Have your wedding cake and eat it too
When we talk about saving for our wedding, it sounds like we’re putting a little money aside each week. I only wish it were that easy – that we’d plan a wedding 12 months in advance and then rock up in February and pay it all off with a Kate-Spade Wedding holdall full of cash!
In reality, to plan a wedding you need bookings well in advance, and to book those wedding vendors, you need to make a deposit, often up to 50% - immediately. In the past 8 months we’ve had to come up with the venue fee, photographers’ deposit, bridal party attire including the wedding dress, and so much more.
However, there are also a lot of ways to save when it comes to a wedding, not least of all, in the Wedding Cake (so you can have your cake and eat it too)!
- Due to the structure and strength required in a tiered wedding cake, there’s a huge difference between the costs of a 2-tier and 3-tier cake. If you have a large guest list though, you can order a 2-tier cake (to display) and an extra 1-tier cake to be cut and served.
- If you really want the effect of a larger cake, you can ask for a foam layer to be added: while it will still add a little cost to be decorated, it’s less expensive than adding another tier of real cake.
- Cut down on labour to cut costs, which means real flowers instead of sugar-flowers; buttercream instead of fondant, and a bought cake-topper rather than a custom-designed one (all of which will take your baker less time).
- While it’s tradition to keep the top tier for your first anniversary, it’s really not necessary to follow every wedding tradition if it doesn’t speak to you personally – so save money instead of saving a tier.
- Ensure your wedding venue doesn’t charge a cake-cutting fee, as this will soon add up for a lot of guests.
- A delicious cake will do double-duty as dessert too, served with fresh seasonal fruit and cream, so you don’t need to have the venue cater a fancy dessert as well.
- However, not everyone will want dessert (many will be dancing, or continuing with alcohol instead of eating, so you’re safe to cater wedding cake for only 80-90% of guests.
- Keep the flavours simple: rich chocolate cakes which require lots of good quality dark cooking chocolate will increase the cost of your wedding cake, so opt for cheaper ingredients like French vanilla or carrot cake, both equally delicious!
- Order a naked cake. Not only is the naked wedding cake super trendy, it’s also very practical in cutting down on costs, as you’ll save on frosting.
- Discuss your budget and your priorities with your bakers – I chose to have my cake baked by PaulaJane Cakes and they couldn’t have been easier or lovelier to deal with.
When it comes to making savings in other areas, I do have another way to help too. It was only after deciding to pay for my wedding shoes on Gem Visa and pay them off over 6 months (paying off the balance during the interest free period)* that I realised how many other wedding-day essentials would be so much easier to afford if we could put them on Gem Visa.
We shop smarter by putting all our wedding purchases over $250 onto Gem Visa, getting 6 months interest free on all Gem Visa purchases anywhere, anytime*.
For us, that’s at least the following: -50% of the Wedding Venue fee -70% of the Photographers’ fee -70% of the Catering fee -Musician and DJ -Bridesmaids’ attire -Groom and Groomsmen’s attire -Wedding Cake -Flowers -All the alcohol (TGI-BYO)!
If you have expenses over $250 coming up, whether for a wedding, Christmas presents, or new homewares, it’s worth putting them on a Gem Visa – for which you can apply here.
To get you started, I’m giving away a $250 Westfield voucher to one lucky winner** – whether it’s bridal shoes or a three tier chocolate gateau, you can have your cake and eat it too with Gem Visa!
Written by She Said Yes
*Credit and Lending criteria, $55 establishment fee and $52 annual account fee apply. Prevailing interest rate (currently 25.45% p.a.) applies to any balance outstanding after 6 month interest free period. Longer term interest free offers are also available at participating retailers throughout New Zealand, such offers may vary. Gem Visa is provided by Latitude Financial Services Limited