Wedding cakes and desserts

Walter Martinez2 said:What kind of harm is done if I bring homemade cookies without a label, where I personally act as James that they can sue—instead of some small business—if someone gets sick, when in reality the lawsuit would be against me anyway rather than the restaurant?
I don't think this should be an issue. If I have my own wine and can bake my own treats, and I'm willing to take responsibility for it, why won't they work with me? Especially nowadays, I don't want to waste money on overpriced catering when I can make it myself for half the price. It's common knowledge that anything labeled "for a wedding" ends up costing twice as much.☕

You aren't going to bake those for half the price; maybe you'll get them for 🙂a third of the cost
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Walter Martinez2, I am curious to hear your final assessment. Just how much did you actually save on those desserts, considering you were sourcing all your ingredients from big-box retailers? Let’s be honest—for the average American household, baking at home has become an absolute luxury these days, hasn't it?
Furthermore, wouldn't it be more cost-effective to purchase spirits directly from a restaurant at their wholesale rates—which is standard practice, after all—rather than paying the inflated prices found at retail centers? Or are you suggesting that you are making your own liquor at home? 🤷

Our pastries are priced at $20/lb, and let me be perfectly clear: I know for a fact I couldn't whip these up myself for any less than that!! 🙂: Besides, having that certification isn't exactly trivial... everything happens for a reason! (Apple) In certain circles, specifically among some folks, one might find it useful to lean on that old adage: it’s better to remain silent and be thought a fool than to speak up and remove all doubt... so, I'll leave you to draw your own conclusions about that. 🤣

You're absolutely right, velvetwalker742—it’s not like restaurants just woke up one day and decided they needed all those labels for their pastries out of nowhere... it’s actually an Apple requirement.

I was wondering though—what’s the typical going rate per pound for dry cookies these days? $27?

Jason Jackson4 said:Unfortunately, that’s just not how things work!
It’s simple, really. You just need that confirmation from the small business office and you're all set! That’s it. Done.

We bake our own cakes and pastries—it’s actually what we do for a living—and I can tell you, we have never had a single instance of food poisoning or anything even remotely close to that. It’s a completely different story compared to those small local businesses around here that have been making headlines for all the wrong reasons. Still, we’re going to end up buying a few kilos from them just so we can attach their certification to our products. Apparently, that's just how things work now; there's no other way to get by. 🤷
That’s just how it’s gotta be. Period.

I told them I had a receipt for 3 lbs of pastries to justify the full 12 lbs.

quietcrane75 said:I’ve always had a soft spot for baking, but honestly, I can't even fathom the thought of whipping up a single dessert for my own wedding. And frankly, I have no desire to terrorize my friends and family into doing the heavy lifting for me—which, let's be real, is exactly what some people in our circle tend to do. It might seem like ordering custom sweets is an expensive luxury at first glance, but once you actually sit down and factor in the hours spent prepping, the cost of ingredients, the electricity bill, the decorating, and the delivery... I would gladly hand over that cash just to avoid standing over a hot oven trying to stabilize buttercream when it's a blistering 95 degrees outside.
O.T. I’m heading over to Sweetwater today to finalize the dessert spread for the guests and the welcome treats at my place; the catering for the reception hall was settled ages ago 🙂 I'll report back with my thoughts...

My aunt and mom baked some cookies for me since they offered to. They chose recipes that weren't expensive, but they taste great.🙂

redfox37 said:Walter Martinez2, I am curious to hear your final assessment. Just how much did you actually save on those desserts, considering you were sourcing all your ingredients from big-box retailers? Let’s be honest—for the average American household, baking at home has become an absolute luxury these days, hasn't it?
Furthermore, wouldn't it be more cost-effective to purchase spirits directly from a restaurant at their wholesale rates—which is standard practice, after all—rather than paying the inflated prices found at retail centers? Or are you suggesting that you are making your own liquor at home? 🤷

I don't have an exact breakdown because I didn't track every cent, but I know my mom picked a huge batch of peaches, and they ended up being way cheaper than anything we could have bought at the store.
As for the spirits, everything was homemade, including the wine. Nothing was purchased from a retailer.

Walter Martinez2 said:I told them I had a receipt for 3 lbs of pastries to justify the full 12 lbs.

See? I wasn't even denying it. I was just commenting on how much of a disaster we are!

Walter Martinez2 said:Following your logic, people could also claim they ate terrible desserts at the Mayan wedding at a certain restaurant. They might not even mention the specific treats or realize where they were ordered from—just like with my situation. Those guests were family and friends, and I doubt anyone would start talking trash about me or the hotel if that actually happened.

Keep doubting if you want to 🙂

I just love these geniuses who are always spinning some elaborate tale while the rest of us, actually doing the work on the ground, end up looking like total idiots...

Walter Martinez2 said:I'm really curious to know which pastries are actually worth the price $33/lb. I don't believe that a higher price tag always guarantees better quality. My cake for a 70-person event cost $217 and everyone loved it. Plus, my aunt—who is basically like a second mother to me—made some desserts, and I just ordered 4 lbs of creamy ones... they were a huge hit too. So... ☕

They're worth it if they aren't loaded with margarine, artificial creams, or those weird plant-based whipped toppings ☕...

Personally, Meli doesn't cut it for me anymore—maybe they were good six or seven years ago, but today? Not so much...

I’ve been looking into the bakery scene over in Des Moines lately. We’ve hit up a few spots already, and so far, the most budget-friendly option has been Appalachia, though their business seems to have taken a real hit over the last couple of years... unlike some of the other local shops, such as the ones out in The Bayou, they barely seem to get any wedding bookings at all. I can't help but wonder if their quality has actually slipped, or if there's some other reason for the decline...

We’re definitely grabbing ours from Vanilla over in Des Moines... their treats are seriously killer! I just can't stand the stuff from the other places—honestly, even the local Hillbilly bakeries leave me wanting more 🤷

espinada, honestly, if you're looking into the $20 over in the Abyss near Des Moines, here's my two cents. I’ve actually attended two weddings they’ve catered, and while the desserts were perfectly fine—tasty enough, certainly, but nothing that would make you jump out of your seat in pure ecstasy—they were just solid, reliable treats. However, I have to say, their decor absolutely blew me away; those mirror displays were just 😲 perfection, all delicately dusted with powdered sugar and arranged with such intentional, beautiful precision... it really caught my eye. In my humble opinion, they aren't even pricey, especially since they charge $67 for transport from Des Moines out to our area. It feels like that amount barely covers the gas and tolls on the interstate, but hey, that's just their number. 😍

We actually picked up some treats from the Abyss for the salad course—they’re perfectly decent, I suppose, but nothing to write home about. For the main spread and to share with guests, we’ve decided to go with Sweet Secret. We had already reached an agreement, and honestly, I am just floored by their approach. The kindness, the sheer professionalism, the free tasting session... plus, they threw in an extra pound of pastries for us to keep at home. And the flavors? Absolutely divine. They’re light, incredibly tasty, and you don't get that heavy, greasy feeling from too much sugar or margarine. They’re packed with walnuts, and every single one has a unique profile. Now, I find myself in a bit of a dilemma regarding the wedding cake; I'm torn between them and Quincy. I’ve tried the cakes at their bakery, and they truly are wonderful—plus, it would be more budget-friendly than going with Quincy. The issue is that I had my heart set on Quincy from the very beginning, but the way Sweet Secret handles everything has totally won me over. To make matters worse, Quincy raised her prices due to those tax hikes, so now it's $4.25 per person, and I have no guarantee they won't climb even higher... I think my partner and I will do one more tasting in the next few days before making our final call on the cake 🙂

Monica doesn't touch anything with nuts—too many allergy risks to deal with.

Hey ladies,🙂 I’ve been scrolling through this thread, but honestly, it’s just way too massive to navigate—I feel like I'm drowning in posts... so please forgive me if this has already been covered somewhere else in the chaos.🤣 I was wondering, roughly how far in advance should I be finalizing everything and putting down a deposit for the wedding desserts? We're looking at about 100 guests, and I'm trying to figure out how much cake we actually need—keep in mind, there won't be any extra treats kept at home, it's just about having enough for the venue and making sure everyone gets a little something to take home with them...😍 Thanks!

slyskipper4 said:Hey ladies,🙂 I’ve been scrolling through this thread, but honestly, it’s just way too massive to navigate—I feel like I'm drowning in posts... so please forgive me if this has already been covered somewhere else in the chaos.🤣 I was wondering, roughly how far in advance should I be finalizing everything and putting down a deposit for the wedding desserts? We're looking at about 100 guests, and I'm trying to figure out how much cake we actually need—keep in mind, there won't be any extra treats kept at home, it's just about having enough for the venue and making sure everyone gets a little something to take home with them...😍 Thanks!

Booking desserts is a bit of a moving target... personally, I put my deposit down three months out, though when I was visiting local bakeries, they told me three weeks is plenty of notice. Then there is Monica—she follows a different "philosophy" entirely. She’s pregnant, so she refuses to overwork herself—she’ll only take on a handful of orders regardless of her actual staff capacity (her words, not mine)... but I digress.
As for the quantities... our baker suggested roughly 10 ounces per person, which works out to about 6 pounds for a hundred people. She suggested bumping that up to 15 ounces per person if we wanted enough for everyone to take some home, but even that is subjective—it really depends on how large your dessert boxes are.

Scott Reed12 said:Booking desserts is a bit of a moving target... personally, I put my deposit down three months out, though when I was visiting local bakeries, they told me three weeks is plenty of notice. Then there is Monica—she follows a different "philosophy" entirely. She’s pregnant, so she refuses to overwork herself—she’ll only take on a handful of orders regardless of her actual staff capacity (her words, not mine)... but I digress.
As for the quantities... our baker suggested roughly 10 ounces per person, which works out to about 6 pounds for a hundred people. She suggested bumping that up to 15 ounces per person if we wanted enough for everyone to take some home, but even that is subjective—it really depends on how large your dessert boxes are.

Thanks... you've been incredibly helpful!🙂 Though, now that I think about it, 10 ounces feels a bit light... that's basically just the weight of a standard chocolate bar🙄 And then there's the fact that some pastries are heavier while others are much lighter...😍

slyskipper4 said:Thanks... you've been incredibly helpful!🙂 Though, now that I think about it, 10 ounces feels a bit light... that's basically just the weight of a standard chocolate bar🙄 And then there's the fact that some pastries are heavier while others are much lighter...😍

But you kind of have to go with an average—half your guests probably won't touch a single dessert, while half the rest might grab one small bite, and there are very few people who are going to polish off a whole 7-ounce serving, right?
Personally, though, I’m always with the "better to have leftovers" crowd than to run out mid-party...

Matthew, that’s more than enough 😉
We grabbed about five ounces per person for the banquet hall—a mix of creamy and dry. Pastry chefs always know the perfect ratio. We ended up with half a tray left over.