A pricey slice of cake! The exorbitant cost of celebrity weddings is nothing new, but who knew a wedding cake could be so expensive?
Stars such as George Clooney and Amal Clooney are among those who spent several thousand dollars on their wedding day dessert. According to the cake experts at Jack and Beyond, an upscale bakery in London, the Clooneys’ extravagant three-tier cake (which was just one small part of their lavish 2014 wedding in Venice) cost an estimated $7,000.
While Meghan Markle and Prince Harry opted for an understated cake when they tied the knot at St George’s Chapel at Windsor Castle in May 2018, the confection, which was created by London baker Claire Ptak, still cost the duo an estimated $3,600.
“I created an entirely new and original selection — and took six sample flavors to the meeting,” Ptak told Eater London in May 2018 of her first encounter with royal duo. And since the couple made no specific requests prior to the meeting, Ptak said it was actually “really, really hard” to come up with options she thought they might like. “I had no idea what they were looking for,” she added. “They told me to think outside of the box, but I included one (traditional) fruitcake option.”
As royal fans know, the pair, who announced they were stepping back from the royal family in February, chose a lemon and elderflower confection that was covered with buttercream and decorated with fresh flowers. A source told Us Weekly just days before the royal nuptials that Ptak sourced lemons from a different part of Europe to ensure that the cake was as tasty as can be. “The lemons [Ptak] used for the royal wedding cake come from a grove in Sorrento, just off the Amalfi Coast in Southern Italy,” the insider revealed at the time.
When it comes to wedding cake costs, bespoke cake consultant Sophia Zimmer noted via Jack and Beyond that height can certainly play a role. “The taller the cake, the higher the price,” she explained in a press release. “Having double tiers or many layers will bring up the cost.”
Another thing that has an impact on the price tag? The type of decorations used on the cake. “Frosting is your friend!” Zimmer declared. “Frosted or half-naked tiers are often more moderately priced than the equivalent covered in sugar paste or marzipan. Frosting can also easily be textured to play with the effect.”
“The more handmade decorative elements you add to the cake, the more it will cost,” she added. “You can create very elegant looking cakes with relatively simple elements. Fresh flowers for example, even just a few, always look great and can be matched to your table decorations or theme for the wedding.”
Scroll down to see which stars had some of the most expensive wedding cakes!
