Renting Your Wedding Cake
Getting the Cake of Your Dreams on a Budget That Works For You
Jul 25, 2008
Wedding cake rental is a relatively new trend that has taken brides and grooms by storm. With wedding cake prices ranging from $2 to upward of $10 per slice, it's easy to see why renting a cake would be a viable option. But how does it all work and can it really be pulled off?
Why Rent A Wedding Cake?
Renting a wedding cake sounds like it would be an absolutely ridiculous idea. But to the contrary, it's actually a viable option for many brides and grooms. Wedding cakes are often elaborate, labor-intensive pieces of art. They easily take center stage at a wedding reception, with many people oohing and aahing over its perfection. But that admiration comes with a hefty bill. Renting a cake can provide you with a beautiful, elaborate, artful wedding cake without the sticker shock.
How Renting A Wedding Cake Works
The rental process is relatively easy. One of the most well known companies in wedding cake rental is Fun Cakes Rental. Featured on The Today Show, Rachel Ray, and in various news media across the world, their innovative business has saved brides and grooms thousands of dollars since inception.
You simply choose one of their many pre-designed wedding cakes or begin the design process for your own custom cake. You send an email with the name of the design, the date of the wedding and the contact information. After confirmation, the bride and groom submit a $50.00 deposit. Then, four weeks prior to the wedding, they'll confirm the order and the final safety deposit is paid in addition to the balance for the cost of the cake. The safety deposit is refunded when the cake has made it safely back to the shop, and even the shipping materials are provided for you. Want to keep the cake? Not a problem, either. Simply let the business know you'll be keeping it, and it's yours to keep for what you paid, including the safety deposits.
Cutting The Cake
Because the rental cakes are styrofoam tiers covered in real icing, fondant, and other cake decoration, many people wonder how they will serve their wedding guests. The bottom layer of the rental cake has a hidden compartment in the back of the cake. In that space, the bride and groom place a piece of cake from a local bakery. Then they have real cake to taste and to cut. After the cake has been cut, the cake is moved to the back of the reception space, and the waitstaff will serve sheet cake to the guests instead. Unless someone lets the secret out, no one will ever know.
How Renting A Cake Saves Money
Depending on geographic location, wedding cake slices can range from $2 per slice on up, sometimes surpassing $10 per slice. Additionally, some reception venues charge a cake cutting cost if the bride and groom use an outside vendor, or a vendor who is not on the venue's preferred list. Those cake cutting fees can range from $.50 per person to $5 per person. On top of that, the cost of the cake with the caterer also comes with tacked on taxes and service fees, which start at 15% of the total.
Renting a pre-designed cake from Fun Cakes, for instance, is $150 plus shipping. A custom designed cake, will cost $250 plus shipping. In addition to the rental fees, the bride and groom are responsible for the sheet cake to serve the guests, which usually costs between $.50 - $2.00 per slice. Also, they pay for the cost of one slice of cake for the hidden cake compartment. By serving the sheetcake in lieu of a fancy, tiered wedding cake, the bride and groom can save at least $1.50 per guest. Additionally, the couple is not responsible for any taxes on the wedding cake, and they can avoid the cake cutting fees and service charges by using sheet cake provided by the caterer.
Renting a wedding cake is a cost-effective, smart solution for brides and grooms who want an elaborate, detailed, high-end wedding cake design without the high-end price tag. While it may not be an ideal solution for couples who aren't using a specialty bakery, it's an option that can mean displaying a dream cake on every budget.
Not big on cake? Check out some of the best wedding cake alternatives.
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