You May Now Cut The Cheese: Wedding Cake Trends for Brides

Wedding cake made of cheese

Recession or not, couples are still tying the knot, and June is typically one of the most popular months to walk down the aisle.

But what is not so typical anymore is the wedding reception fare. Every June, the trend stories start appearing.

This past week, the New York Times featured a story about brides choosing a more  down-home approach for their wedding.

Bring on the grilled steak, sweet potato fries and Rice Krispie treats (not to mention the checkered tablecloths).

While it stands to reason that a backyard supper or a catered affair at home might be cheaper than a hotel soiree, for many it actually costs just as much or more. Casual food is not necessarily a bargain, as restaurant diners from coast to coast can attest.

“It’s not any cheaper to make a cobbler or a homemade pie than to bake a cake,” said Peggy Dark, a caterer and a co-founder of the Kitchen in Pasadena, Calif.

Cupcakes for the wedding cake

The average wedding cost (nationally) is just less than $29,000, up slightly from the past couple of years. The reception typically accounts for 42 percent of wedding costs, with an average price tag of $11,868.

Brides.com (http://www.brides.com), Conde Nast’s premier bridal destination, recently partnered with The Associated Press (http://www.ap.org) to poll American wedding guests on whether or not the recession is impacting how much they spend to join in “I do” festivities. As far as reception food goes among all respondents, the luxurious option of champagne and caviar had few fans (15%). A middle of the road menu was the clear favorite, with the combination of wine and chicken breasts garnering 57 percent. Beer and pigs in a blanket came in second, with 20 percent of the vote, in great part due to the male contingency. Men were twice as likely as women to choose it as their preference. In addition, no class differences were uncovered in meal preferences. High and low-income respondents were similar in their fondness for the classic wine and chicken wedding.

Then I read this article on examiner.com, which reported the latest trend in wedding cakes is a cake constructed of cheese rounds and decorated with fresh flowers. Who knew the wedding saying “something blue” would mean a block of Gorgonzola?

Wedding Cake Trend for Summer Brides Says Cheese.

Dailyrecord.com shares tips for the thrifty wedding, including ideas for cutting cake costs by serving a fake-out cake.

Anne Heap, owner and founder of the Pink Cake Box in Denville, said her shop offers fake tiered cakes for brides seeking a creamy, towering confection to last during the humid summer months.

The cake boasts the traditional five tiers, but only the bottom tier is real for the ceremonial cake-cutting, she said. A sheet cake hidden in the back is cut and served to the wedding party.

And finally, a few more what’s hot/what’s not from another trend article:

OUT: Waiters serving each place setting with a meal.

IN: Family style serving dishes on the table that everyone passes around, and bottles of wine on the tables that everyone passes around.

OUT: Filet mignon and swordfish. It’s a recession, remember?

IN: Cheaper cuts of meat like marinated flank steak.

OUT: Thousand dollar tiered wedding cakes.

IN: Fruit cobblers and pies.

OUT: Steamed asparagus stalks.

IN: French fries. Wolfgang Puck does his with jalapeno poppers. Mindy Weiss, party planner to the stars recommends serving large platters on the table or individual paper cones of fries.