How much cake to order for a wedding: bakery checklist

How much wedding cake do I need for my guest count?

Start with your expected guest count and decide whether you want a serving for each guest, a few extra, or fewer because you are also serving other desserts. Ask the bakery how it defines one serving, since a quoted serving count depends on the slice size the bakery assumes. A cake "for 150" with a small slice may serve fewer if the caterer cuts larger pieces.

Ask whether a separate sheet cake kept in the kitchen can cover part of the count at a lower price, and whether a top tier to keep is counted as servings. Record the final serving number on the order and on the caterer's list, so the people cutting know how many pieces the cake must yield.

• Expected guest count
• Serving size the bakery assumes
• Servings ordered
• Sheet cake in the kitchen, if any
• Top tier kept or served

What should a wedding cake order form include?

A wedding cake order form, or the bakery contract that stands in for one, should hold enough detail for a delivery driver who has not met you to bring the right cake to the right room. Read it against your tasting notes before you pay the deposit, and if an agreed detail is missing, such as a separate allergy cake, ask the bakery to add it to the order rather than relying on an email thread.

• Names, date, venue address and room
• Servings, serving size and tiers
• Flavor, filling and frosting by tier
• Decorations, flowers and topper
• Each fee, the deposit and the balance date

How much does a wedding cake cost, and what fees apply?

There is no single wedding cake price to rely on, because the total depends on how the bakery charges and what you choose. Check whether the price is per serving, per tier or a flat total, and what changes it: premium fillings, fondant, sugar flowers, or fresh flowers supplied by your florist. Then list the other lines: delivery, setup, a stand or cake plate rental, and any refundable deposit on that rental with its return deadline.

For example, a hypothetical order is 150 servings at $7.50 each: 150 x $7.50 = $1,125. Delivery and setup add $125, and a stand rental is $40 with a $100 refundable deposit. The bakery total is $1,125 + $125 + $40 = $1,290, and $100 more is held until the stand is returned. If the venue also charges a cake-cutting fee of $3 per guest for 140 guests, that adds 140 x $3 = $420.

Do wedding cake tastings cost money? Flavors and allergens

Check whether a tasting is included or charged, how many flavors it covers, and whether the fee is credited to the order. After the tasting, write the flavor, filling and frosting for each tier on the order, along with any decorations and the colors to match. A tier-by-tier list avoids a mix-up on the day.

For allergens, ask the bakery to list what each flavor contains and what else its kitchen handles, and to put that in writing. If a guest has a serious allergy, ask how the bakery prepares a separate cake and how it is labeled, then tell the caterer who serves it. For medical questions, the guest's own health professional is the right person to ask.

• Tasting fee and credit
• Flavor, filling and frosting by tier
• Decorations and color references
• Allergens in each flavor, in writing
• Separate cake for an allergy, and who serves it

Can a wedding cake be left out? Delivery and display

Record the delivery window and who at the venue will receive the cake. Ask the venue when the bakery may load in and where it parks. Tell the bakery where the cake will be displayed: indoors or outdoors, in sun or shade, near a heat source or a dance floor. Some finishes may be affected by heat or humidity, so ask the bakery what it needs, such as a sturdy level table in shade.

Ask the bakery whether the cake needs to be refrigerated before it is served and how long it can sit out, and write the answer on the order.

Then read what the order says about the cake after it has been set up. It may name a point at which the bakery's involvement ends, or ask you to keep the cake in a stated condition. Copy that wording and share the display needs with your coordinator and the venue.

Is there a cake-cutting fee from the venue or caterer?

A cake-cutting or plating fee is charged by the venue or caterer, not the bakery, so it appears in a different contract. Look for it in the food and beverage section, the outside vendor section or a list of fees. Check whether it is per guest or flat, whether a service charge and tax apply to it, and what it includes, such as plates, forks and staff to cut and serve.

Also check whether the venue allows outside desserts at all, whether it needs the bakery's insurance certificate or license, and who returns the stand to the bakery. If the caterer will cut the cake, give them the serving count and any cutting guide from the bakery.

• Cake-cutting fee: per guest or flat
• Service charge and tax on that fee
• What the fee includes
• Outside dessert rules and paperwork
• Who returns the stand, and by when

When should you order a wedding cake, and when is it final?

Ask the bakery how far ahead it books dates and when it holds tastings, then work back from your wedding date: tasting, then design, then the final change deadline and the balance date.

For example, in a hypothetical order, the final count is due 21 days before an October 10 wedding, which is September 19, and the balance is due 14 days before, on September 26. Match the cake count deadline to your caterer's final count date so both use the same number.

Then read the cancellation and postponement terms, including what happens to your deposit if the date moves. Whether any money is returned depends on the contract and the law where you are, which varies by state; ask the bakery to state its terms in writing.

Cake order sheet

Use one row for a decision or deliverable. Keep unanswered items visible. Download the blank worksheet to open in Excel, Numbers or Google Sheets.

On a small screen, swipe the worksheet sideways to see the remaining columns.

A message you can make your own

Add your document reference and the questions that apply. You decide what to send and send it yourself.

Thank you for the quote. Before we confirm, could you tell us in writing what serving size the 150-serving count assumes, and whether the stand rental has a deposit and a return deadline? Could you list the allergens in each flavor we chose and anything else your kitchen handles? The cake will be displayed in the reception room, away from windows; is there anything you need from the venue for that? Finally, what is the last date we can change the servings or design, and when is the balance due?

Common questions

The next decisions

• Wedding catering proposal: what it includes, line by line
• Wedding final headcount: when it is due and who counts