Cupcakes vs. Wedding Cakes: Which one is better?

Cupcakes vs. Wedding Cakes: Which one is better?

Wedding cupcakes keep popping up again and again in the media as a way to save money on your wedding or add a bit of whimsy to the reception. But what's the truth? Are cupcakes really a good alternative to a wedding cake? Based on cost, style, and tradition, which one will win?

COST:
When wedding cupcakes first became a trend, they were advertised as a great way to save money: spend a buck or two for a cupcake rather than $4 or $5 per slice for cake. But bakers soon caught on that doing wedding cupcakes are just as much work, if not more, than a traditional cake. Every single one of these cupcakes has to be baked and iced. If you're doing specialty decorations, you'll need one for each cupcake. And, most bakeries will rent you a cake stand, but you might have to purchase a cupcake stand.

On the other hand, it is easier for a non-professional baker to put together 150 cupcakes than trying to make an elaborate tiered cake. It's also easier to dress up grocery store cupcakes than it is to try to make a cheap wedding cake look fancy. In the end, it all comes down to choices.

Here are some little extras that make your wedding cupcakes special, but also might blow your budget:
• Specialty cupcake liners
To match your wedding colors approximately $0.10 each
Fancy laser cut cupcake liners approximately $1 each
• Sugar flowers
They could run between $0.30 - $9 per flower
• Monogrammed fondant hearts
Approximately $1 each
• Mini bride and groom cupcake toppers
Approximately $7.50 each
• Cupcake Stands
Wire stands that holds 38 cupcakes cost approximately $39.99

Acrylic and Mirror-finish Stands (7 tier) stands that holds 120 cupcakes cost approximately $69.99

Cardboard stands that holds 36-40 cupcakes cost approximately $4.79

Which one works best: A tie! When it comes down to the bottom line, you can do cupcakes more inexpensively than you can buy a wedding cake, but in the end being memorable is a valuable commodity. And it's cheaper to have a memorable wedding cake than to decorate each individual cupcake.

STYLE:
There's something so whimsically childlike about unwrapping a cupcake. And that's what people both love and hate about wedding cupcakes because they are fun and familiar but can be too casual and unsophisticated.

If you're having a formal wedding, you may want to stick with a grand and formal wedding cake. If your wedding guests are traditional people, they might think cupcakes are too casual, or worse, cheap.

But if you're having a relaxed reception where fun is the primary goal, tell everyone to be a kid again and grab a cupcake. Once they're up and having fun on the dance floor, they won't have to sit again for dessert. They'll just grab a cupcake and keep on groovin'.

Which one works best: Cupcakes! There's just a bit more punch to a cupcake. You can dress them up or down, but they'll always be fun.

TRADITION:
Wedding cakes have been the standard for over 100 years, and you may be sad to give up the traditions associated with them. Cupcakes barely leaves room for a cake topper, and the customary cake cutting looks a little comical when your cake is only 3 inches wide. But brides and grooms have found a way to have their cake and eat it too: get a small 6" cake to sit on the top of your cupcake tower. You can use this for the ceremonial cake cutting, and then freeze the rest for your 1-year anniversary.

Which one works best: Wedding Cake! Come on, this winner was a given. Even with all the tips I've given you, cupcakes will never be as elegantly traditional as wedding cake.

Overall, it's a tie! With the pros and cons you’ve come up with, and the help of a few tips I've given you here, you can figure out which is best for your wedding.