How Many Desserts Do You Need for a Wedding?

Deciding what desserts you should have at your wedding is a common question for engaged couples planning their big day. A grand wedding cake or elaborate dessert table is the perfect way to celebrate your new life together while fulfilling your guests’ sweet cravings. For tips on how to calculate your ideal number of wedding desserts and ideas for sweets to include on your menu, we’ve provided this guide to help you out.

Should You Offer Dessert at Your Wedding?

While offering desserts is a personal choice that depends on the couple’s preference, guests typically expect at least one dessert option at a wedding reception. In the next couple of sections, we’ll go over how to calculate the number of desserts you’ll likely need for your wedding guests, then recommend some desserts you might consider providing. 

Calculating How Many Desserts You Need for Your Wedding Guests

If you’re serving a traditional wedding cake, you can use tiers to determine how many guests your cake will feed. Use the estimates below for reference if needed:

• A 4-inch round tier serves about eight people.
• A 6-inch round tier serves 12.
• An 8-inch round tier serves 24.
• A 9-inch round tier serves 32.
• A 10-inch round tier serves 38.
• A 12-inch round tier serves 56.
• A 14-inch round tier serves 78.
• A 16-inch round tier serves 100.

All in all, it’s better to have too many desserts than not enough, so you may want to plan extras if possible. In addition to — or instead of — your wedding cake, you might consider having a dessert table or station. If so, it’s important to make sure there are plenty of goodies to go around. 

An easy trick to remember is that if you’re serving small individual treats such as cookies or cupcakes, you can multiply your expected number of guests by 2.5. This can provide you with an accurate estimate and help ensure you have enough desserts to feed all of your guests. 

If you have some more wiggle room in your budget, you may even consider increasing this number to 3.5 desserts per guest and offering take-home bags or boxes — this way, your guests can bring goodies home with them.

When planning your wedding, speak with your caterer or baker to determine these calculations. They can likely help you figure out how much cake or dessert you’ll need for the reception.

How Many Desserts Should I Have at My Wedding?

Your dessert spread can be as elaborate or as simple as you please. For example, if you plan to have a table full of mini desserts, you may consider a wide variety of cookies, brownies or donuts for guests to choose from. On the other hand, maybe you’d prefer one fruity dessert and one chocolatey dessert in addition to your wedding cake to keep your selections simple while catering to multiple tastes.

How Much Should You Budget for Dessert?

Like most elements of wedding planning, your dessert budget should ultimately depend on your expected guest count. However, the average cost of a wedding cake is $500, so you may want to keep this in mind when budgeting for sweets.

Many bakers will price wedding cake by the slice, and the average wedding cake cost can range anywhere from $2.50-$8 per slice. Certain factors can also drive up the cost of your wedding cake, such as the type of icing, fancy fillings, sugar flowers, molded shapes and vivid colors.

For a more cost-effective option, you might consider serving your cake in half-slices so you can order less cake, provided half-slices will be enough to feed your guests. Cupcakes can be a less expensive alternative to a full cake as well.

If you choose to have a dessert table in addition to your cake, this will increase costs as well. Determine if your budget will allow for both of these things and how much you can comfortably spend on additional desserts.

7 Types of Desserts to Include on Your Menu

Need some delicious and creative desserts to serve at your wedding reception? Below are seven ideas to cater to any sweet tooth.

1. Wedding cake: A classic and timeless wedding cake is the perfect way to celebrate your big day. With a large selection of flavors, colors and intricate features to choose from, you’ll surely have a scrumptious and picturesque wedding cake to remember forever.
2. Ice cream: If you’re having a summer wedding, cool your guests off with a refreshing ice cream bar. Have your guests scoop their ice cream into cones or small dishes and add an assortment of flavors and toppings for them to enjoy.
3. Donuts: For a creative and unique dessert to serve your guests, provide a delicious selection of donuts at your wedding! With a variety of types and flavors to choose from, your donut station is bound to be a success. Include fun toppings such as fruit, sprinkles, chocolate chips or powdered sugar.
4. Chocolate-covered fruit: Chocolate-covered strawberries, grapes or other fruits are a delicious treat that will have your guests coming back for more. If your budget is flexible, you can rent an elaborate chocolate fountain for guests to dip fruit themselves.
5. Tarts: Consider serving some delicious and elegant berry tarts for guests who prefer fruity desserts. Don’t forget to set out some whipped topping!
6. Cheesecake: If you’re looking for a soft yet rich dessert to serve at your wedding, consider serving cheesecake at your dessert table. Provide an assortment of fruits, nuts, chocolate chips and other toppings for guests to add if desired.
7. Cookies: With many different kinds to choose from, such as chocolate chip, classic sugar, macaroons or snickerdoodles, cookies will surely be a hit at your wedding.

Changing the Way You Think About Desserts

Believe it or not, not all wedding desserts need to be food. A bar with dessert wines and cocktails can be a cost-effective way to provide elegant sweets at your wedding for guests of legal drinking age. This is also a great way to avoid excessive leftover treats. In addition to your wedding wines and champagnes, consider factoring in some dessert wines to your alcohol menu. 

Browse Dessert Wines at Marketview Liquor

Whether it’s a silky smooth Choco Vine with a dark chocolate finish, a sweet Taylor Port with rich fruity flavors or a Bella Ice Wine with an intense grape flavor, Marketview Liquor can help you find the perfect dessert wines to serve at your wedding.

Need additional help with food and drink planning? We also offer event and wedding planning services to help you determine your ideal wines to order as well as an accurate quantity of each one. With our professional resources to guide you through this detailed and complex process, your drink or dessert bar is bound to be a crowd-pleaser.

Let us make your special day even more memorable with lovely wine options to serve your guests. Browse dessert wines at Marketview Liquor today!