Wedding Cake Stands

Wedding cake stands are usually divided among two groups.

First, there are wedding cake stands that go underneath the bridal and/or groom’s cake. While most brides call them wedding cake stands, bakers, designers, cake artists and others in the wedding cake industry call them “Plateaus.”

To support the entire weight of the cake, these stands (plateaus) are usually constructed from some type of metal. Although you’ll also find them made from wood, heavy acrylic or other materials that can support at least 50 pounds.

Second, there are wedding cake stands that separate specific tiers and are prearranged in different combinations. These types of wedding cake stands are called “Cascading Stands,” and are typically made from acrylic or plastic. Sometimes you’ll find them constructed from metal or any material that will work to separate the tiers.

Most baker/designers carry both forms of wedding cake stands.

Sizes and designs vary, so you’ll have to see each baker/designers or rental store’s selection.

Some baker/designers get very creative with their cascading stands as well as plateaus. They incorporate these items as major design features in their bridal cakes.

If you wish to purchase one, you can simply use a search engine like Google to locate several wedding cake stand companies or distributors of wedding cake stands.

To save you a few hours of time and help you find a variety of companies that sell wedding cake stands, the research team at WeddingCake.org has listed their favorite wedding cake stand companies for you to visit.

Five years ago, only 1 in 15 brides were using the first type of wedding cake stand, the plateau. As of January 2011, approximately 1 in 6 brides are using a plateau.

One of the main reasons wedding cake plateaus are so popular is that around 95% of brides are getting their cake tiers stacked together instead of using tier separators.

In essence, the “plateau stand” has replaced tier separators to give the bride’s cake more height.

The second type of wedding cake stand, the “cascading stand” is utilized more often as a design element than it is to increase height of the wedding cake. While many brides find them attractive, their statistical use is less than 1 in 50 wedding cakes.

While the cascading stand was popular from about 1950 until 2005, at this time, the cascading stand is not in vogue.

We found baker/designers who included both types of stands with the price of the cake and those who rented them as an “add-on” item. For the most part, rental prices ranged from $20-$100. Most baker/designers have deposits of $50-$500, depending on the original cost of the wedding cake stands.

Remember to return them on time, usually within 3 days, and clean. Please don’t return yours with frosting caked all over and damaged.

Expect to receive back your deposit the way you paid for it, unless otherwise stated in your agreement.

Portions of this article were reprinted with permission from IGR Communications publisher of the reference book “How To Buy The Picture-Perfect Wedding Cake…GUARANTEED!” which includes more information about wedding cake stands. Download your FREE copy by going to the home page of WeddingCake.org and clicking, “Yes I want them.”