A

But it only costs $20 to make! Just imagine traveling with it, those tooth picks aren't going to do much! I just saw that it says to use 11, 8 and 4.5 inch pans, that seems like odd pans to use together

what keeps your guests from getting a toothpick in the soft palate?

What keeps the layers from sinking?

what keeps your friends from laughing at you when you seriously present that as a legitimate cake?

what i love the most is that these sites aren't really trying to save money, they are setting unrealistic expectations and creating this idea that there really isn't anything good that a professional offers. There is more than one way to provide a high quality wedding experience at an affordable price. I think it starts with setting realistic expectations and prioritizing your wants and needs, not by busting out toothpicks and cake mix.

harumph!

"edited to add" did anyone else notice that the $20 doesn't include the cost of the pans???

I feel bad for the poor bride that will be going bonkers the night before her wedding because she's making her own (terrible) cake.

AElla, I agree with every single word you just said.

What I really don't get is the blind brides. There were seriously comments from people who saw the photos!!!

I really wish someone would offer some legitimate options for brides on a tight budget.

1. Cut your guest count 2. Go with something that really is simple but beautiful (Swiss dots, simple scrolls, just plain). 3. Choose a candy bar & no cake 4. Hire a culinary student, but be sure to view many examples of their work so you know what to expect

AAlso, I think I'm going to start writing these bride magazines & try to educate them on the reality.

1 dummy cakes don't save much unless you are renting the whole cake. In that case, you have to pick something they already have. It won't be custom made for you. 2 cupcakes are often more expensive 3 I you serve a regular ole sheet cake, people will know. It looks different than a 4 layer cake 4 before you agree to an unknown baker or culinary student or grocery store, view cake wrecks to see what can happen.

ANow, now, ladies...the monkey-iced cake isn't something that we'd do, but the people who do this kind of thing aren't our customers anyway. Honestly, you can easily stack three cake layers ( and those are layers, not tiers) and ice them all and they're not going to shift or sink. There's no law that says a wedding cake HAS to be torted and stacked, or that you even have to have a cake. I did a dessert buffet for my wedding (yes I was a DIY bride) and amazingly it didn't curse our marriage. If you're having a small wedding and that little cake with the rosemary on it is fine for your needs then have at it.

She definitely didn't need those toothpicks, though, that's just dangerous.

If you're bitter about losing the business of the DIY crowd, figure out a way to get it. I sell gumpaste flowers and decorating supplies in my Etsy shop, and I do a good business selling to DIY brides who want to put a flower on their little cakes. The DIY bride will never hire us to do a cake, but they might hire us for something else. I've actually considered running a class on how to put a cake together...it would either teach people that it isn't as easy as it looks and they'll end up hiring a pro, or it would get me paid from someone who wouldn't have hired me otherwise.

I agree - wedding DIY'ers are usually that way out of necessity - not as an outlet for all their creative energy.  They may have a $1000 or less total wedding budget, and as costumeczar stated, they weren't going to be calling a pro anyway.

I did happen to make a rosemary lemon cake last weekend, and it was pretty good!  I did not however lay fresh springs of it all over the finished cake. :)

Liz
 

A

Exactly! I'm not bitter about it. I understand it. I preach all the time to know your client.

I still get aggravated by magazines & blogs that give poor advice & bad information.

A

They suck...there are about ten pieces of bad cake advice that they just regurgitate over and over, but that will never change while they have space to fill so that they can sell wedding dress ads.

ASo true & so sad.

great points everyone!! And love Kara's ideas about helping the DIY bride make her day special, even if we don't do her actual cake!

AI think it's a matter of realizing what's important and putting your money into that. For some people the monkey-iced cake is as good as one from a professional because it's not a priority. They might have had amazing photography, or an amazing caterer because that was more important to them. These threads usually devolve into people just complaining that there are people who don't hire a pro for their cake, but not everyone gives a rat's patootie about a cake.

Personally, I made sure to pay for a humorous Elvis impersonator/drunk Elvis parody act and an open bar. Our friends were grad students and musicians, so the booze and entertainment were what we were thinking about:)