by Melissa Hale

Created on: March 24, 2010

In tough economic times like these, making your own wedding cake can seem like a great alternative to shelling out a large part of your budget to a pricey bakery. By rolling up your sleeves and being open to some DIY you can cut the cake budget in half.

Understandably, many brides have an anxiety attack trying to figure out how they would possibly get a cake together the day before the wedding when there is so much for them to do already. Others may worry about the difficulty aspect of making a wedding cake, more than the time management issue. There are a couple of different ways to help make this part of your big day a little less stressful.

Option 1: Faux Cake

Making a fake cake, though a little less traditional, is the perfect way to go if you are worried about money or time management. You can easily get away with spending less than one hundred dollars on the whole project.  This price includes the thirty dollars or so you will be spending on sheet cake the guests will be served. Another advantage of faux cakes is that they can be made weeks in advance, because it is just for looks and won’t actually be eaten.  

Most craft stores that have a cake decorating section should offer cake dummies. These are Styrofoam cake layers available in many shapes and sizes.  They are easy to decorate and you don’t have to worry about losing the shape of your cake, due to any temperature issues you may experience during the wedding. These dummies can be covered with either icing or fondant just like a normal cake. Just make sure to smear a thin layer of shortening onto the Styrofoam layers first if you choose fondant. This will give the fondant something to hold on to. 

You can make a simple cake elegant just by lining the bottom of each cake layer with a ribbon and adding flowers to match. Your guests will admire your cake without even a sneaking suspicion that it might be faux. 

When it comes to cutting the cake, you can either make the top layer real or put a slit in one of the layers of Styrofoam to slide your knife into for pictures. If you choose the latter then hide a piece of the sheet cake your guests will be served right behind the cake to use for the pictures of feeding each other. Problem solved!

Option 2: Cupcake Tower

Though it may sound a little informal for a wedding, cupcake towers have really become a hit in recent years. Not only is it cheaper than buying a full- blown wedding cake, it also is easier to make. This

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