Serving DIY wedding dessert can save money, but there are some essential tips you need to know before you embark on making your own sweets.
I think we can all agree that each wedding should have something sweet to eat at it. Whether it’s cake, cupcakes, or a plethora of goodies, guests love them some sugar. And while it is possible to go overboard on your wedding dessert budget, it’s also very possible to save on it, too. This is why many couples plan on serving wedding desserts that they make, with hopes of keeping those dollars for something else.
The great news is that while DIY wedding dessert can get complicated, you can plan ahead and keep it simple so you’re not stressing day-of. All you need is a solid plan, and a way to implement it. DIY wedding dessert can allow you to provide yummy desserts at a fraction of what they would cost if you went with a professional baker. The key is to have DIY wedding dessert without costing you any extra stress or concern.
Essential Tips If You’re Serving DIY Wedding Dessert
This post is going to share with you essential tips if you’re serving DIY wedding dessert. It will go over the reasons why you may want to make your own dessert, and provide tons of tips to help you get it right. From baking the dessert yourself, to buying and assembling, and everything in between, I’ve got you covered.
Let’s get into it!
WHY SERVING DIY WEDDING DESSERT MAY BE RIGHT FOR YOU
First things first. Let’s go over why serving your own DIY wedding dessert may be right for you.
If any of these reasons track for you, you may want to consider it if your venue allows you to bring in your own food and it seems appropriate:
- You love to bake
- Friends and family are willing to help you
- Creating DIY wedding dessert appeals to you
- You’re looking for ways to save money on your wedding
- Dessert isn’t the highest priority for your wedding
- Your venue doesn’t mind you bringing in outside food
TIPS IF YOU’RE MAKING THE DIY WEDDING DESSERT
The first set of DIY wedding dessert tips I want to share have to do with making the dessert yourself. This would be dessert that you are planning on baking, from scratch, ahead of the wedding.
KEEP YOUR DIY WEDDING DESSERT SIMPLE
This may be a running theme in this post, but I’ll make it really clear. A huge tip is to keep your DIY wedding dessert simple.
Don’t overthink what you’ll serve. Don’t try to be too fancy, even if it is your wedding. You’re making your own desserts because you want to, for whatever reason. If you wanted things to be professional, you’d hire a professional. Keep your dessert plans reasonable, for your budget, time, and sanity.
HAVE A CLEAR PLAN OF WHAT YOU’RE GOING TO MAKE
Once you decide you want to have DIY wedding dessert at your wedding, you need a clear plan of attack.
What do I mean by this? Well, you need to know your logistics. Start with what you want to make. Then, list out all the ingredients. From there, plan on when you will actually make the dessert. Can you make dough early, and then freeze it until it’s time to bake? If so, do you have room in your freezer? Do you need to keep things cold until they are served?
Taking time to create a cohesive plan early on will help you feel more in control about what you’re going to do.
FIND TIME TO PRACTICE, ESPECIALLY IF A RECIPE IS NEW AND COMPLICATED
Unless you are a skilled baker, don’t take on a new challenge right before your wedding.
If you have something in mind, practice it ahead of time. Make sure you know what works, and what doesn’t work. Learn from your mistakes. This will help you as you get closer to your wedding as you’ll know how long things take, what ingredients you absolutely need, and what can go wrong. You may also learn what’s worth making, and what isn’t.
PRICE OUT THE INGREDIANTS AND SUPPLIES
The main point of making your own DIY wedding desserts is usually to save money. Make sure that your plan actually prices out!
Take some time to learn what it will cost to have a baker provide what you want to serve. Then, price out how much you’ll have to spend on ingredients and supplies if you make it yourself. Factor in the extra time you’ll spend making the desserts, and what that’s worth to you. You may find that hiring a baker is actually more cost effective. Or, you may find that making your own desserts is totally worth it.
RECRUIT ASSISTANCE FROM OTHERS FOR DIY WEDDING DESSERT
Don’t go into this venture alone. Don’t go into this venture alone. I repeat. . .
Look, if you’re making desserts for your own wedding, you need help. It can be help with deciding what to make. Or, procuring the ingredients and supplies. It might be the actually baking part, or the storage and transportation of the items. Don’t take it on all by yourself. It will add unneeded stress to your already-full plate, and that’s never fun.
BUY A LITTLE EXTRA OF EVERYTHING
Here’s a scenario for you.
You want to bake brownies for your wedding. You find time, go out to the store, and buy what you think you need. When you get home, you start baking. You realize that you need to bake a little extra so there’s enough for your wedding. Maybe something spills. Maybe there was a miscalculation. In either event, do you want to go back out and buy ingredients? Or would you rather just grab the extra you’ve already bought that is waiting for you?
I’m going to assume you’d rather be prepared with extra than go back out.
KEEP YOUR WEDDING CAKE TO ONE TIER
If you are making your own wedding cake, and have never made a tiered cake before, keep it to a one tier sheet cake.
You can even have a small “show” cake if you want, professionally purchased, with a homemade sheet cake for serving. This plan can save lots of money and no one will really know the difference. Once the cake is cut, it’s impossible to tell how many tiers it was originally on.
Instead of worrying about layers and appearances, focus on making the best tasting cake for your guests.
TIPS IF YOU’RE BUYING ITEMS TO ASSEMBLE AT A DIY WEDDING DESSERT TABLE
These tips are for those who want to purchase desserts and then assemble them at their wedding. It’s an ideal plan for those who want to save some money, aren’t that into baking, and still want options for their guests.
LOOK AT WHOLESALE STORES
Wholesale stores are a great way to get tons of dessert options at a fraction of the cost. In many cases, it’s less expensive to buy from these stores than it would be to create your own desserts.
Look into your local Costco or Sam’s Club for options. You may be able to order desserts ahead, or find out what they have as their staples. It’s easy to buy dessert trays from these stores and then make them “pretty” at your wedding. It’s simple, delicious, and will save you money.
CONSIDER SERVING SHEET CAKES FROM YOUR LOCAL GROCERY STORE
Just as I mentioned earlier, sheet cakes can do your wedding right.
While it’s absolutely possible to make a sheet cake, you can also have your local bakeries make one for you. The cost is very reasonable, and your guests will never know that the local store made the cake. These cakes are often delicious, and they are packaged ready for transportation.
DON’T BE AFRAID TO GO MINI
If you don’t want to commit to a specific dessert, and want your guests to have lots of options, go mini.
There are million creative directions you can go with this, so let me give you some ideas. You can serve mini cookies with small glasses of milk. Or, put store bought pudding or mousse in a disposable shot glass with some cream on top, shave of chocolate, and mini spoons. Another option would be to have mini-blondies, small cream puffs, or small bites that guests can try and move on from.
The beauty of this is that you can have lots of options without breaking the bank. Your guests will love it, too, because they can taste a bunch of goodies without feeling too full or guilty.
DRESS THINGS UP STRATEGICALLY
Buying goodies from a local store can be a great way to serve yummy desserts without the effort needed to make them yourself. When it comes to displaying them, however, you may need to get creative.
Remember, there are ways to make your desserts seem more appealing and “wedding-y”, without trying too hard. Flowers and greenery can make anything look fancier. Don’t be afraid to dress up a cake or table with fresh flowers. Fruit can also help. A little slice of strawberry on whipped cream makes it much more appealing. Desserts on desserts can also be fun. Decorating a cake with macarons or small cookies can increase the appeal and make it more interesting.
OTHER TIPS FOR YOUR DIY WEDDING DESSERT
Need more ideas for DIY wedding dessert? Here you go!
THINK ABOUT A POTLUCK OR DELEGATION SITUATION – If you want to have homemade dessert at your wedding, but aren’t able to make it yourself, consider having others help you. Ask certain guests to bring something that they think others will love. Or, have all guests bring something. Some weddings do very well with potluck, and it can be a lot of fun to play around with desserts in this way.
BUY CONTAINERS FROM YOUR LOCAL STORES – If you are making your own dessert, ask your local grocery store about containers. They will usually sell containers at a low cost, and they can be very useful. Not only can you use bigger ones to transport your goodies, but smaller ones can be placed near your dessert table so guests can take items to go.
DON’T FORGET ABOUT TRANSPORTATION – If you are making delicate, large, or intricate desserts, don’t forget about your transportation plan. Make sure you can safely move these items from the place they are being made to your venue. You may need to recruit others to help, and give detailed instructions to make sure nothing goes wrong.
DON’T FORGET ABOUT REFRIDGERATION – Some desserts are meant to be cold. If you have anything that needs to be cold, plan ahead. You may need to have a cooler filled with ice or fridge at your venue so your goodies don’t get destroyed in the moving process.
CLOSING THOUGHTS
Friends, if you are up for serving DIY wedding dessert, go for it. Remember, you can make or buy what you need, and dress it all up accordingly. Make sure you have a solid plan for pricing, supplies, and transportation. And, don’t do it alone. You’ve got this! Happy wedding planning!
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