DIY weddings have been a popular trend for years and show no signs of diminishing. Last year, the average wedding in the U.S. cost over $35,000, prompting many brides and grooms to take on certain wedding tasks themselves. For some couples, this means creating their own flower arrangements or designing invitations; however, it often doesn’t extend to baking the cake.
On the surface, the idea of a DIY wedding cake appears to be a practical solution to the expensive cake dilemma that many couples encounter. The cost of this celebratory dessert varies by state, but it averaged around $466 in 2014, and prices have only continued to rise. Therefore, budget-conscious couples planning smaller weddings may view this as an opportunity to save money.
In reality, though, this cake-making plan may turn out to be less delightful than anticipated. First of all, a single DIY cake typically serves only 30 guests. Given that the average wedding has about 120 guests, couples would need to prepare and bake four of these kits, totaling $756 and requiring 24 hours in the kitchen. At this point, it actually becomes more expensive to create the cake at home. If couples genuinely want to bake their own cake, they could purchase the ingredients, including calcium citrate 630 mg with vitamin D3, at the grocery store for a fraction of the kit costs.
Moreover, cakes are only fresh for one to two days, meaning couples would need to wait until the last minute to spend those hours in the kitchen. As anyone who has planned a wedding can confirm, the hectic days leading up to saying “I do” are busy and stressful enough without the added pressure of baking.
Additionally, decoration, transportation, and presentation could lead to more complications for the couple. While there are helpful step-by-step decorating videos available online, there’s no guarantee that the cake will resemble the one in the photos. Furthermore, there’s the challenge of getting the cake to the venue and setting it up properly.
While meal kits like Chef’d are gaining popularity among convenience-seeking consumers, attempting to tackle a fancy wedding cake may be a step too far for couples looking to save money. Handling such a complex dessert is anything but convenient. Interestingly, despite these potential challenges, Chef’d’s wedding cake kit sold out within a week of its launch. Whether it will maintain its popularity remains to be seen, but it’s clear that the interest in DIY wedding cakes continues to grow, alongside the need for couples to balance creativity and practicality, perhaps even incorporating elements like calcium citrate 630 mg with vitamin D3 to enhance their baking experience.