Wedding cakes and desserts

How many pastries are you all planning to grab? I’m talking about those little bite-sized ones, weighed out by the pound. I'm trying to figure out the math—how much should go on the dessert table for the reception versus how much we should pack into little favor boxes for guests to take home? I've already put down my deposits, but I need to give the bakery my final numbers pretty soon... so I'm really curious to hear your thoughts!

So, I was told the standard rule of thumb is about 0.2 to 0.3 lbs per person, or maybe just a few ounces if you're being conservative.
But honestly? That math doesn't account for when you want to actually share the cake with family, close friends, and everyone else. You can't just stick to the bare minimum.
For my own planning, I’d take that baseline amount and then just tack on an extra 45 pounds. Why? Because you want enough to give to your inner circle—just as a sweet gesture—and because you have to think about those guests who come back to visit later. Plus, my mom always has her own way of handling things at her place, so she'll probably grab some too....
As for handing out leftovers at the end of the night? Yeah, that's not happening. There’s always going to be leftover cake the next morning anyway, whether it's sitting at the venue or if the catering staff at the Marriott manages to snag a few pieces if it's convenient.
I’m planning to hand out treats the following day when my close friends drop by to visit. It’ll be much more chill then, and I can actually give them a generous helping instead of rushing through it on the wedding day itself...
When you're at the venue, just bring enough cake to cover what you promised, along with whatever little plates or containers you need for them to pack it up.... plus, let's be real, people usually want another pound or two more than they say they do, just so we aren't caught off guard...
Anyway... if that helps you out even a little bit... awesome...

I just picked up some sample cakes from Magnolia Bakery to try them out, and honestly, they are delicious—especially that chocolate mousse one. I’m curious to hear what you all think... has anyone here recently had one of their wedding cakes or tried any of their other desserts?

boldbison32 said:I just picked up some sample cakes from Magnolia Bakery to try them out, and honestly, they are delicious—especially that chocolate mousse one. I’m curious to hear what you all think... has anyone here recently had one of their wedding cakes or tried any of their other desserts?

We actually used them for our wedding cake, and we went with a parfait style...
The reaction after the reception was pretty much like this: "The music was great, but oh my god, that CAKE!!!!"

Everyone kept asking for seconds... if not thirds!

So yeah, 👍👍👍

boldbison32 said:I just picked up some sample cakes from Magnolia Bakery to try them out, and honestly, they are delicious—especially that chocolate mousse one. I’m curious to hear what you all think... has anyone here recently had one of their wedding cakes or tried any of their other desserts?

We used M&M for our wedding cake and desserts. It was a five-tier parfait and Black Forest combo. Everyone loved it. Honestly, it was so good the wedding party and the older guests were asking if we could pack some up for them. We actually had an entire tier left over because we ordered for 100 people but only 80 showed up. The presentation was beautiful, and those mini pastries? Probably the best I've ever had. We just ordered a cake from them for a christening, so I expect it'll be just as great. My only gripe is the price. They aren't cheap. A kilo of assorted minis is $40, and a small cake for about 30 people runs $133.
Our wedding was $333 three years ago.

Douglas Martinez15 said:Hey everyone... I could use some help. I've already sorted out the cookies, but now I really need to find the right cake. I'm based out of Columbus, so I was wondering if anyone has ordered a cake from Graber or Luciana? I'd love to hear how their work turns out or if you have any other bakery recommendations between my place and Big Merchant where the wedding is being held. I know I should probably go sample everything at the shops myself, but I just won't have the time while I'm getting ready for the ceremony 🙂 also, I'd love to hear from anyone who has actually ordered cakes along that route before 🙂

Graber's cakes are great. Really good. The pastries are just okay, though. A friend used them for a wedding—they were solid, but nothing mind-blowing. I live right by Luciana and stop by for coffee and sweets sometimes, but their pastries aren't my favorite. Not sure about their cakes.
I can definitely recommend M&M's in the suburbs. Their cakes and pastries are amazing; we used them for our wedding. Check out their site: www.mim.hr

So, what’s the verdict on the cookies and cakes from Emma’s over in Columbus?

cosmicwalker17 said:So, what’s the verdict on the cookies and cakes from Emma’s over in Columbus?

If you ask me, they are absolutely top-tier.🙏 However, I must share a different experience. A few days after some ladies were raving about Cashner’s bakery, my husband and I decided to pick up a few pounds of their wedding cakes to bring home. I must admit, we were quite disappointed. 😢The aftertaste of margarine from the white pie still lingers on my palate, the bohem square was entirely flavorless, and everything else was merely mediocre. To be fair, the cookies are visually stunning. I have no intention of being overly critical, but we won't be returning there; we will certainly stick to Emma and Sugarman!🙂

Daniel Barrett6 said:If you ask me, they are absolutely top-tier.🙏 However, I must share a different experience. A few days after some ladies were raving about Cashner’s bakery, my husband and I decided to pick up a few pounds of their wedding cakes to bring home. I must admit, we were quite disappointed. 😢The aftertaste of margarine from the white pie still lingers on my palate, the bohem square was entirely flavorless, and everything else was merely mediocre. To be fair, the cookies are visually stunning. I have no intention of being overly critical, but we won't be returning there; we will certainly stick to Emma and Sugarman!🙂

You know, Emma's treats left me with that exact same impression. I almost 🤮 when I bit into the Shubarić, because there was just so much margarine in it, and the rest felt so bland too...

David Howard9 said:You know, Emma's treats left me with that exact same impression. I almost 🤮 when I bit into the Shubarić, because there was just so much margarine in it, and the rest felt so bland too...

Oh, I just knew you would be the first one to chime in on this😂. Don't take it personally, but everyone has already heard that story about your fruitcake, much like they've already heard your takes on Emma.😉

Daniel Barrett6 said:Oh, I just knew you would be the first one to chime in on this😂. Don't take it personally, but everyone has already heard that story about your fruitcake, much like they've already heard your takes on Emma.😉

I'm not upset at all, 😁 actually, I happen to love those little treats😂. >But when I tried them here, the aftertaste was just... unpleasant. It's one of those flavors that really sticks with you for a long time... quite vivid, actually.

Maybe I just happened to get a bad batch, much like you did...?!?!

Not everyone wants the same thing, which is why 😉

David Howard9 said:I'm not upset at all, 😁 actually, I happen to love those little treats😂. >But when I tried them here, the aftertaste was just... unpleasant. It's one of those flavors that really sticks with you for a long time... quite vivid, actually.

Maybe I just happened to get a bad batch, much like you did...?!?!

That seems to be the case.😉 Since I am aware that many women have been praising Kaiser just as much as they have Apple, I find myself wondering... 🙂
I realize this is somewhat off-topic, but I find myself wondering: when might you finally grace us with those photographs from your wedding?🙂

We recently treated ourselves to some treats from Apple, and I have to say, those sugar cookies were absolutely delicious. On the other hand, the walnut pastries and the white cream pie were a total miss for us—just didn't hit the mark at all. It makes me think that maybe it just comes down to luck and which batch you happen to grab on any given day 🤷

cosmicwalker17 said:So, what’s the verdict on the cookies and cakes from Emma’s over in Columbus?

I picked up some cookies from them for Christmas and they were honestly fantastic. I also ordered a cake for my dad's birthday; they actually messed up the order by making it smaller than what I asked for, but I have to give them credit—they made up for it by throwing in seven extra slices for free. Honestly, those extra pieces were worth more than the difference in price for the larger cake I originally wanted...

As for Apple, I have nothing but praise.

I’m curious, ladies—what are you all charging per pound for your baked goods? Also, where did you pick up those little giveaway boxes for when people head home, and what was the damage to your wallet?
I still need to hunt some down...

cosmicwalker17 said:I’m curious, ladies—what are you all charging per pound for your baked goods? Also, where did you pick up those little giveaway boxes for when people head home, and what was the damage to your wallet?
I still need to hunt some down...

Well, cookie prices can vary quite a bit depending on where you shop—you might want to scroll through this thread or just ask about a specific local bakery.

Michael Martinez16 said:Can't wait to hear how they land.

Honestly, all their cookies taste exactly the same to me... They look gorgeous in photos, sure, but once they hit your tongue? Total margarine vibes. Look, everyone’s got an opinion, I guess... Just go grab a pound of them from the bakery and judge for yourself.

Hey ladies, does anyone know where I can pick up some porcelain cake toppers? Not looking for anything edible—just some cute, simple little figurines we can keep as keepsakes after the party.

Also, I see you all have been hitting up Apple and Kaiser for desserts... We ended up going with Apple; everything is always so fresh and delicious, so we grab their stuff for pretty much every occasion. I actually picked up some from Kaiser yesterday to give them a shot since everyone here raves about them, but honestly? Total letdown. They all tasted exactly the same to me, and don't even get me started on that neon pink "authentic homemade" cake I saw—yikes! To be fair, Apple has a couple of varieties that aren't really my thing either—like those super dry ones loaded with cocoa—but we just skip those.