Weddings Are Expensive: Can a Grocery Store Cake Still Feel Special?

Where couples are cutting costs

A specialty baker can charge more than $1,000 to create a wedding cake. Costco, by contrast, sells half sheet cakes for about $30 each, while Publix offers wedding cake designs and tastings.

Zola puts the average wedding cost at about $36,000. Bank of America Institute reported that wedding spending among its customers rose 8.5% in May compared with a year earlier.

Some couples are choosing where to save as inflation raises prices for items such as suits and catering, while tariffs increase costs for imported flowers and bridal gowns. Zola communications head Emily Forrest said about one-third of surveyed couples would consider spending less on cake and dessert.

Keeping the cake tradition

Lily Alana Stewart, who married last year in central Alabama, ordered her cake from Publix. The store worked baby's breath into its design, matching decorations she used at the venue.

Stewart said co-workers were surprised to learn the cake came from the grocery chain. She said guests still expect cake at a wedding, even when couples are looking to spend less.

Prices and trade-offs

Zola estimates the average wedding cake at about $5.50 per slice. Publix cake costs about $1.50 less per slice, and the chain offers a tasting flight with four flavors, including red velvet and carrot cake.

In the Birmingham area, a chocolate cake with fondant serving 94 people is listed at $388. Publix stores around Birmingham sell about 50% more wedding cakes than before 2020, according to company specialist Jeff Brancato.

Costco's half sheet cake works out to about 70 cents per slice, but the retailer does not list it as a wedding cake. Grocery cakes may have fewer flavor and decoration options than those from specialty bakers.

Choosing what matters most

Anna Holleran, who married in California's Bay Area this year, chose a Costco cake while prioritizing savings. Her wedding was near California wine country, where venues are expensive and couples travel to marry.

Holleran said the cake's culinary details were less important than sharing dessert with her spouse for the first time. She described that moment as symbolic of the sweet experiences a marriage can bring.