Wedding cakes: what to know

What the job involves, what changes the price, and what to ask a pro.

What wedding cakes is

A wedding baker creates tiered wedding cakes with custom flavors and designs, then delivers and sets them up at your venue. Couples order one to match the wedding's style, feed the guests and become a centerpiece of the reception.

Signs you need it

  • You want a tiered cake with custom flavors and a design that matches your wedding
  • The guest count needs a cake sized to serve every guest
  • You want the cake delivered and assembled on site so it is not damaged in transit
  • You want a cake that suits a dietary need, such as gluten free or dairy free
  • You want a cake that can be cut for the couple and served to every table

What the pro does

  • Meets you for a tasting of the flavors and fillings and talks through the design
  • Sketches the tiers, the decorations and the stand or base the venue requires
  • Bakes the layers, makes the fillings and builds the cake structure
  • Decorates the cake to the design you approved, often on the day before the wedding
  • Delivers the cake to the venue and assembles it on site if the order includes setup
  • Gives you a storage and cutting guide and collects any stand or plate the baker supplied

What changes the price

Every job is different, so we do not publish prices. These are the things that move the quote up or down.

  • Number of servings and the number of tiers
  • Flavor and filling choices, especially specialty or fresh fruit fillings
  • Decoration detail, such as sugar flowers, sculpted work or hand painting
  • Stand, pillars and any cake table decor the baker provides
  • Delivery distance, setup time and whether the baker must travel to the venue
  • Dietary adjustments, such as gluten free or dairy free baking

What a written quote should spell out

  • Number of servings, tiers and the flavor of each layer
  • Fillings, frosting and decorations included
  • Stand, pillars and any display items, and whether they are returned
  • Tasting, design rounds and delivery and setup times
  • Deposit, balance due date and cancellation terms

Questions to ask before you hire

  • Can I taste the flavors and fillings before I order, and is the tasting included?
  • Which fillings contain nuts, dairy, eggs or gluten?
  • Can you make a gluten free or dairy free tier, and is it baked apart from the rest?
  • Who delivers and sets up the cake at the venue, and when do you arrive?
  • How do you keep the cake safe in a warm room during the reception?
  • Do you hold a health permit, and where is the cake baked?

Red flags

  • Will not let you taste the flavors before you pay the deposit
  • Cannot say how the cake is supported and transported
  • Does not confirm the delivery and setup time in writing
  • Promises a design that does not match the photos you are shown
  • Asks for payment in cash with no written order

What you can do yourself

A couple can bake a simple cake for a small wedding at home using a tested recipe, then decorate it with fresh flowers placed just before serving. Hire a wedding baker for a tiered cake, a structured design, a large guest count or a cake that must be delivered and assembled on site without damage.

Licenses and permits

Food businesses commonly need a health permit or a food handler card from the local office that oversees food safety, and a baker who sells wedding cakes is commonly in that category. Ask the baker for its permit, and check the rules where the cake is baked and delivered.

Wedding cakes questions

How far ahead should we order a wedding cake?

As early as you can, especially for a popular date. Ask the baker for its lead time and what it needs from you to start the design.

Can the cake be kept in the venue's kitchen?

Ask the venue whether it has refrigerator space and a safe place for the cake. Confirm the storage plan with the baker and the venue before the wedding.

Who cuts the cake?

That depends on the venue and the baker. Ask whether the baker cuts and plates the cake or whether the venue staff will do it, and confirm this in writing.

About this guide

This national guide is written and checked by infinibell. Rules and conditions differ by place, so local pros are credited on guides for the cities they serve, not on national ones.

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