Going into the wedding planning, I know one thing for certain: I did not want to spend a lot of money on a cake.

I don’t have a sweet-tooth, and in general I think wedding cakes get more attention than they need. It’s just another expense that has the potential to add up into silly proportions.

This diamond encrusted wedding cake retailed for $1.3 MILLION! Say what?

According to CostHelper.com, The Bridal Association of America reports (as of March 2007) that the average cost of a wedding cake in the United States is $543.00. I am sure not everyone agrees with me, but in my book I could easily spend that money on something other than some butter, flour and icing. And those numbers are 3 years old!

They also report that the following can really rack up the price:

• Decorations make a big difference in the per-slice cost. Fresh flowers are one of the easiest and least expensive ways to decorate a cake.
• Fondant, which can cover a cake in a smooth, satiny shell, is one of the most expensive; it can add $1 or more per slice. Elaborate fondant decorations increase the price even more.
• Cheesecakes and cakes with nuts, dried fruits or special cream fillings can add $1 or more per slice.
• Most tiered wedding cakes must be delivered and assembled on site by the baker or a staff member to prevent a cake mishap, and delivery charges can be$50 to $100 or more, depending on distance and size of cake.
• Some caterers charge a cake-cutting fee when figuring the total cost of your wedding cake. Cake-cutting fees can run $1 or more per slice.

Wow…cake cutting fees? Puh-leeeez.

For the record, my sister eliminated the cake all together from her wedding reception and no one seemed to really miss it. I have also heard of stories where brides picked a cake where only the top tier of the cake was real for the cake cutting shenanigans, but guests were served from sheet cake stored in the kitchen. Guests never have to be the wiser!

I did something a little different. My new hubs IS a big cake fan, so I knew we had to do something. He picked a chocolate cake with real raspberry filling and vanilla butter-cream icing (butter-cream is both cheaper than fondant and has the added benefit of actually tasting better). I asked the cake baker just to ice it and NOT to do any decorations at all. This saved a ton of money!

Decorate the Cake Yourself and Save Money!

Instead, I brought with me the beautiful butterflies that I had seen on a wedding magazine cover and decorated the cake myself! I found these gorgeous butterflies on etsy.com from seller named Clear Cut Crafts.

It came out beautifully and was very very tasty. Everyone loved it!