WHen I click on the link on page one of this thread, the video is a commercial at first, but then the bridal one comes on ... the comments link pops up under the video at that time....here's the cut-n-paste and I used some of the points raised in this thread (I was a little passionate!)
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Debi
updated Mon July 7, 2008
I've been making wedding cakes for 25 years and I get angrier and angrier every time I see a magazine, "news" story or other media lie to these brides about how styrofoam cakes are practically free! On my FAQ page on my website, I flat out tell brides that they are being lied to by the media on this topic and fake cakes plus sheets will cost them more money! Same with centerpiece cakes ... smaller cakes are not smaller in price! They are more work! Do you people ever talk to someone who actually MAKES wedding cakes before you put out this propaganda? And I don't mean the big name guys in New York who have outrageous prices to start with because they spend 100's of hours on a cake design, but the average cake creator who can create a wedding cake in about 10-20 hours? Call me ... I'll be GLAD to educate you on what REALLY is involved!

omg debi! that is an awesome comment! you let them have it! my computer is just not showing the video anymore...no more loading...thank you for doing that for me

LOL... I just watched the video and I love how the lady from the Knot is explaining the kitchen cakes, saying the guests will never know the difference. THAT must be a magical cake.. we're all eating it, but it's still whole! Even if they remove the dummy before serving the cakes, no one will notice the differnce between the elaborately decorated wedding cake they just saw and the plain white cake on their plate???? PUH-LEAZE!!! Gimmie a break!!!

I'm a little confused on this. If the top layer is real, how does that cake get cut without spilling crumbs/frosting onto the fake layers below? Isn't that fake cake going to look like crap after a few weddings? Also, don't the bride and groom cut from the bottom layer of a real cake? Wouldn't it look weird reaching up to the top to cut? Many couples keep that as their "save" cake (which is a whole other topic--I think it's far from a treat to eat year old cake, even though I did it myself before I was a decorator).

I guess there's nothing wrong with the fake cake, as long as you're willing to use a premade, used cake and understand that the kitchen cakes will not match. It would definitely be a money saver, but it all depends upon whether the presentation is worth it or not to you. CNN seemed to ignore that. Some care about it, others don't. I've had plenty of brides come in and order a real cake, not really caring too much about what it looked like, only what it costs. I'm making a cake tomorrow for a bride and groom who flat out do not like cake (horrors!!!!), but they were very into what kind of cake they ordered.

I have actually been thinking about this. Sorry, guys! But as stated before, they would have to take what I have on hand. Unless, they wanted to pay the expense of me doing a new one just for them.

Many of the brides I have talked with want their own cake designed just for them.

Those cakes on that "fake cake" website are beautiful but I would have to have HUGE place to show/store them. I was thinking maybe about 4 different designs. However, out of all the consults I have had, only about 2 or 3 brides ask about fake cakes.

If a bride asks about a fake cake, I tell them my prices for fake are 80% of what a real cake would be....and I explain why. Then, because I don't make one layer sheet cakes for weddings because people DO KNOW they are sheet cakes if they are one layer, my prices are the same as a wedding cake so they are actually going to spend MORE if they have a fake cake and kitchen cakes.

To save money, brides should read the bridal magazines at the grocery store and "knot" buy them.

It's the same myth/misconception that you are going to save so much money getting cupcakes instead...when well done cupcakes take just as much time/money as well.

If they really want to save money, start offering "elegant cake balls" from the scraps of other lucky bride's REAL cakes.

Let's see CNN jump on a trend like that!

"This is CNN reporting on the newest way to save money on your wedding cake! CAKE BALLS! Made from only the finest scraps from REAL Wedding cakes! Surpise your guest and save money at the same time! Cake balls (chopped, mixed, molded, and dipped pieces of authentic "Leftover" wedding cakes) are ALL the rage! WHy spend money on your own cake when you can have someone's leftovers!"

Good one Cakemom777

There are REAL ways to save money fr the whole wedding thing. This clip just seemed so weird.

I had one bride whose centerpieces were hydrangeas that were live in soil in these tall metal tins. They had a bow around them and a note hanging saying that after the reception they would be used to landscape the bride and grooms lawn! I thought that was brilliant, save a piece of your wedding forever (or at least until you move).

Another one didn't get flower bouquets for her brides maids and saved almost $1000. She had a beautiful one, just didn't have each of them carrying it too.

Another felt it was totally necessary to have an open bar, but couldn't swing it the whole time, so the venue let her have it open bar for the first hour and then cash bar the rest of the time - she saved a lot of $$.

On Rachel Ray they had the lady from the KNot..com on and she was talking about the fake cakes. She said, "the real deal was $5000 and the fake cak was only $250. what a deal" I don;t charge the same for fake and real, but HELLOOOO, not that big of a difference. People should talk o the proffesionals before they put ideas in brides' head.
there are companies that rent cakes, but you can;t customize, it is what they have.

What?!? I can't imagine ANY high end baker who can charge $5K for a cake allow the same amount of decorating work go into a fake cake for $250!

Sylvia Weinstock's and Ron Ben Israel's cakes are usually covered in GP flowers that take hours of labor--no WAY that would go out the door for $250 just because there's not real cake underneath. Or how bout Colette or Margaret B, with all their ornate painting and intricate details?? I'd have wanted to CALL IN and ask that lady where, exactly, she got those numbers!

I'm just glad I don't have brides ask me for this setup much (not at all yet this year), and I have no problem telling them that, for the $30 bucks or so that it will save them, they might want to spring for a 'real' wedding cake and consider cutting corners somewhere else...Like, how about invite 10 fewer guests? BWHAHA

I may try to find that link to the "leave a comment" on the video...

I had to smile last night when I read in Real Simple magazine's Weddings edition under questions to ask your cake maker that they had said that fake cakes with kitchen cakes can be MORE money than just getting a wedding cake. It went on to describe just what we have been stating about the amount of work being the same on a fake or real cake. It did say that getting smaller ornate cake with kitchen cakes can save a little money (which is true), but it flat out said that getting an original fake cake (not one that has been rented out a bunch-o-times) and kitchen cakes was not the way to go. I was shocked and it made me grin from ear to ear.

So there is hope.

People just irk me! I do think the only cake I would charge less for would be a topsy turvy "fake" cake. Having made one in the past I think i would opt for a fake one any day & then w/ sheet cakes you wouldn't have to worry about the "off" sized servings & figuring it up to price.

the comments are up now regarding this clip yay!

oh I love it! There are even a couple of guys that are DJ's that have told this report what it's all about! I think that there is some GREAT information in these comments!

Haha!! Where can I see the comments? Does someone have a link? TIA

the link that they provided at the beginning shows the video...and then underneath that to the right It says "Sound off with your Comments" they will appear in a little box next to the video

Now under the comments section it is saynig "This video is no longer available for comments, though you may read comments that were posted previously."

Thanks, but it won't load. I'll try again later.

still laughing about the elegant cake balls left over from a bride who bough the real cake.....tooo funny~!!!!!!



melody

You don't seriously think that if one person gets served the nicely torted cake from the teeny real cake, and the person next to them happens to get sheet cake.. that they won't notice the difference?

Good grief.

Count me in among those who don't do single (or even double!) layer sheet cakes. I think it's tacky as all hell to have a "premium" cake and a plain old sheet cake served alongside each other as the same thing.

The fillings make the cake. If I was to get the choice between a piece of torted chocolate cake filled with alternating layers of chocolate mousse and chocolate ganache and then had a piece of that same chocolate cake with just buttercream.. yeah no contest.. give me the first option thank you.

If I do kitchen cakes they match the wedding cake inside and out as far as the finish. They don't have to be decorated like teh main cake, but if you have a fondant cake they will have fondant too. I don't mind doing a double layer rectangular cake that is torted and filled to match the wedding cake, but my kitchen cakes are usually squares.

If someone wants to spend all the time involved decorating a fake cake and only charge 1/4 of what their time is worth.. I guess that's up to them, but my time is worth something to me.