Weddings are expensive. How about a grocery store cake?
By Emma Carter
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Intro
As wedding expenses rise, some couples are choosing cakes from grocery stores instead of specialty bakeries. The choice can reduce costs while preserving the familiar tradition of serving cake at a reception.
Vocabulary
| Word | Part of speech | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| practical adjective | adjective | Meaning: Useful and sensible for a particular situation or purpose. | Example: Taking the train is a practical choice for commuters. |
| specialty noun | noun | Meaning: A particular product or service that a business is especially known for providing. | Example: Fresh seafood is the restaurant's specialty. |
| pleased adjective | adjective | Meaning: Satisfied or happy about something that has happened or been received. | Example: The manager was pleased with the team's progress. |
| overall adjective | adjective | Meaning: Including all parts or aspects of something considered together. | Example: The overall quality of the service was excellent. |
| inflation noun | noun | Meaning: A general increase in prices that reduces the purchasing power of money. | Example: Inflation has made groceries more expensive this year. |
| preserve verb | verb | Meaning: To keep something in its existing condition or form. | Example: The museum works to preserve important historical documents. |
| financial adjective | adjective | Meaning: Related to money, income, spending, or managing resources. | Example: They received financial advice before buying a house. |
The story
Wedding celebrations can be costly, so some couples are looking for ways to reduce expenses without giving up familiar traditions. One increasingly practical option is buying the wedding cake from a grocery store rather than ordering one from a specialty baker.
A specialty wedding cake can cost more than $1,000. By comparison, a few half-sheet cakes from Costco cost about $30 each. Anna Holleran, who married in California’s Bay Area this year, chose Costco for her cake and said she was pleased with the taste.
The decision comes as the overall cost of weddings rises. The wedding-planning website Zola says weddings cost about $36,000 on average. The Bank of America Institute also reported that wedding spending among its customers was 8.5% higher in May than a year earlier. Couples may choose to spend more on venues or popular reception trends, while inflation and tariffs can increase the cost of suits, catering, flowers, and wedding clothing.
Cake is one category where couples may be more willing to save. About one-third of couples surveyed by Zola said they would consider spending less on cake and dessert. However, many still want the cake itself because it remains an important part of the celebration.
Grocery stores can offer a traditional appearance at a lower price. According to Zola, an average wedding-cake slice costs about $5.50, while a Publix slice costs about $1.50 less. Publix also offers a tasting flight with four flavors, including red velvet and carrot cake.
For Lily Alana Stewart, who married last year in central Alabama, Publix cake included decorations inspired by baby’s breath used at the venue. Her co-workers were surprised when they learned where the cake came from. The example shows how couples can preserve the ceremony’s traditional centerpiece while making a different financial choice.
Warm-up questions
- What parts of a wedding celebration might couples try to make less expensive?
- Would you consider buying an important celebration item from a grocery store? Why or why not?
Comprehension questions
- Why are some couples buying wedding cakes from grocery stores?
- How much did Anna Holleran’s Costco cakes cost by comparison with a specialty cake?
- What evidence shows that wedding spending is increasing?
- Why might couples still choose to have a wedding cake?
- How did Lily Alana Stewart’s cake maintain a traditional appearance?
Opinion questions
- Would saving money on a wedding cake be worthwhile if the cake still looked traditional? Explain your view.
- Which wedding expenses should couples prioritize, and which could they reduce?
Further discussion
- How might rising prices change traditions beyond weddings?
- What does this article suggest about the relationship between appearance, tradition, and cost?
Writing prompt
- Write a paragraph explaining whether grocery-store cakes are a sensible choice for weddings, using evidence from the article and your own reasoning.
