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Thrifty Wedding
Miss Thrifty18 June 28, 2011
I wrote about fake wedding cake more than two years ago now – and that post still gets a lot of traffic, especially at this time of year.
For those uninitiated in the ways of the fake wedding cake, here’s an excerpt:
Apparently these wedding cakes are taking off in the USA – especially with the economy on its downward swoop. These towering confections are as mouthwatering as they are ornate. But here’s the rub: they aren’t real!
That’s real icing; but the “cakes” within are made from foam. A couple can rent out a cake such as this one for their big day, then return it to the cake rental company when their wedding is done and dusted. I’m not sure if the wedding guests are supposed to know when the cake is fake: it seems kinda cheap to broadcast the fact, but wouldn’t you feel a little uncomfortable if the cake was on a stand or table, with people cooing over it, if you were keeping schtum about it not being real? Maybe that’s just me – but I take my cakes very seriously, I’ll have you know.
So, are you wondering what happens when the “cutting the cake” ceremony rolls around? Well, these cakes all come with one bona fide slice of wedding cake, slotted into a triangle-shaped slot in the polystyrene. So you can cut into your cake with all of the pomp that the occasion calls for – and if you so choose, your guests are none the wiser! The cake is whisked away; backstage another (cheaper) cake is cut into squares that are then brought forth, for your guests to take away with them. Neat, huh?
Since then, the trend for fake wedding cake looks to have taken off in the UK too – because I’ve started getting emails from readers who want to know where they can buy one!
I’ve searched long and hard, but can only find one specialist supplier: The Faux Wedding Cake Company in Lancashire, UK, who rent out fake wedding cakes from little as £99.00.
If you don’t live anywhere near Lancashire, there is another solution: go and ask at your local cake decorating / sugarcraft shop. Not only do a lot of them sell moulded polystyrene “cakes” – known as sugarpaste dummies – but many also provide cakes to order. If they don’t, they will know someone who does…
If you know of any other companies who do this, please let me know in the comments – I am sure that a number of readers will be grateful.
18 Responses to “UPDATE: Where to buy fake wedding cake in the UK”
Moira says:
This was common practise during WW2, in fact, though my parents were only just around then, it was still common practise to have fake celebration cakes in the windows of the cake shop. Maybe it still is?
June 28, 2011 at 2:43 pm
Miss Thrifty says:
@Moira – Ah, that’s interesting to know! Maybe it’s one of those old, money-saving ideas once forgotten, and now making a comeback?
June 28, 2011 at 4:27 pm
Krantcents says:
Renting a cake makes a lot of sense because it does not need to look like it to taste good. You can rent wedding dresses and other things. Why not? If these things make the wedding more reasonable, why not?
June 29, 2011 at 3:08 am
Habibiboo says:
Ooooh, fabulous post, this could almost fall into one of those moral dilemma kinds of question because there’s a real level of deceit here to your lovely guests who have come to your day full of good wishes for you – the idea of fobbing them off with something else doesn’t seem to be very kind … isn’t the cake supposed to be about giving your guests a bit of a treat too?
Additionally, the whole idea seems a bizarre false ‘economy’ to me! With the pretend cake starting at £99, plus the significant amount of ‘cheap’ cake that you’d have to buy too, I’m not sure it would cost any less than the fabulous 3 tier cake wedding cake we had last year that was completely handmade (each tier a different flavour and all nut-free to suit allergy requirements), stunningly decorated and fed approx 150 people (plus a week of left-overs for us newlyweds – ha ha) all for £160! If people want an inexpensive wedding cake I’d strongly suggest that they take a good look around at what’s available locally – there’s a big home industry in baking and lots of amazing cakes available for far less than you’d think.
There’s cheap and chic and there’s cheap and nasty – and personally, I find the idea of a fake cake just leaves a nasty taste in my mouth (unlike real cake)! 🙂
June 29, 2011 at 7:48 am
Financial Success for Young Adults says:
What a great idea! I have never heard of this, but I would definitely consider it for my wedding. Especially since all of the official cake cutting happens in the back anyway. The only issue I see is that the groom might accidentally try to cut into the styrofoam! — LaTisha
July 6, 2011 at 4:39 pm
Sue says:
hi there everyone
Just a quick note to say that there is a another fake cake rental company… owned by my fiancee and I! We are based in SE London and would be happy to work with you to provide you with your ideal wedding cake (plus a sheet cake for your guests). Visit our site at http://www.icingonthefake.moonfruit.com and drop us an email if you like what you see. The website is still under construction so please be patient and just watch out for new cakes on a weekly basis!!
July 11, 2011 at 12:51 am
Going out dresses says:
That’s actually a great idea. My budget for my wedding is 30K and I’m almost over already…. I still need to organize cake, reception, invitation cards…. omggg!!
Danielle xx
August 7, 2011 at 1:24 pm
Nathalie says:
Gosh – Now I have heard it all!
I agree that most cake makers would probably have contacts that could help out. Many of them have such cakes in the window or for wedding fayre displays!
(Vintage London VW Camper Hire http://www.buttercupbus.com)
August 15, 2011 at 11:20 pm
Scop says:
Amazing idea. i wondered if i can get my partner to agree. she did not, shame!
September 6, 2011 at 6:32 pm
Beady Eye says:
That’s a great idea but I’m not convinced it’s really in the spirit of marriage. It might be okay for those who don’t like cake but think of the guests. Plus I’m not sure the savings are so great to make it that attractive a proposition.
September 20, 2011 at 5:26 pm
Miss Thrifty says:
It’s interesting to note the range of opinions here: some very much for and some very much against, but very few fence-sitters!
September 21, 2011 at 12:09 am
Lisa says:
Ah what a great idea!…… Shame on the first comment! X
October 15, 2011 at 1:23 am
Michelle says:
This is a service our sugarcraft shop may consider in the future if demand was there. We currently have a replica dummy cake of the royal wedding cake sitting in our shop, wondering what we shall do with it when we are tired of looking at it haha!
December 5, 2011 at 1:47 am
Miss Thrifty says:
Michelle, you should do it – I bet there’s a great demand for royal replica wedding cake!
December 5, 2011 at 12:51 pm
Bodiva says:
We find its really down to the individual whether they like the idea or not. Of course we do do real cakes for people (designercelebrationcakes.com) but increasingly when get asked to price a cake we often have brides that want ‘all the bling but without the sting’ hence weddingcakehire.com was born.
We only work in the Swansea area at the moment but may expand it to other areas in future.
February 4, 2012 at 8:08 pm
Karen says:
Hi I make wedding cakes (www.wedding-celebrationcakes.co.uk) and have been thinking about doing this myself. I know it has been big in Canada for a long time. With the way people are at the moment with budgets for weddings it would be a much better price option. Ive got a few wedding fayres coming up in the next few weeks so Im gonna sound out the brides there and see what the reaction is hopefully it will be good.
February 24, 2012 at 10:02 pm
Cakesy and Bakesy says:
Cakesy and Bakesy have been handcrafted bespoke wedding cake designers for about 5 years now but have recently just started our range of ‘Cakesy n Bakesy – Half Baked’. We are based in Kent and also serve London and the South East. You can pick from a collection of designs to hire from £125 or have your own artificial wedding cake made to your exact requirements, still for hire from £225 and then the good news is, we also supply sheet cakes, in any flavours, simply decorated for you to serve your guests on the day. Only got 30 guests but want a 7 tier cake? Want a fabulous design for a smaller price? Want the cake to still taste great and select your flavours? Want that all important ‘cutting the cake photo’? You got it! Cakesy n Bakesy – Half Baked!
June 5, 2013 at 10:31 pm
Danielle says:
Fake wedding cake? Not so familiar to me but I think this is also good for those who wanted to have a big and elegant wedding cake. But let’s face it that wedding cake can’t be eaten by the whole guest.
June 28, 2013 at 2:25 am