Just found the invoice from D’s wedding in 2018. $492.50 for a cake that fed 165. The decorated cake was relatively small (I posted a picture upstream), and the additional pieces were provided from sheet cakes cut and served by the venue.
Wow, that is a gorgeous cake
Likely way less than half of the 200 people will actually eat the cake - especially if it’s cut and the slices are set out at the dessert table, as opposed to being passed out to each person.
One of things that fueled my D’s decision about her cake was seeing 1/2 remnants of expensive wedding cakes essentially being thrown out (some couples keep the top tier). The last couple of weddings I’ve been to have had a smaller cake for cutting and a dessert table with pastries, cupcakes and other sweets.
I have to agree with this! While I love (traditional) wedding cake and would never leave a bit on MY plate, I have seen plenty of people take a slice and nibble and leave the rest to be tossed. Whether they are full from dinner or don’t care for frosting or whatever, much gets left behind.
There are people that design their wedding for “show” - for photos or for the moment or whatever. Certainly their prerogative. I feel the same about flowers. LOVE flowers and def love to see them be part of a wedding. But between bouquets for bridesmaids, church/venue flowers down the aisle or whatever - there can be A LOT of $$ that gets left behind.
D’s wedding flowers were gorgeous but expensive. However the wedding planner ( associated with the venue) asked if we would not mind leaving the floral arch and other decorations for a wedding the next day. That was for a military couple on a limited budget. I was thrilled! I hope they enjoyed them as much as we did and got great pictures.
Having lived in Asia and attending a few weddings there, I think the floral arches that are placed in the reception area are definitely freshened up and recycled for other weddings/celebrations. There is just so much more practicality in many Asian weddings, e.g. “red envelopes” with a known minimum based on banquet plate costs, active rental market for wedding dress, one stop shop for makeup, hair, photography and wedding attire.
In Asia it is also customary to rent a wedding dress. I wonder why we don’t do more of that in the US. I know my daughters spent a lot of money on their dresses, and they are both packed away in their closets.
My kids are renting from rent the runway for special dresses. It is a lot more green and cheap to rent those dresses rather than buying a dress for every occasion.
My D has been renting from Rent the Runway for years!
I went looking for a used wedding dress, and ended up finding a Battenburg lace dress from 1910 in an antique shop that cost $350 in 1990. Still less than $1000 in today’s dollars, I believe.
I gave my daughter enough money (I thought) to buy a very nice dress. Naively it wasn’t but it was a good amount.
My daughter wanted to look for the brand of dress that she liked on Poshmark or real real or other such websites.
The groom’s family said in front of me (but not my daughter) that they wouldn’t allow her to do that and would pay for a new dress.
Just one of many things that happened.
A new dress was purchased, I don’t know how it was paid for
My D also rents from Nuuly or Rent the Runway when she needs a dress for a wedding or other special occasion. It has been much more cost effective for her.
My 2nd daughter bought her dress from a sample place in Seattle (because right after she decided on a wedding 3 months away she happened to be in Settle). She had a lot of choices because she’s a size 4 wedding (size 0 regular). I thought it fit pretty well but the tailor took it in a LOT and it was skin tight. I’m not sure the rental companies let you alter it that much. I think about 8" was cut from the hem, the bust came in at least 2" and the butt was totally tucked up. It looked good right off the rack but fantastic after alterations.
My first daughter paid more retail and then didn’t have much taken in (lots from the hem) and the top was really too big and should have been taken in more. She also bought a size 4.
Both are ~5’4" so fairly average height, but they had to have a huge amount cut off the hems I think someone could fit into #1s dress because it wasn’t tight but #2s? Not sure unless it was someone even smaller and then I don’t think the butt would fit right.
My wedding dress was a sample, which was greatly discounted. I had looked at dozens of dresses with my friends. My mom & I went shopping alone, and after watching me pull dresses that I put on & didn’t like, she picked one out for me. I didn’t like it, but I put it on for her … and it was perfect for me. My mom knew me better than I knew myself sometimes!
I’m kind of stunned by the cost of cakes and plating. I reached out to a young woman I know who got married three years ago (May of 2022) and nosily asked about her cake cost. I think this is among the most gorgeous wedding cakes I’ve ever seen (though it may not appeal to all since it isn’t white).
She said her cake was around $800-ish, and the venue charged $50 to plate it. Not sure of the sizes of the four tiers. There were probably 100 people or so at their wedding reception.
But, we are in flyover country, and I don’t know how much prices have gone up in three years. Pic of cake itself and then with part of it showing next to the couple to get a perspective on size.
Cute cake & interested cutouts in wedding gown.
I have no idea about details of S & DILs wedding. I know what we gave when they were engaged and for their wedding and what they received as wedding gifts. I suspect DIL’s mom didn’t contribute much as she’s still working and I don’t believe her job pays very well.
S did have a cake & wine tasting before choosing the flavor of cake & his wines for the wedding. No idea if costs but as I posted before the woman who baked their cake used to work as staff in a law firm and bake cakes as a side gig but decided to go full time and makes much more than she made working in the law firm. Haha!
This was a reception dress
D bought her custom dress from a local boutique. Then it was made in Turkey. It was great that she could pick and choose different features from several dresses to get exactly what she wanted. The fitting took several hours, and she was the only client booked. It was surprisingly inexpensive and under budget. Or maybe I’ve watched too many episodes of Say Yes to the Dress.
She placed the order six months out. It took less than four to be delivered. Needed minimal alterations. SIL spent more altering his off-the-rack suit!
I’m not used to brides having more than one outfit. It’s very cute!