An article on CNN this week entitled “Don’t waste money on your wedding!’ talks about where money is spent for weddings and where it can be saved. We all want to save money on our weddings right?

One of the first things they talk about is favors. Wedding planner Tracie Domino says to skip the favors that aren’t really personal. “If you give your guests something meaningful, they will be very appreciative,” she says, “but if it’s a bottle of bubbles or a cheap picture frame, it will most likely get left behind by your guests.” So what should you do instead? Bay Area wedding planner Erica Ota says to consider edibles if you’re going the favor route. “The majority of guests don’t even take them home and pricey favors end up getting left on the table,” she says. “Provide edible favors like chocolates, olive oil, or balsamic vinegar that are less expensive and more likely to go home with your hungry guests.”

How about cupcakes as a favor? 

Providing a take home box with a cupcake for your guests is a great send off at the end of the event. Imagine the delight on your guests faces when they find out that they get to take home their very own tasty treat. We bet they won’t even make it through the drive home with busting into the cute little box and sneak a bite (or two). You can order extras and have them boxed up ahead of time (did you know that Cupping Cakes provides this service?) or have boxes available for folks to take home left over cupcakes if that is what you are doing instead of a cake (we provide this service as well).

The article goes on to talk about the exorbitant costs associated with having a multi-tiered wedding cake. Wedding planner Erica Ota says “Typically, most people spend between $700 to $1,000, yet I find that only 60% of guests even take a slice. Factor in a $2.50 per person cake cutting fee and you’re looking at an expensive dessert,” she says. She also notes that she’s been seeing dessert buffets growing in popularity. Where bridges and grooms just have a small cake to use for those oh so important photo ops.

So how about a small cake to cut and a variety of cupcakes instead?

If you have small cake for photo ops and a variety of cupcakes instead of a large cake, you can save that $2.50 per person cake cutting fee right out the gate. And instead of one flavor, you can offer your guests a variety of cakes and frostings that are sure to please even the pickiest eaters. Worried that you won’t have that WOW factor. Check out this small cutting cake and cupcakes that we recently did for a large Indian wedding. Tell me that isn’t impressive!

So as you are planning your wedding, or your best friend/daughter/sister’s, keep cupcakes (and Cupping Cakes) in mind. Whether its for super cute cupcakes favors for your guests or an amazing spread of cupcakes custom designed to match your wedding. Check out our weddings page for more details! And as always, you can contact us via email with any questions you may have about our services.