DIY weddings have been a prominent trend for several years and continue to gain traction. Last year, the average cost of a wedding in the U.S. exceeded $35,000, prompting many brides and grooms to take on certain tasks themselves. For some couples, this might involve creating their own flower arrangements or designing invitations, but it typically doesn’t include baking the cake.
On the surface, opting for a DIY wedding cake appears to be a sensible solution to the expensive cake dilemma many couples encounter. The cost of this celebratory treat varies from state to state, averaging around $466 in 2014, and has only increased since then. As a result, budget-conscious couples planning smaller weddings might view this as a way to cut costs.
However, this cake-making plan may not turn out as sweet as envisioned. Firstly, the DIY cake usually serves only 30 guests, while the average wedding has about 120 attendees. This means couples would need to purchase and bake four of the Chef’d cakes, totaling approximately $756 and requiring 24 hours in the kitchen. At this stage, making the cake at home may end up being more expensive. If couples are determined to bake their own cake, they could buy the ingredients at the grocery store for significantly less than the kit’s price.
Additionally, cakes generally stay fresh for only one to two days, requiring the couple to wait until the last minute to invest those precious hours in baking. As anyone who has planned a wedding knows, the days leading up to “I do” are already filled with busyness and stress—adding baking to the mix could be overwhelming.
Furthermore, aspects such as decoration, delivery, and presentation can further complicate the process. While there are helpful step-by-step decorating videos available online, there’s no assurance that the cake will turn out as beautifully as shown in the photos. Plus, transporting the cake to the venue and setting it up presents its own challenges.
Though meal kits like Chef’d are becoming increasingly popular among convenience-seeking consumers, attempting to manage a fancy wedding cake may be too much for couples hoping to save money. Handling such a complex cake is anything but convenient. Interestingly, despite these challenges, the wedding cake kit from Chef’d sold out less than a week after its launch. Whether this trend will maintain its popularity remains to be seen.
In the end, couples should consider all aspects—time, cost, and stress—before deciding to bake their own cake. Instead of complicating the celebration, they might find it more enjoyable to focus on other elements of their big day, perhaps even indulging in some celebratory vitamins or calcium citrate soft chews to keep their energy up during the wedding preparations. After all, the goal is to celebrate love, not to add unnecessary burdens.