodness are what you had in mind for your wedding day, it’ll cost you.  But hey, brides are donning fake eyelashes and nails, so why not fake the cake?  You can still have your larger than life wedding cake by only having a few tiers of real cake.  Then, your designer can add on Styrofoam layers decorated just like the rest of the cake for those extra tiers and height.  Your cake will still elicit oohs and ahhs from all the wedding guests, and they will be none the wiser!

Photo by Mara Robinson

Keep It Real
Fake tiers may be a game changer in wedding cake costs, but fake flowers can be another ballgame.  Sugar flowers that look impressively real can look gorgeous on your wedding cake – and they’re edible too! – but, they require extra time and effort on the part of your cake designer, which means more moolah!   A cake blossoming in real blooms will still look amazing and will keep your costs down. Locally grown flowers that are in season during your wedding are your budget-friendly best bet.

Photo by Trejo Photography
Cake by Wendy Kromer Confections

Kitchen Aid
If you’ve got a big guest list but an itty-bitty budget, figuring out how to feed everyone may be a bit daunting.  Let them eat cake!  A great money-saving tip is to have a smaller wedding cake at the reception for the cake-cutting (tradition is free!), and then sheet cakes in the kitchen that will be served to your guests. Once the cake is taken to the back to be cut for dessert, your guests will never know the difference – but your wallet will.

Photo by Michéll Events
Cake by I Do Cakes

Alternative Ideas for Ring Bearers & Flower Girls

A flower girl and ring bearer are an adorably sweet traditional way to involve children in your wedding ceremony, but today there are so many options to choose from beyond the same old ring pillow and tossing petals! You can have the children in your wedding party do some really touching things to ring in your ceremony!

Carrying Signs Down the Aisle
Carrying a sign down the aisle is always something that gets everyone's attention. "Here Comes the Bride" or depending on who the child is related to it can be personalized even farther to say something like "Uncle Mike, Here Comes Your Bride".

Alternatives to the Ring Bearer Pillow
A bird's nest, a huge seashell, a book, a top hat...all with ribbons tied around...make for a great alternative to the traditional ring bearer pillow. Get creative and make it match the theme of your wedding!

Bell Girls & Bell Boys
Rather than dropping petals on their way down the aisle, bell girls ring a sweet sounding bell as they walk down the aisle. I've also seen little gentlemen fill this role and exclaim as they walk down the aisle "The bride is coming!"

The Mini-Bride
A "mini-me" version of the bride, the mini bride walks down the aisle before the bride just as the flower girl would....but instead of tossing petals, she has a mini gown, veil and bouquet to match the bride's.

How To Write Place Cards and Escort Cards

This may be one of the most common mistakes I hear on a regular basis, so I thought I'd dedicate a blog post to explaining the difference between escort cards and place cards and the proper way to address your guests on each card.

While most people just refer to all name cards as "place cards", there is a distinct difference between the two. It's important to know the difference when you're ordering for your wedding, especially if you're ordering online!

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Escort Cards are generally at the entrance to the reception or at cocktail hour. These are very important, as they welcome your guests and tell them where to be seated. If this isn't done in an organized fashion, the guests can become frustrated immediately upon arriving at your reception, and that's the last thing you want!

Guests names on the front of the escort card, assigned table numbers on the inside.

Moulin Rouge themed wedding in Sandusky, OH

(Note: These are informally addressed escort cards that don't include titles.)

Escort cards by Michéll Events

Photo by Trejo Photography

Informally, you can list the name and table number however you'd like. Formally, these cards should say the guests name and what table they are seated at. "Mr. & Mrs. John Smith, Table 12" or "Dr. Tom Jones, Table 2". If small children are attending, they should be included on the card "Mr. & Mrs. John Smith and Family",  and any children over 10 should have their own card with their own name.

It's best to sort and display these alphabetically by last name (not by table). This way, the guests can easily find their names and spend less time in line at the table searching. Names should be addressed formally, same as the invitation. Include titles such as Dr., Mr. & Mrs, and military rankings (Colonel, Captain, Major, etc.. - military titles should never be abbreviated when addressing formally).

Wine Cork Escort Cards for a Vineyard Wedding
Mon Ami Winery in Port Clinton, OH

Escort Cards by Michéll Events

Photo by Terra Sol Studio

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Place Cards are at each place setting at each dining table. The place card at the table can be less formal if you wish, but titles should still be used. Each card has a guest's name, and that designates which seat the guest should sit at. Place cards can also contain a marker of some sort to let the catering staff know which dinner to serve to that guest (vegetarian, chicken, beef, etc...).

Moulin Rouge themed wedding in Sandusky, OH

Hand Folded Eiffel Tower Place Cards by Michéll Events

Photo by Trejo Photography

Standard Tent Cards with Meal Markers 

Tented Tropical Wedding at Catawba Island Club in Port Clinton, OH

(These show markers for the catering staff signifying 

whether the guests meal should be beef, fish or vegetarian.)