As we continue through this economic slump, I say make your own wedding cake, if you dare! Here is a great set of links to help:
from Blisstree.com – How to Make Your Own Wedding Cake: Part One – a series
from Southern Living – Make Your Own Wedding Cake
Wilton How to Make Wedding Cakes
When looking for a wedding cake, brides usually focus on one thing, which is usually on the actual design of the cake. However, I think at many times, we don’t actually know what we’re buying considering the many different types of icing. In fact, sometimes, choosing fondant because it looks good might not always be budget-friendly but people choose it anyways. If you want to be smart about picking something that looks very similar to fondant yet still friendly to that budget, then check out this list of icing types from Wilton. Go here.
I find using comparison shopping sites as a great time-saving approach to finding those hard to get items for a wedding. Sites such as Shopzilla, Yahoo Shopping, and Pricegrabber. While not all of these sites will carry what you want, it is still a good idea to check them. You may also want to try Google Shopping.
The look of fondant on a wedding cake is supremely gorgeous, but also quite expensive. I learned from this really cool article that you can still get fondant, but with a layer of buttercream on the cake, so you can still get the best of both worlds. It is also important to book with a cake maker who understands not only what icing to use, but can offer you advice on what works best with your budget yet still making you a cake that is special. For design inspiration, head off to the Knot’s cake gallery. 
For a bridal shower party with tight budget, try going to your local grocery like Von’s. Check their selections and sample them. Sometimes, they give our samples for free!
The average wedding cake can run up into at least $800 nowadays. To cut your costs by more than half, it is not uncommon for brides to opt for alternatives such as cupcakes, cheesecakes, brownies, and donuts as a wedding cake idea. For cupcakes, you can get the help of your closest friends and relatives and have a cupcake-baking marathon. You can choose the flavor you want and then have the cupcakes decorated with your initials or just simply sprinkled with some sugar confetti, or topped with a simple sugar flower. When displaying them at the wedding, you can rent a cake stand or just simply lay them out in a pretty fashion interspersed with flowers or petals.
Visit Cupcake Takes the Cake for ideas.
