The Complete Guide to Grocery Store Wedding Cakes (2024)

Planning your wedding comes with a long list of decisions to make, from choosing your venue and invitations to pretty florals. Included in that list of choices is what dessert you plan to serve. And while there are plenty of unique options such as cookies, churros, and cupcakes, for many, it’s all about serving up classic slices of wedding cake.

What if you could take much of the guesswork out of choosing your wedding cake? And better yet, save money while you’re at it? For many couples, a grocery store wedding cake is the ideal solution. Grocery store bakeries may not be able to accommodate entirely elaborate designs, but there are still plenty of stunning options. Plus, it may also mean choosing a cake flavor you already know and love.

"It really isn't about choosing a grocery store, but rather trusting a brand they have grown up with," says Maria Brous, director of communications at Publix Super Markets. "On your special day, you want to be surrounded by family, friends, good food, and things that bring good memories."

Wondering if a cake from your favorite grocery store might be the right fit for your big day? Read on to learn all about grocery store wedding cakes in this helpful guide.

Average Cost of Grocery Store Wedding Cakes

On average, wedding cakes cost $350, but if you’re looking for a simpler sweet, a grocery store wedding cake will generally help you save. If you’re hoping for a particular cake flavor or an elaborate design, a custom cake designer or devoted cake bakery may be your best bet for your wedding cake. Of course, that attention to detail and the development of from-scratch cake flavors come with additional labor and cost.

The main detail to consider when ordering a grocery store wedding cake is size. Think about how many people you’ll need to feed and check with the bakery department about your options. The size of the cake will ultimately determine the cost. Options might also be cheaper at grocery stores that do not allow for as much customization.

While grocery store wedding cake costs can certainly vary, you will find that smaller cake options range from $20 to $50, with estimates for larger, more intricate cakes widely ranging between $70 and $300. "There's flexibility and customization without breaking the bank," says Brous.

What to Know Before Ordering

First things first, it’s important to remember that ordering your wedding cake in advance is crucial. While grocery store bakeries may not need a whole year’s notice, it’s best to order at least four months in advance. This will give the bakery department time to be sure all materials are on hand at the store, along with managing any scheduling needs to accommodate your request.

The options for ordering a grocery store wedding cake are typically limited. You will have a few flavor choices, such as chocolate or vanilla cake. Depending on the store, there might be additional options for filling flavors, along with frosting choices.

In choosing the decorations for your wedding cake, it’s best to keep things simple or choose a design from the bakery’s lookbook, as decorators are specifically trained for those designs. If you’re hoping for a plain, frosted cake or a cake with a hint of texture, grocery store cakes are a great option. "Publix reviews the most popular trends every year and creates new designs about every 12 to 18 months," shares Brous.

Remember, if you opt for simplicity, you can also dress the cake up further on your own by adding a topper or fresh blooms.

Best Grocery Stores for Wedding Cakes

Whole Foods

With sheet cakes, single-tiered rounds, and even multi-tiered cakes, Whole Foods has a huge variety of cakes for any wedding size. With plenty of size options comes a long list of flavors, including lemon raspberry, peanut butter chocolate, and even vegan choices. Work with your local store’s decorator to find the best sizing and decoration options for you.

Safeway

While Safeway offers plenty of options for eight-inch round cakes that can be dressed up with blooms or a topper, you can also order a larger cake. Speak with the cake decorator at your local bakery to learn about sizing and decoration options for tiered wedding cakes. Many stores can offer a customized two-tiered round design made with either chocolate or vanilla cake.

Publix

There are plenty of cake flavor options at your local Publix,including marble, strawberry, and even confetti, along with a huge selection of filling options to find the perfect match. Publix has a lookbook of designs to choose from, or you can work with the decorator to create a gorgeous look. You can even bring in color swatches to match your wedding cake to the rest of your color palette.

Walmart

Walmart offers the option to customize single-tiered round cakes and sheet cakes, and you can even do it online. You can choose from chocolate or vanilla cake, along with different fillings and frostings. Walmart also offers several two- and three-tier wedding cake designs with a variety of flavor and decoration options.

Costco

Costco is well-known for its sheet cakes, and many people have grown up having a slice of classic vanilla or chocolate cake on special occasions. If you really need a good bang for your buck, you can order large, half-sheet cakes from Costco to dish up at your reception. Pair them with a round, decorated cutting cake as an easy option.

Sam’s Club

If you’re a Sam’s Club member, you’ll have the option to order a two-tier or three-tier wedding cake. You can choose chocolate or vanilla cake and talk to the bakery about customization options to find the best fit. Smaller round cakes, sheet cakes, and cupcakes are available as well.

Grocery Store Wedding Cake Ideas

Plenty of Texture

Looking for a cake with plenty of texture? This three-tiered cake from Publix featured buttercream detailing for the base of the cake. Beautiful blooms, including fluffy peonies, were added to dress it up even further.

Simple and Sweet

Need something small yet still entirely charming? This single-tiered cake from Whole Foods featured dainty dots to dress it up. The addition of a pop of color from fresh florals was the perfect fit to finish the look.

Four-Tiered Elegance

Think you can’t get a four-tiered wedding cake from a grocery store? Think again. This Publix wedding cake featured four tiers of textured buttercream with just a few white blooms for an elegant statement.

Multiple Mini Cakes

Not interested in the tiered look? A few grocery store cakes from Whole Foods may be the ideal solution! Put together a display of multiple single-tiered cakes on cake stands. Dress each cake up with a variety of florals and greenery to make them pop.

Dressed in Bright Blooms

This textured buttercream cake from Publix could certainly stand on its own, but fresh florals made it that much better. Dress up a grocery store wedding cake with brightly colored blooms to match the rest of your wedding aesthetic.

All About Greenery

It’s hard to believe that this wedding cake is from a grocery store, but it certainly is. The couple ordered a three-tiered cake from Publix as the perfect canvas. Dressed up with fresh florals, buds, and greenery, it’s truly stunning.