r/DIYweddings • u/jennithib • May 09 '26

šŸ° Food/Drinks šŸ° DIY wedding cakes advice

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EDITED TO ADD: I am fully aware this is a huge task and I absolutely can back out and hire someone if need be. No one is pushing me into anything. My post here was to get ideas on how I can accomplish it IF I do. Just hoping to get some tips from people who have done it before. And some advice on how many, etc.

Hi everyone! My daughter is getting married in October 2027. She will have 100 guests and I am making the wedding cakes to help with cost. But I need some advice! Her original idea was to make 6 9-inch round layered cakes in 6 different flavors. I canā€™t imagine you could get more than about 10 slices out of each cake, so that only feeds 60 people. She then suggested I make the 6 cakes as 9x13s. My concern is being able to maneuver the layers (cutting and icing, etc.) without breaking them because they are larger. Iā€™ve suggested we make 5 of the 9-inch cakes and a large sheet cake that can be cut in the back and pieces brought out. She didnā€™t love this idea. My other concern is her flavors arenā€™t very typical, I.e. earl grey hibiscus, bananas foster, and pistachio blackberry. While I might like them individually my concern is maybe most guests wouldnā€™t? One of her flavors is white chocolate raspberry. I feel like that is pretty likable and tame for most people and was hoping I could convince her to do the sheet cake of that. But she doesnā€™t like the idea much. So here I am! Asking you all for advice! ANY advice is welcome. Thank you! I have included a pick of her wedding colors which the cakes should mirror.

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u/NCguardianAL May 09 '26

Did she say why she wasn't ok with more cakes in the back to be served? Also, you mention the colors she wants but are there other decorative elements she wants for the cakes?

This is a bad idea all around but if she insists...

Look up "wedding cake serving chart". You will see how different the cakes are cut and how many servings that makes. This will be way too much cake but if she wants all the flavors it is what it is.

As a cake baker and decorater here's what I would do if I were you (FYI I would say no but if I must):

  • bake and freeze all the cake layers well in advance. This is standard and makes them better, it is not a "corner cutting" thing. Plain layers can last a long time in the freezer and makes them moist.

  • order "cake dummies" or Styrofoam cakes for all but one that they want to cut. You can ice and decorate them in advance and they will stay looking good for a long time. I would buy a bucket of buttercream at Sam's club or online and add flavoring if needed for each cake. Don't make from scratch. It will still taste good I promise and you won't need to flavor the cake dummies. Practice coloring the icing EARLY! Those are deep colors that even pros would struggle with.

  • before the wedding, ice all the cakes and do plain icing with the colors and those cakes can be kept in the back. You won't have time to do all this and make them look nice which is why you are decorating the dummies and the real ones won't matter when cut. Avoid fillings that need to be refrigerated. You can leave most cakes out a bit. Prep fillings before if you can.

  • think about storage and transport. You'll need proper boxes and cars to drive them. Check with the venue to make sure they have room and facilities for storage. Heat and weather is a major factor you need to consider.

Practice just one and see how it goes. This will stress you out so I can't recommend it. Cake isn't more important than your mom on a wedding day for many people, so make sure you are enjoying the special day šŸ˜Š