The Size of the Wedding Cake

The size of the wedding cake is determined by how many guests you are serving.

If you have invited 100 guests, then either one of these two round wedding cakes would work (the bottom tier is a different size).

If you want a bigger cake and can afford to get a little extra cake (which you may need), then get the cake that serves 116 people.

If you need to save money and/or the size of the cake doesn't matter, then get the wedding cake that serves 95 people.

All bakeries serving charts vary some so use this information just as a guide for understanding different cake sizes.

Wedding Cake Cutting Guide

Here is the Wedding Cake Cutting Guide from the cake pan manufacturer Wilton Industries. It also shows the pans sizes for the different shapes of pans (i.e. 8", 10", 12", 14" and so on).

This guide shows how to cut popular shaped wedding tiers into pieces approximately 1 in. x 2 in. by two layers high (about 4 in.). Even if a larger serving size is desired, the order of cutting is still the same. The first step in cutting is to remove the top tier, and then begin the cutting with the 2nd tier followed by the 3rd, 4th and so on. The top tier is usually saved for the first anniversary, so it is not calculated into the serving amount.

I always tell brides not to worry about cutting the cake because that is what you are paying the reception site for!

Round Tiers:
Move in two inches from the tier's outer edge; cut a circle and then slice 1 in. pieces within the circle. Now move in another 2 in., cut another circle, slice 1 in. pieces and so on until the tier is completely cut. The center core of each tier and the small top tier can be cut into 3rds, 4ths, and 6ths, depending on size.

Square Tiers:

Move in 2 in. from the outer edge and cut across. Then slice 1 in. pieces of cake. Now move in another 2 in. and slice again until the entire tier is cut.

Heart Tiers:

Divide the tiers vertically into 1/2ths, 4ths, 6ths and 8ths. Within rows, slice 1 in. pieces of cake.

Hexagon Tiers:

Move in 2 in. from the outer edge and cut across. Then slice 1 in. pieces of cake. Now move in another 2 in. and slice again until the entire tier is cut.

Oval Tiers:
Move in 2 in. from the outer edge and cut across. Then slice 1 in. pieces of cake. Now move in another 2 in. and slice again until the entire tier is cut.

Bad Wedding Cake and Why

This is a bad 4-tier hexagon wedding cake.

Why? Look at the top tier. It is slanting to the right and the tiers don't line up. Hexagon cakes are tricky so make sure to look at pictures that your bakery has done of hexagon cakes before ordering one to make sure they know how to line them up correctly.

Also, the tiers are different heights and the 2nd from the bottom tier is slanting to the left and the bow on the top is badly made. This is not a good looking wedding cake.

Where to Buy your Wedding Cake

I can't believe that advice columns from popular wedding sites on the internet to well-know wedding magazines tell brides to save money on their wedding cake by buying their wedding cake from someone who works out of their home!

1. Almost every single wedding cake disaster story I have ever heard was from a wedding professional in the industry (i.e. photographer, florist, videographer) that I worked with that witnessed the disaster and said the cake was made by a friend or family member. There is a reason for that. Wedding cakes require a lot of internal "construction" to keep them standing up and not collapsing or falling. This requires training and working as a wedding cake decorator for many years. Get your wedding cake from a professional! This is not the place to try to save money in your wedding budget.

2. A true professional would never work out of their home. Bakeries are required to pass heath inspections from your local city's health department. Did you know that most foodborne illnesses are caused from food prepared from our own home? I have personally been to the homes of these wedding cake decorators who work out of their house and have seen their cat walking across the kitchen counter! Bakeries are required to send their employees to food safety classes and taught how to sanitize all of their kitchen equipment. This is how home based decorators can pass their "savings" (i.e. lack of proper food preparation training) on to you. Bakeries are prohibited from having pets in the building and there is a good reason for that! Trust me on this one when I say that a true professional wedding cake decorator would never work out of their home.

I hope this information helps you when trying to decide who to have make your wedding cake. If you are trying to save money on the wedding cake, I will give you some ideas on where to save money when chosing your wedding cake.

Always use a reputable, experienced bakery!

Why I started this Wedding Cake Tips Blog

Decorating Tips!

As a professional designer of wedding cakes, I have read a lot of columns from various wedding sites and magazines that give ideas and suggestions for your wedding cake that all say the same thing or give bad advice. I want this blog to give you some real advice on wedding cakes that will actually help you from a real weddding cake decorator! I hope you find the information on this blog useful.