desserts or cupcakes instead of cake? regrets?

Question

does anyone regret not having a traditional wedding cake?
the reception dinner is already going to have a dessert and i have found little deserts that look delicious but i dont want to look at pictures in 5 years and regret not having a cake.
i also see that cupcakes are making their way into the weddng scene as a replacement cake.
did you have cupcakes or other desserts instead of a cake?

Answer 1

You can always do a small cake and then put cupcakes around it and have it as a beautiful piece. Cut your cake, do your pics and then have someone take the cake to the back discreetly and let the cupcakes get their shine.



Cutting the cake does have a lot of meaning. You're supposed to freeze your cake and then eat it a year later on your anniversary. You also give pieces of it away to family members. It is very symbolic but if cake doesn't mean a lot to you then doing a small cake with lots of cupcakes around it can be a good compromise. you can do a one tier that looks really elegant and if you prop the cake above the cupcakes it could look very cool.



go with your gut....cause on your wedding day isn't it your tummy that's gonna be having the most love anyway? well besides hubby of course!

Answer 2

I love a traditional wedding cake: one big cake with two or more tiers, something for the bride and groom to cut. Its a tradition I happen to enjoy.



Cupcakes to me, arent as impressive as the wedding cake. Cute, yes. But not impressive. If cupcakes are used as a way to avoid the cost of the wedding cake, it rarely happens. Cupcakes are labor intensive, they can cost just as much or more. If budget is a factor, I rather have some pies or eclairs available for guests to have.



If I were you, I would get a small but beautiful wedding cake, do the cake cutting. And then you have the little desserts plus a few pieces of cake for the guests to choose from. Thats plenty, and you wont have any regrets.

Answer 3

I agree with Planner. There is symbolism in the cake cutting that is being overlooked nowadays. Cutting the cake is the first act the new couple performs together and symbolizes the beginning of the thier new life together. When couples cut the cake in a serious manner, as opposed to smearing each other's faces with cake, it is so sweet to see. You'd miss that if you had cupcakes.



Also, you said that "cupcakes are making their way into the weddng scene as a replacement cake." Cupcakes subbing as the cake have been around for a while now--it really isn't anything new.



Here's some info about the symbolism of cutting the cake: http://www.thecakefactory.net/articles/cutting-wedding-cake

http://www.hudsonvalleyweddings.com/guide/cakehistory.htm

http://weddingcakecreations.com/cutting-the-wedding-cake.html

Answer 4

what my parents did.. since they got married feb 12, they actually had left over cake from the holidays and was really cheap and had a fake cake to show beforehand and once it was cut up no one knew the difference and they saved so much, most places can allow you to rent a fake cake thats elaborately decorated for that reason



and another option it to get a a tiered tray of cupcakes, and have the top tier an actual cake for the traditional couples cut, and its just as easy, plus its also traditional to keep the top tier for the 1st wedding anniversary



this is a couple options to help save some money but still have the fancy cake at the same time :)

Answer 5

Cupcakes are very trendy - very right now. I don't think anyone had them 5 years ago or long enough ago yet to regret it. KWIM? So it's hard to say whether you will regret it. I can say that everyone will be looking for a cake and I can also say that if you do some research and try different places out you can get a good cake. I believe that the days of dry, tasteless cakes are long gone. But at the end of the day....it's just a cake...just one more detail in a great big detailed filled day and if your only regret is the cake, you've done okay.

Answer 6

One downfall to cupcakes is that they are more time consuming to bake and decorate whether you do them all yourself and possibly more expensive, for this reason, if you pay a baker to do it.



I personally love cake! I had a family friend do my cake and it was wonderful. She knows how to make a delicious moist cake and decorated it so gorgeously. She was cheaper than a bakery.



Other dessert options I've seen in place of a groom's cake are 5-6 different types of fruit and cream pies, and also cheesecake. The cheesecake was very messy to slice and serve though. But each of these brides also had a wedding cake with these desserts as well.

Answer 7

We did cupcakes instead of cake. It was the best. No regrets. We didn't even do a cake cutting. Because it's boring and a waste of time. But, on the other hand, neither my husband or I buy into most of the busywork associated with weddings. I mean, it's cake. You eat it. It doesn't really matter what form it's in. I didn't have the energy or inclination to get all wrapped up in wedding traditions. Mostly because I don't care.



Don't sacrifice what you know you want now because of something you MIGHT regret in 20 years. Don't be scared to follow your instincts and trust that you know what you like.

Answer 8

the point of the wedding cake is not really so much for a desert as it is a focal point in the reception celebration...the cutting of the cake, etc.



traditionally, to give each guest a piece of your wedding cake is supposed to be an act of drawing them into the sweet joy of your wedding experience. this can still be accomplished by giving them a cupcake or mini-cake, but you will loose the fun of the cake cutting, which has a serious piece of symbolism attached to it.



the cutting of and sharing a piece of the wedding cake which the bride and groom do during the reception is supposed to represent their willingness to care for one another and provide for one another's needs. it is actually a serious tradition and should not be done with the smashing of the cake in each other's faces as some do.



what you should really think about is not so much the wedding photos, because the cupcakes or desserts can be assembled by clever caterers to make a beautiful presentation, even in the shape of a wedding cake set up on tiered dessert plates...but rather if you want to forgo the traditions.

Answer 9

We had a small 2 tiered wedding cake (so we could do the cake cutting) and cupcakes as the main desert. I lvoed it and knowing what I know now, I'd never do anything else. I loved the ability to offer so many different flavors, plus the portability of them, plus how well they were recieved by our guests.

Answer 10

Personally, if I didn't do the traditional cake, I would do cupcakes. In my side of the family, it's almost expected to have cake at the end of the party. That's always the part that the guests anticipate. :)

Answer 11

if you like the cupcake look...you can box them indiviually and give them as favors. they also have huge cupcake cake molds that you can use as the cake you cute into for the pictures.



that is what we are doing for our wedding. i dont really like cake...and the only cake my fiance likes is icecream cake. so we are putting cupcakes on a three tiered display stand and the top will be the huge cupcake cake. that way if people dont want to eat it (cuz alot of the time people leave the cake at the table and dont acutally get a chance to eat their peice) they can take it home with them.



efavormart.com sells clear boxes that they will fit in and you can decorate them with ribbon in your colors.

Answer 12

We didn't have a traditional cake, and don't regret it at all!

We had a variety of cheesecakes and other dainties for the guests.

Answer 13

We had a cheesecake tower, where each layer was a different kind of cheesecake, and people loved it! I think we had plain at the bottom (and the server had blueberries and strawberries to put on it if people wanted) and I know the next layer was chocolate. Then we had a couple more and at the top was lemon. I wish we'd had more lemon, because people loved it and it was the smallest layer!



And we had a cake topper on the lemon layer.

Answer 14

ug, wedding cake is the worst. maybe because they have to make the batter in huge batches or something. I've been to over 20 weddings and the cake is always dry and tasteless. I even went to a wedding that had to cost mid 5 figures, a ridiculous 6 course meal, and the cake was meh. I had apple crisp and all our guests raved about it. they were probably so glad we did something unique. it's the photos of your guests and the wedding party that count, not photos of some dumb cake that you eat and then it's gone.

Answer 15

Go with your gut instincts. Whatever it tells you to do...do it. So you won't have later regrets. Good Luck