What size wedding cake do I need? 8 factors that will determined the answer
Deciding on what size wedding cake you will need can be daunting. Will you have enough to feed everyone? Do you actually need enough cake to feed everyone? What if you order a cake that is far too big and you have endless cake leftover?
Your cake maker will be able to advise you as to what size wedding cake you will need. However, in the meantime, here are some factors that could affect the size you required.
Most couples begin their wedding cake journey by researching designs. Quite often, at this point, you won’t have thought about size, you will just have homed in on designs that have caught your eye.
Whether you have your heart set on a specific design or not, it is always wise to bear in mind the size of that particular design may not meet your needs. If this is the case, sizes or proportions may have to be adjusted to suit your wedding.
As all my designs are bespoke to my couples, changing up sizes and porportions is never a problem.
Factors to consider when deciding what size wedding cake you will need.
When do you plan to serve your wedding cake?
We will be serving our wedding cake as our wedding breakfast dessert
If you plan to serve your cake as part of your wedding breakfast, then 100% of your daytime guests need to be catered for.
Dessert size wedding cake slices are generally 1” x 2” fingers.
When considering what size wedding cake you need, it is worth asking yourself if you would like additional cake for serving alongside your evening buffet for your evening guests, in addition to the wedding breakfast dessert.
We will be serving our wedding cake alongside our evening buffet
If you are planning to serve your wedding cake alongside your evening buffet, it is generally recommended that you only cater for 75%-80% of your evening guests, as not all your wedding guests will eat cake, especially after a large meal.
For example, if you have 120 evening guest, you may only wish to have a cake that feeds 90-96. These sizes are generally worked out on 1”x1” finger slices.
See here for my portion information
Do we need enough cake for all guests?
As mentioned above, if you are serving your wedding cake for dessert as part of your wedding breakfast, then you need to cater for all your guests.
If you are serving your wedding cake with the evening buffet, it is generally recommended that you only cater for 75-80% of your guests, as not all will eat cake.
Will having other sweet treats alongside my wedding cake alter how much wedding cake I will need?
If you are serving other sweet treats alongside the wedding cake, you can definitely afford to downsize the number of portions your cake will need to be.
For instance, if you are having a dessert table to accompany the main wedding cake. If this is the case, your wedding cake designer will be able to advise and guide you on your number of portions required, depending on the amount of extra sweet treats you will have.
How much wedding cake do I need for a multi day wedding?
If you are having a 2,3 or even a 4 day wedding, you may wish to have extra portions for the celebrations that are to follow after your actual wedding day.
Factoring these portions into your wedding cake size is very important if you want to gurantee there will be enough to last over the full length of your celebrations.
Don’t worry, there is no need to order extra cakes to be delivered on each of these days. Your wedding cake will stay fresh during this time as long as it is stored correctly.
Can I save some of our wedding cake for our first anniversary?
Most definitely!
If you would like to save your top tier (or any tier for that matter) for your first anniversary, this is something that needs factoring in when deciding what size wedding cake you will need.
Can I save some of our wedding cake for the day after our wedding?
Planning to have a gift and card open gathering with close family the next day? You may want to be able to offer some of your wedding cake with a cup of tea. Don’t leave this to chance. Let your wedding cake maker know your intentions. Let them know how many you expect to be at the gathering to ensure you are left with enough cake.
Can I save our top tier for our first wedding anniversary?
Of course!
Saving the top tier of your wedding cake for our first annivesary is becoming a tradition. If this is your intention, do let your cake know so they can add these portions on to the size of your wedding cake.
Cake freezes so well and is perfect for taking you right back to your wedding day with every mouthful. So saving your top tier (or any other size tier), for this occasion really works well.
For full instructions on freezing read my post on how to freeze and defrost your wedding cake, for guaranteed deliciousness..
Can I have a big cake when my wedding is small?
You can indeed!
If you don’t want additional/leftover cake, then , once your cake designer has established how much cake you need, the rest of the tiers can be made up of faux tiers.
This option has become more popular over the years and because the faux tiers are decorated in the same way as the real cake tiers, no one will be any the wiser…unless you tell them!
Not convienced that you won’t be able to tell the difference between a real and faux tier? Take a look at my cake gallery and see if you can spot which cakes and/or tiers are faux.
Do bare in mind, however, that contrary to poplular belief, faux tiers do not work out much cheaper, if at all, to a real cake tier. Quite often the polysterene used for the faux tier costs as much as the cake ingredients and the decorating time is the same as decorating a real tier.
Another option for a larger cake would be to have spacers incoporated into the design.
Spacers come in all sorts of shapes, colours, styles and designs, from clear acrylic fillable spacers, bars (to create the illusion of floating tiers), cages and reeded styles. There are so many choices!
Many cake makers hire their spacers to their couples for a small cost so ask your cake maker if this is someithing they can offer you.
We are having a large wedding but we only want a small cake. How can we still feed all our guests?
Not everyone wants a big cake. You may have fallen in love with a certain style and/or design that just works perfectly as a little bit (or a big bit) smaller than you actually need.
This is not a problem.
When the cake design won’t feed your required number of guests, cutting cakes can be supplied.
Cutting cakes are cakes that are decorated in the same colour as your main cake. These cakes will be kept in the venue’s kitchen and cut up for serving alongside the main cake. As they are not seen by your guests, the décor is left plain. Just the same colour as your main cake and the same amount of layers so that it all looks cohesive to the rest of the cake when cut for your guests.
Alternatively you can have an accompanying dessert table to make up the portions…there are so much options for your dessert table. For some dessert table inspiration to a look at my dessert table page.
I find wedding cake portions confusing.
With the answers to the above questions, you probably now have a better idea of how many portions you will require, but if you are still finding it all very confusing, don’t panic!
Most wedding cake makers have a price guide on their websites that includes example size tiers and servings. Read my pricing and size guide here. These can be very helpful for gauging what size wedding cake you will need.
However, don’t be too concerned if the number of tiers, sizes and portions guides seem overwhelming. Just remember what I said at the begining of this post. A wedding cake maker will be able to advise you on what size wedding cake you will need.
If you are considering me as your wedding cake maker and would like to book in a discovery call to discuss your wedding cake vision and size, get in touch now.
Frequently asked questions (FAQs)
How do we determine the right size for our wedding cake?
The size of your wedding cake depends on several factors, including the number of guests, the serving time (dessert or evening buffet), and whether you plan to serve other desserts.
Discussing your specific needs with your cake maker will help you decide the appropriate size.
Can we have a smaller cake if we have a large guest list?
Yes, if you prefer a smaller cake design, you can supplement it with cutting cakes. These are additional, undecorated cakes that are kept in the kitchen and cut for serving. This way, you get the design you want without compromising on the number of servings.
Is it possible to save part of our wedding cake for our first anniversary?
Absolutely! Saving the top tier or another portion of your wedding cake for your first anniversary is a popular tradition. Make sure to inform your cake maker so they can account for these extra portions in the cake size.
What if we want a large cake but have a small guest list?
You can opt for faux tiers to add height and grandeur to your cake without having excess cake left over. Faux tiers are decorated like real cake tiers, creating the illusion of a larger cake while only a portion of it is edible.
How do we account for having other desserts at our wedding?
If you’re planning a dessert table in addition to your wedding cake, you can reduce the number of cake servings needed.
Your cake maker can help you determine the appropriate cake size based on the variety and quantity of other sweet treats you’ll be serving.
If you have found this blog post useful, you may like to find out what goes into a wedding cake order and why wedding cakes cost what they do.
Or you may like to check out my wedding cake pricing guide.
2nd image: Thomas Alexander Photography
3rd image: Beth Beresford Photography
6th image: Shaun Peters Photography
7th image: Captured by Roxy
Who is Sue Hurst – Wedding Cake Designer in Essex
Hey, I am Sue! I am a wedding cake maker in Essex, specialising in modern and bespoke wedding cakes in Essex, London, Suffolk, Kent, Surrey and beyond. After 12 years of cake making, my business has changed over the years, until I found my biggest passion – weddings.
I absolutely adore everything about designing and making wedding cakes. From getting to know my couples, right through to setting up their dream cake (quite often a design they would never have dreamt of before their journey with me).
Having the honour of being a part of such a special day in my couples’ lives, is something I never undervalue.
My blog posts about weddings cakes in the South and South East England are based on experience and aim to help you plan your dream wedding.
