Do you charge for the top tier on a wedding cake...

To answer the header of your post, absolutely! Just because try will save it for a year doesn't mean thy he it free!

Personally, I always recommend the couple come back in a year for a replica. There's no way year old frozen cake will be good. If they really want to keep some for tradition, save 2 slices.

That is strictly your choice.  Some people offer the top tier as complimentary.  Or they offer a complimentary one year anniversary 6-inch cake.  However, if I make it, I charge for it.  What the bride and groom do with it after the fact is up to them.  On my wedding contracts, I list the top tier and servings as part of the servings requested and received.  

Also, you probably need to contact them to see what they want.  If they want that top tier for themselves, then I would bake 12, 8 and 6-inch squares.  That would give them 104 servings, not counting the top tier.  However the couple would have to pay me for the 122 servings they will receive.  

 

You are selling yourself short if you do not charge according to what they receive. 

too many.  You could do a 10x8x6 for 100 servings, plus an additional anniversary tier already boxed up.  Or, a 12" (72) x 9" (40) for 112 guests, plus 6" (18) for B&G's anniversary for 130 total servings.  Charge regular per serving price for all servings.

In terms of the top tier part, none of my couples have wanted to save it for a year. Most of them are younger and weren't even aware of the tradition. My mom (who is also my business partner) told one of our couples that for her first wedding (back in the 70's) she saved her top tier for a year and it was aweful! My sister and brother in law saved their top tier (mom and I made it) for a month and they said it was just as good as at the wedding. I always ask my couples and explain the option of getting a 4 or 6 in replica on their one year anniversary but either way they pay for it. 

No top tier for free, no anniversary anything either.

But I think a year old cake in deep freeze would still taste good.

i offer a free anniversary cake with all my wedding cakes. it is made seperate from the wedding cake (that way they can use their top tier towards servings)  and placed in the freezer at their reception venue when i arrive to set up the wedding cake. Its just a little 6 inch 2 layer cake and in order for it to be free it has to be one of the flavors they chose for their wedding/grooms cakes bc since its free i'm not going to make a seperate batch of cake batter just for that. i think its a nice perk that they really appreciate and a few cups of extra batter isn;t going to break me :) wrapped properly and kept frozen, it'll be just as good in a year :)

Absolutely!

Absolutely agree that when "properly wrapped" it will still be good after a year.  My neice in law just recently told me they had eaten their top tier from their wedding a year ago.  I had them freeze the cake and then wrap it tightly in two layers of wrap and put it in a gallon ice cream container to help protect it from bumps.  She said it was just as good as on their wedding day.

My Grandma kept my Mom's wedding cake for years.  Through multiple moves, etc.  And it was probably a 12 inch square.  They brought it out for their 25th anniversary!  A few of the blue flowers had fallen off as well as some of the piping.  But it was as hard as styrofoam!  I love the pics of mom with a pretty knife poised to cut the tiered cake I made for the anniversary and dad with an ax pretending to cut the 25  year old wedding cake.  For years after I moved away from home for any birthday party held at my Grandma's she would save me a big piece of cake in a cool whip container.  She always saved me a piece with lots of flowers on it.  Then the next visit back she would have it thawed in the fridge.  One of the first things I would always do was start eating that still yummy cake.  It was never more than a year old cause I visited regularly but still yummy.  What a great Grandma!

As everyone said, completely your choice. We offer the free anniversary cake (6 inch round) during the month of their one year anniversary. We just ask that they call and give us a few days notice when they are ready for it. Once we get to where we are doing a lot more wedding cakes, we may not be able to keep that up, but for now it works for us and they love it. It seems to set us apart, and every time I tell them about it at the consult, they are really impressed. 

 

I should mention that we have a storefront, so making a little 6 inch round while making the cupcakes for the case is no big deal. :) 

 

But ultimately, it's whatever works best for you!