Wait, don’t eat that wedding cake!

June 18th, 2008, 5:15 pm · 7 Comments · posted by Hang Nguyen, retail reporter

Fork over $1,000 for a real wedding cake for 300 guests?

Or rent a fake one for $150 to $250?

That’s the choice a lot of brides and grooms make after talking to Stephanie Chavez. She owns Fake The Cake, a two-year-old Upland business that serves Southern California. About a third of her business comes from Orange County.

Chavez, who has rented out cakes to hundreds of couples this year, said fake-cake rental revenue has jumped roughly 10 to 15 percent year to date vs. the same time last year.

“Brides and grooms are trying to save money any way they can,” she said.

The couples or their parents, who are already saddled with a hefty wedding bill, are also hurting from high gas prices and rising food costs.

“The economy is bad, but it’s working out to my advantage,” Chavez said.

About half of the brides and grooms who rent Chavez’ Styrofoam cakes also buy real sheet cakes from her (they’re frosted but not decorated) at $1.50 a slice. With 300 guests, that can mean a savings of at least $300.

Other couples don’t have cake and offer another dessert or a dessert bar via another vendor, Chavez said. She also customizes her fake cakes to match wedding themes by switching out ribbons and flowers.

Speaking of wedding spending, while some are saving money, the industry as a whole is expected to benefit from the California Supreme Court’s recent decision to extend marriage to same-sex couples, according to a report by the Williams Institute at the UCLA School of Law.

Spending by California same-sex couples and by out-of-state couples on tourism and their weddings is expected to boost California’s economy by more than $683.6 million over the next three years.

(Photos from Fake The Cake Web site.)

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