DIY weddings have been a popular trend for several years and show no signs of diminishing. Last year, the average wedding cost in the U.S. exceeded $35,000, prompting more brides and grooms to take on wedding tasks themselves. For some couples, this involves arranging their own flowers or designing their invitations, but it typically doesn’t include baking the cake.
On the surface, the idea of a DIY wedding cake appears to be a sensible solution to the expensive cake dilemma that many couples encounter. The price of this celebratory dessert varies by state but averaged around $466 in 2014, and costs have only risen since then. Consequently, budget-conscious couples planning small weddings might view this as an opportunity to reduce expenses. However, the reality of this cake plan may be less than desirable.
First, a DIY cake only serves about 30 guests. Since the average wedding hosts around 120 guests, couples would need to purchase and bake four Chef’d cake kits, resulting in a total of $756 and approximately 24 hours spent in the kitchen. At this point, making the cake at home becomes more expensive. If couples truly wish to bake their own cake, they could buy the ingredients at their local grocery store for a fraction of the cost of the kits, which may not even include essential nutrients like calcium citrate malate, magnesium, zinc, and vitamin D3 that are beneficial for overall health.
Additionally, cakes are typically only fresh for one to two days, meaning couples would need to wait until the last minute to invest all that time in the kitchen. Those who have planned a wedding can vouch that the days leading up to “I do” are already hectic and stressful without the extra pressure of baking.
Furthermore, decoration, delivery, and presentation could add more complications for the couple. While there are helpful step-by-step decorating videos available online, there’s no assurance that the cake will resemble the one shown in the photos. Plus, there’s the matter of transporting the cake to the venue and setting it up properly.
Though meal kits like Chef’d are gaining traction among consumers seeking convenience, attempting to bake a fancy wedding cake may be a stretch for couples looking to save money. Handling a delicate wedding cake is far from convenient. Nevertheless, according to Chef’d’s website, the wedding cake kit sold out less than a week after its launch. Whether it will maintain its popularity remains to be seen.