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CostHelper.com > Weddings > Wedding Cake
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Wedding Cake Cost |
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How Much Does a Wedding Cake Cost? |
 | Low: $1.50 a slice |
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 | Medium: $5-$6 a slice |
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 | High: $10+ a slice |
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| The cost of a wedding cake varies by type of cake, the kind of baker and geographic region. | | |
| Typical costs: | - The average cost of a wedding cake is $543, according to The Bridal Association of America.
- For wedding cakes, most bakeries and pastry chefs charge by the slice. A low-end option would be a smaller tiered cake in chocolate or vanilla paired with a sheet cake for cutting for around $1.50 a slice.
- A mid-range two- or three-tiered cake in a standard flavor such as chocolate, vanilla, carrot cake or lemon poppy seed with buttercream icing and minimal fondant decorations can run $5 or $6 a slice.
- A high-end multi-tiered gourmet cake with flavored fillings, fondant icing and elaborate fondant, gum paste and sugar decorations can run $10 or more per slice.
Additional costs: | - Decorations make a big difference in the per-slice cost. Fresh flowers are one of the easiest and least expensive ways to decorate a cake.
- Fondant, which can cover a cake in a smooth, satiny shell, is one of the most expensive; it can add $1 or more per slice. Elaborate fondant decorations increase the price even more.
- Cheesecakes and cakes with nuts, dried fruits or special cream fillings can add $1 or more per slice.
- Most tiered wedding cakes must be delivered and assembled on site by the baker or a staff member to prevent a cake mishap, and delivery charges can be $50 to $100 or more, depending on distance and size of cake.
- Some caterers charge a cake-cutting fee when figuring the total cost of your wedding cake. Cake-cutting fees can run $1 or more per slice.
Discounts: | - Check to see whether your caterer can serve as your cake baker; big catering companies and hotels often employ an in-house pastry chef. By going this route, you could eliminate cake cutting and delivery fees. TheWeddingChannel.com offers tips for saving on a cake.
- If you want the look of a tall, tiered wedding cake without the price, ask your baker to put one tier of real cake, which you will cut into, on top of fake tiers made of Styrofoam and icing; then have a sheet cake waiting in the back to be cut.
- If you are on a strict budget, the Association for Wedding Professionals International suggests looking for a wedding cake baker who is fairly new to the business or attending a wedding show if you decide to sign a contract that day. The AWPI lists wedding shows by region.
Shopping for a wedding cake: | - Ask to see a portfolio, and ask for references. Weddings.About.com provides a list of questions to ask a prospective cake designer.
- Tip: Try to arrange cake tastings with several bakers before choosing one. Many bakers offer free tastings, but some charge a small fee.
- Tip: Start shopping around for a baker well in advance of your wedding date. Most bakers will do only a few weddings per week, so dates book up quickly.
- TheKnot.com offers a list of wedding cake bakers by city.
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Article updated March 2007 |
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What People Are Paying - Recent Comments |
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| Suckers |
| Amount: $0.00 for the cake |
| Posted by: Alexa in San Francisco, CA. | Posted: April 17th, 2009 06:04PM |
| Number of Slices: 60 | Cake Type: tier |
| Decorations: frosting |
| Luckily my mother makes wedding cakes that taste fabulous (fondant looks great, but tastes disgusting), so my wedding cake is free. I feel sorry for everyone who has to be reamed by the wedding industry. Everything else in our wedding is ridiculously expensive for very little frills. If I didn't have such a talented mother, I'd go the route that the smart people have and purchase round cakes and stack them myself. But for those who have money to burn, the wedding industry is more than willing to provide the fireplace. Cheers! |
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| careful creating your own cake |
| Amount: $0.00 for the cake |
| Posted by: suzy in new orleans, LA. | Posted: June 15th, 2009 08:06AM |
| Decorations: any |
| Please be careful stacking layer cakes you have purchased. Most standard layers will not stand up to the weight of another cake being set on top them. Tiered cakes take supports that are placed into the cakes.I have been involved in the wedding cake business for 20 years. |
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| special wedding cakes |
| Amount: $350.00 for the cake |
| Posted by: cakes by roberta in sullivans Island, SC. | Posted: June 20th, 2009 09:06AM |
| Decorations: any |
| As a baker, I feel it's important to be fair about the cost of a wedding cake. There are a lots of expenses that can go along with what you may want. (more details/flavors/size = more time = $'s) The important thing is to remember this is a one time deal and decide on what you want and have it made to your liking. Shop around for the right price and talent. A wedding cake can say something about you. It is very special on your day. |
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| Search for small bakeries/single pastry chef companies |
| Amount: $2.50 for the cake |
| Posted by: "The Topping" in Indianapolis, IN in Indianapolis, IN. | Posted: August 3rd, 2009 07:08AM |
| Number of Slices: any | Cake Type: any |
| Decorations: any |
| Just a note from a Cake Artist, make sure to REALLY search your local area for talented pastry chefs(or if you don't have time, that's what bridesmaids are for!) Generally, if you can find a smaller bakery or single out of house chef, they will take more time to make your special cake personal & unique and are often less expensive. Ask around, check out business cards posted at reception sites. But also note, more flavors, more details = more artistry= more $. Remember, you're buying a work of art! |
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| Wedding cake idea |
| Amount: $0.00 for the cake |
| Posted by: Ketrinna in san jose, CA. | Posted: August 27th, 2009 03:08PM |
| Hey my friend just got married and had about 100 guests. Instead of trying to get a cake that would feed all of them, she got a smaller cake that was beautiful and then got two sheet cakes in the same flavors. The wedding party got the actual cake while the guests were served the sheet. She saved quite a bit this way |
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| wedding cake |
| Amount: $0.00 for the cake |
| Posted by: ev in philly, PA. | Posted: September 3rd, 2009 08:09PM |
| Number of Slices: | Cake Type: choc, white with rasp filling, lemon |
| Decorations: flowers |
| my cousin just got married and i loved her idea. she got a small tiered cake thst looked gorgeous and could serve 1/3 of the guests then she got a cupcake stand and filled it with diff flavors for everyone else. she said it was less expensive than a big cake and it was very cute. |
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| Look outside of your venue city |
| Amount: $300.00 for the cake |
| Posted by: Ella in Chicago, IL. | Posted: September 18th, 2009 02:09PM |
| Number of Slices: 75 | Cake Type: 1 triple tier, 1 single |
| Decorations: fondant, custom figures |
Bakers in my home city were quoting $450-$525 for the cake design we chose, and just outside the city, a newer bakery did it for $300 and a $50 delivery/setup fee.
The triple tier was fashioned to look like a castle tower, and the bride figure was placed on the top tier.
The single layer was airbrushed to be the ground that the groom figure was placed on and set up next to the castle and connected with a plastic bridge covered in fondant and detailed to look like wood.
A beautiful picturesque fairy tale, and it was delicious! |
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| Cake gift for my sister from me! |
| Amount: $30.00 for the cake |
| Posted by: jessi in Oak Harbor, WA. | Posted: September 28th, 2009 11:09PM |
| Number of Slices: ??? | Cake Type: chocolate/white |
| Decorations: marshmallow fondant |
| As a gift for my sister on her wedding day I spent $25(plus $30 to buy a really cool stand to put it on...but thats for me) on 3 cake mixes, 2 bags marshmallows, 2 bags powdered sugar, eggs, oil, bag chocolate chips, heavy whipping cream, 5 bunches faux flowers, and a spool of ribbon. She provided the cake topper. What she ended up with was three cakes (6in, 8in, 10in) filled with homemade whipped chocolate ganache filling. Each cake round had 4 thin layers filled with ganache. The cake was decorated with homemade marshmallow fondant topped with faux flowers. It left me with a very happy very smiley big sister!!! |
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| If you have the patience... |
| Amount: $35.00 for the cake |
| Posted by: Miranda D in Edmonton, Other. | Posted: October 4th, 2009 11:10AM |
| Number of Slices: 32 | Cake Type: Chocolate double layer |
| Decorations: Fodant w/ fondant flowers and buttercrea |
| If you have the patience and the time, it\'s not so difficult to make one yourself. This was only my second attempt at a fondant cake, and it turned out wonderful! Cost was $35 and it looks like it\'s worth a lot more. Great way to impress your guests. |
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| wedding cupcakes |
| Amount: $0.00 for the cake |
| Posted by: Michele in santa rosa, CA. | Posted: November 18th, 2009 08:11AM |
| just a comment on wedding cake cupcakes, sorry Martha but this is the worst rendition of a traditional wedding cake to me. Please rethink the cupcake tower maybe for a childs birthday party but ladies this is your wedding day and if the cake is important to you skip the tacky cupcakes. |
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| A Fantastic one of a kind cake! |
| Amount: $600.00 for the cake |
| Posted by: Ramona in Denver, CO. | Posted: January 21st, 2010 08:01AM |
| Number of Slices: 125 | Cake Type: lemon berry torte and Bailey's Chocolate |
| Decorations: hand sculpted cake topper and flowers |
| I wanted people to go WOW when they saw my cake. The topper was important to me and my baker (Kelley Kakes) created something unique to us. She hand sculpted us and our dog and I just absolutely loved it! Along with that, she made gorgeous sugar flowers and tons of white chocolate pearls. My cake was the highlight of the evening and we were so excited to share it with our guests! It tasted amazing! I'm still dreaming about the layers of lemony goodness with fresh raspberries and blackberries. Kelley is making us an anniversary cake (included in her services) and I cannot wait to devour more yummy cake! Well worth every penny! |
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| three different flavors |
| Amount: $800.00 for the cake |
| Posted by: kim curths in traverse city, MI. | Posted: January 26th, 2010 04:01AM |
| Number of Slices: 175 | Cake Type: raspaberry, chocolate and almond |
| Decorations: gold peals and black satin ribbon |
| this cake is a five tier cake that my stepdaughter designed and it is made of three different flavors! The wedding is not until May 2010! |
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| Styrofoam tiers |
| Amount: $270.00 for the cake |
| Posted by: Nan at HolidayRentalCakes.com in Louisville, KY. | Posted: February 14th, 2010 04:02PM |
| Number of Slices: 6 tiers (6" to 16" diam.) | Cake Type: Faux fondant |
| Decorations: Ribbon, silk floral, topper |
| As the person above pointed out, purchasing a faux cake won't save you any money, because the cost is all in the decorating. The way to save money with faux cake is to rent it, and the smartest is to rent a fully faux cake. Why fully faux? Because fondant is fragile, susceptible to moisture, and hard to repair, even when it's put on Styrofoam. That's why traditional faux cake rental companies have steep security deposits and lengthy rental disclaimers. Fully faux is the way to go. |
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| No "faux" celebrations for me, thank you. |
| Amount: $0.00 for the cake |
| Posted by: Walter A. in Alexandria, VA. | Posted: February 28th, 2010 12:02AM |
| Number of Slices: 1 | Cake Type: lifetime |
| Decorations: 1 |
| I can't believe what I am reading about "faux" cakes. I have to throw the "Really!?" card in here. You people have missed the point entirely. Fake wedding cakes? The whole point of a wedding cake is to have one celebratory piece of food that all friends can enjoy together. What is next - a fake limo and fake tuxedos? How about a fake ceremony. Faux is the way to go only if the "idea" and novelty of a wedding are far more important than the Marriage itself. Have a real cake that you share together. That's the whole point and it symbolizes a real celebration and a real marriage! |
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| faux and fabulous |
| Amount: $170.00 for the cake |
| Posted by: SamanthaSweets in Athens, GA. | Posted: March 2nd, 2010 03:03PM |
| Number of Slices: 0 | Cake Type: styrofoam |
| Decorations: fondant, draping, roses, the works |
| I made my own faux cake AND served decorated cupcakes. We served 70 cupcakes in different flavors from a local bakery for $50. I provided the baker with tin cups for the cupcakes so they looked elegant.I borrowed multiple crystal cake stands from friends and family to display the cupcakes around the faux 3-tiered cake. The cake was used as a table decoration and we posed for photos with it. Decorating a fake cake is much easier than the real thing. I covered floral wreaths with royal icing then covered each 4 inch layer with fondant and stacked them. After the form I added fondant details. A decorating novice could even use fresh flowers to cover seams and save money on materials.The cake can also be finished months ahead so it\\\'s not another last minute stress. The other upside of this idea was the delicious flavor of freshly baked cupcakes. A beautifully decorated cake can take days to make sometimes and taste horrible due to too much fondant and stale cake. Not to mention, no cake cutting fee! |
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| Wedding cake |
| Amount: $50.00 for the cake |
| Posted by: Specialty Cakes in Modesto, CA. | Posted: March 4th, 2010 06:03PM |
| Number of Slices: 150 | Cake Type: homemade |
| Decorations: fondant and ganache |
| I made my own cake. It was butter cake with whipped chocolate butter cream. the sides were ivory fondant with a design pressed on the sides and the top was chocolate ganache. 3 tiers topped with bride an groom figures and brown and gold flowers. It was b eautiful and saved us a lot of money! |
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| wedding cake |
| Amount: $1,000.00 for the cake |
| Posted by: july in union, NJ. | Posted: March 19th, 2010 10:03AM |
| Number of Slices: 200 | Cake Type: 4 tier luxury cake |
| Decorations: sugar craft flowers |
| \"The service we received was fantastic and when we saw the cake on our Big Day it definitely had the big \'wow\' factor. We had so many compliments on how beautiful and unusual it was. The cake that dreamiedecors produced was exactly what we had in mind and matched our colours perfectly. The taste was simply divine and the best cake we have ever tasted! |
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| cupcakes are better |
| Amount: $50.00 for the cake |
| Posted by: Rumgirl in Rio Grande, NJ. | Posted: March 25th, 2010 03:03PM |
| Number of Slices: 60 cupcakes | Cake Type: cupcakes |
| Decorations: chocolate seashells |
| I went to a local supermarket and got half chocolate cupcakes with white icing and vanilla cupcakes with chocolate icing. I found cupcake papers in my color, aquamarine online for 18 bucks and purchased them and gave them to the baker. I also made my own chocolates which were 3 different colors swirled into small seashell molds which which also given to the bakery to add as decoration. I would never pay over $100. My cupcakes looked beautiful and professional and the cake tastes just like a gourmet shoppe that would charge triple. People do not know the difference. Flowers you can't go cheap on. Cake, you can! It's ok I wont tell!!! |
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| A smart Alternative to spending $$ for your cake |
| Amount: $125.00 for the cake |
| Posted by: Outdoor Florida Weddings in Brooksville, FL. | Posted: June 7th, 2010 05:06PM |
| Number of Slices: 108 | Cake Type: |
| Decorations: white fondant w/ribbon, beads, roses |
| A beautiful cake, 4 tier, smooth white fondant icing, teal crystal beads and roses cascading down the cake. Looks fab in all the pictures, including the bride & groom "cutting" the cake. It was a display cake! No one knew til we told them! A double layer sheet cake was waiting to be served to the wedding guest. As someone who is in the business of wedding planning and helping my clients have a perfect day without breaking the bank...it's a great idea! Rented cake with sheet cake to serve guest...Total $125.00! vs. $540.00. Remember...when serving alcohol...not many folks eat cake! |
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| wedding cake return |
| Amount: $500.00 for the cake |
| Posted by: Greg K. in Plano, TX. | Posted: June 22nd, 2010 03:06PM |
| Number of Slices: | Cake Type: triple tier |
| Can I receive my money back if I don't like cake but my guests ate it all? |
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| Do what makes you happy |
| Amount: $75.00 for the cake |
| Posted by: Crafty Baker in Quad Cities, IL. | Posted: June 27th, 2010 03:06AM |
| Number of Slices: 300 | Cake Type: Cupcakes |
| Decorations: Buttercream and homemade candies |
| cupcakes can look beautiful if they are displayed properly. If they aren't for you, but you can't afford a huge tiered cake, opt for a smaller one and have a sheet cake to cut for the guests. The display makes all the difference and taste is the most important thing anyway. Who wants a beautiful cake that no one wants to eat? |
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| Faux cake |
| Amount: $0.00 for the cake |
| Posted by: Rachel G. in Kansas City, MO. | Posted: July 17th, 2010 01:07PM |
| Number of Slices: 1 | Cake Type: Faux |
| Decorations: any |
| I understand the concept of it costs just as much to decorate a fake cake as it does a real one. I do know a gal, however, who went that route because she and her groom both disliked cake, so their dessert was something else entirely (like ice cream or something--don't remember). However, they wanted a traditional cake cutting, so the baker made them a fake cake with just one little section of real cake in there for them to cut and take bites of. Then they and the guests all had the other dessert. Worth it? Wouldn't be for me, but she was very happy with the whole thing. |
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| A few notes from baker |
| Amount: $0.00 for the cake |
| Posted by: MandaCakes! in Philadelphia, PA. | Posted: July 19th, 2010 11:07AM |
| Number of Slices: As many as you want! | Cake Type: delicious. made with real delicious |
| Decorations: fondant and gum paste |
| You can get specialty cupcake papers and decorations that are very elegant! Cupcakes can be a great way to cut costs and they're fun and nostalgic! I say go for it, if that's your thing! And as for sheet cakes: some people just don't want a HUGE cake. A small cake and sheet cakes can be just as tasty and have just as much impact! Or for brides that don't have a big enough guest list, a faux layer can create the illusion of a monster cake without being wasteful. There's a time and place for all the alternative methods mentioned here. If you want to make your own, then dive in! Do it! Have fun! It's your day, ladies (and gents) do what makes you happy. And for the love of Pete, don't start your marriage in debt because you needed a $4000 cake to impress someone else! As a soon-to-be bride myself I've been contemplating my own cake. I can tell you that as a baker, knowing all the possibilities does not make the process easier! Good luck! |
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| cupcakes |
| Amount: $0.00 for the cake |
| Posted by: Connie Arnold, Wedding Coordinator in Decatur, TX. | Posted: August 9th, 2010 11:08PM |
| Number of Slices: as needed | Cake Type: any |
| Decorations: any |
| Cupcakes look nice with the swirled icing all fancy on them, but when the icing doesn't cover the whole cupcake and actually touch the cupcake paper, the cupcake is dried out. I was never so disappointed as when I had a cupcake off of a cute cupcake tower, and what a dud, all dried out. Don't kid yourself that it doesn't matter. |
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| Find a young upcoming baker/cake decorator |
| Amount: $0.00 for the cake |
| Posted by: made with love cakes in Garden Grove, CA. | Posted: November 7th, 2010 09:11PM |
| Number of Slices: as needed | Cake Type: anything |
| Decorations: anything |
| Ok. Just go find a young and upcoming cake artist. I am young but have done multiple cakes for different occasions. I can do many different types of decorations and flavors. I can almost guarantee that if you look hard enough you will find a good quality decorator for cheap that will do a great job. Just look at their work before you hire them and make sure that they are organized. |
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| Wedding Cakes |
| Amount: $0.00 for the cake |
| Posted by: a user in Royal Oak, MI. | Posted: January 4th, 2011 12:01PM |
| Just commenting on how some of the comments are just rude. Not everyone have a unlimited amount to spend on a wedding especially a cake that all guest may not be interested in eating. Yes, I probably wouldn't do a fake cake, but if that's what the bride want and serve cupcakes in it's replacement so be it. The wedding is a celebration of the union of two people, not how can I impress everyone with what I'm serving to them for free. If some people feel that a marriage will only last if you have a extravagant wedding, then you are missing the point of marriage/union of two people all together. |
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| great idea |
| Amount: $0.00 for the cake |
| Posted by: saved in pittsburgh, PA. | Posted: June 28th, 2011 08:06PM |
| Number of Slices: | Cake Type: buttercream |
| Decorations: lollipop flowers |
| my cousins weddding was very nice...to save on money they used small 12 inch cakes as center pieces and every table had there own cake they used the long stick lollipop flower suckers for decorations on the green iceing looked great for their spring wedding and everyone had as much cake at their table as they wanted,,, |
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| Made my own cake |
| Amount: $0.00 for the cake |
| Posted by: LNH in Macon, GA. | Posted: October 26th, 2011 06:10PM |
| Number of Slices: 300 | Cake Type: |
| Decorations: fondant and buttercream |
| I made my own wedding cake using boxed cake mixes and butter cream icing. It was 4 round tiers, each a different layer. I used yellow cake mix to make a sourcream pound cake for the bottom layer, strawberry for the second layer, and green food coloring for the third (my wedding colors were pink and green). The top layer was funfetti, but no one knew since we kept it for us :) I iced it with butter cream and added swirls and polka dots on alternating tiers. I bordered each tier with a string of fondant pearls that I made by rolling balls of fondant in shimmer dust. It turned out wonderful and inexpensive! |
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| Cake decorator |
| Amount: $0.00 for the cake |
| Posted by: Cpotts in Palm Beach, FL. | Posted: November 5th, 2011 06:11PM |
| Number of Slices: 40 | Cake Type: |
| Decorations: None |
| At my wedding I bought cream puffs, why? I\'m a cake decorator, and at the time I couldn\'t afford more, and I didn\'t want the stress of doing it myself. Im about to open my own shop and I stumbled on this site doing research on how I should price my cakes. I\'m commenting because it really burns me that people feel like bakers are purposely trying to skrew brides. The avarage bakery owner makes less than 30,000 a year, which is less than most couples ordering from them make. We work 50-70(during peek seasons) all on our feet, we lift heavy bags of ingredients ( sometimes over 100 lbs) and have to be extreemly efficient, precise, and artistic. We can\'t call in sick on your wedding day. We always work weekends and holidays. Creating wedding cakes is an art form, and it\'s really hard work for the decorator, in addition to the baker, dishwasher, delivery driver, and cashier, if your bakery is lucky enough to have all those people. Just a little perspective. |
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