The Ultimate Face Off: Wedding Cake vs. Cupcakes

Due to my anxiety and excitement about this coming weekend's wedding related activities (I am meeting up with my June couple and their parents as well as meeting my summer intern!), I took out all the pent-up energy on a batch of Superbowl inspired cupcakes. While attempting to scrape blue food coloring off of my fingers, I began to think about cupcakes and their recent high society take-back. I'm not sure if you are aware, fellow bloggers, but cupcakes have made a return to the "trendy must-haves" list for weddings and other events. They have been popping up again and again as a trendy cute way to save or add a fun twist to the dessert portion of your wedding. 

So keeping that in mind, I plan on using this post to scout out the truth. Are cupcakes the ultimate alternative? Taking a cue from a recent wedding article, I will be casting my vote in the wedding cake vs. cupcake face-off, based on the categories of cost, style, and tradition.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~


COST: Unfortunately, in this economy, cost is often the main factor for a choice. When wedding cupcakes first entered the spotlight, they instantly became a big money saver.  Who wouldn't want to spent 1-2 dollars for a single cupcake as opposed to 6-10 dollars for 1 slice of cake?!

The thing here is that wedding cupcakes are just as much work if not more than a traditional 3+ tier wedding cake. If you think about it, each individual cupcake needs to be baked, iced, and decorated identically…. That takes some serious dedication to detail on the baker's part. In the end, it all comes down to choices.

Winner: A tie! When it comes down to the choice, you can do cupcakes more inexpensively than you can buy a wedding cake, but in the end, a beautiful wedding cake provides valuable memories.  And it's probably cheaper to have a memorable wedding cake than to decorate each individual cupcake... especially if you do it yourself!

STYLE: As a fellow blogger said to me, “There's something so whimsically childlike about unwrapping a cupcake.” Ironically, that is the most divisive aspect of these sweet treats!  As much fun as they are, do cupcakes really scream sophistication? If you are leaning towards a traditional formal wedding, you may want to steer away from the pint-size morsels and stay true to the grand formal wedding cake. If your wedding guests are traditional people, they might think that cupcakes are too casual, or worse, cheap. 

On the other hand, if your reception is relaxed and fun is your 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'. 

Winner: 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: Lets face it, wedding cakes have been the standard for over 100 years. There are traditions linked to the cake, such as the cake cutting, and cake toppers, that go hand in hand with them. Cupcakes leave no room for a cake topper, or at least not a normal sized one, and a cake cutting on a cupcake is just a little silly (though much easier to clean up if you're in the mood to stuff cake in your new spouse's face!). 

On the other hand, couples have found ways to have the best of both worlds. They can order a small round to sit on top of the cupcake tower and use it for the cake cutting, as well as a perch for everyone favorite wax figurines. 

Winner: Wedding Cake! There is no arguing it, cupcakes will never be as elegantly traditional as wedding cake. 

Overall, it's a tie!  With these pros and cons, and the help of a few tips I've mentioned, you can figure out which is best for your wedding.

Keep an eye out for the next Ultimate Face Off!

Stay Sweet!

xoxo
Katherine