So how do you get a cake that looks and tastes great, without breaking the bank? Here are a few suggestions to cut the costs without sacrificing style:

• Check with your caterer and local baker first. Usually these are expensive alternatives, but occasionally you will find a good deal. Bakers who aren’t wedding cake specialists usually cost less, and home bakers who don’t have the overhead of a bakery often cost the least.

• Ask at your favorite restaurant if its pastry chef would consider baking your cake. Again, double-check the price, but I’ve heard from many brides that they went this route and saved money while getting an artistic confection that they cherished.

• If your local grocery store has a bakery, get a price quote from it. Oftentimes a supermarket can offer exceptional cakes for much less than a traditional bakery. Check the prices of non-wedding cakes (e.g., sheet cakes) as well, and consider that as an option.

• Investigate prices at a culinary school near you. If students are baking and decorating wedding cakes as part of their curriculum, the per person charge may be greatly reduced.

• Keep the cake simple and avoid labor-intensive decorations. Provide your own cake or ask a friend or relative to buy you one as a present. If you choose a basic cake style instead of one with multiple flavors, icings, fillings, and decorations, the price will be reflective.

• Skip having multiple tiers with fancy pillars. Either do without and have the cake layers stacked, borrow pillars if your baker provides this service, or have the baker use disposable pillars instead of the costly crystal ones. Also check with your local rental company to see if it has any available.

• Consider asking for a cake topper as a present. Often friends or relatives will ask what you want or need for a shower and/or wedding present. Let them know what style wedding topper you prefer (e.g., plastic, china). (One bride I know received a Lladro figurine couple as a gift.)

• Consider have a “dummy” cake as a centerpiece on the cake table. Rent or buy a Styrofoam show-cake from your local baker, and have the caterer serve your guests from sheet cakes that are plated in the back kitchen. Or have a small decorated cake for your cake cutting, and then serve the pre-plated sheet cake.

• Buy a multi-tiered cake, but decorate it yourself or have the florist do it for you. Not having extensive decorations on your cake will save the baker time and you money.

• Have a friend or family member bake you the cake.

• Skip the cake altogether and serve a nontraditional dessert, such as tartlets, cheesecake, or a dessert buffet.