Mili’s Guide
the end result:
abundant-looking, beautiful desserts
Your cake and dessert display deserves to taste and look absolutely stunning!
I’m here to help make that happen, with professional tips to guide your personal choices with confidence.
Table Size Matters
A dessert table spread is always best set on a rectangular table – easier to reach and nice to look at.
Typical sizes at venues include:
6-foot โbanquetโ tables
measure 72″ long, by 30″ wide
or
8-foot โfarmโ tables
measure 96″ long x 40″ wide
Consider Your Quantity: For less than 200 mini desserts, I recommend a 6′ table. A more narrow width makes a display appear fuller, and abundant.
See the Servings: I love a neat and full dessert display.
Pedestals, Platters, & Risers
If you booked full services, we curate your dessert table set up. However, if you booked Miliโs Sweets and chose doโitโyourself setup – or youโre providing your own pedestals and risers at your venue – I provide all of the info you’re looking for. There’s a lot to consider: What’s your style? Do you have pieces, or need to purchase? Do you want to refill your dessert table, or have everything set all at once?
Let’s get into the details, assuming you ordered mostly mini-desserts:
How it all fits: average-sized plating tends to range from 9″-12″
an 8-10″ pedestal/riser/platter will provide enough space for about 12 mini desserts
a 12″ will provide enough space for 18 mini desserts
a 14″ will provide enough space for 20 mini desserts
Let’s Do the Math: Say you have five minimum orders of mini desserts, for a total quantity of 120 servings. Start with the average by dividing 120 by 12 = 10. If you have average-sized platters, you’ll probably need (give or take) about 10 pedestals/platters/risers, plus one if you also have a cake to set everything out all at once. If you choose to refill the dessert, have at least 5, or one platter per flavor.
Dessert Signage: Dessert table labeling is key for your guests, and important for food safety. Every Mili’s Sweets catering order includes two free printed labels per dessert flavor. Additional signage ideas: a) display one whole printed menu, b) choose to place a simple etiquette sign letting guests know to, ‘Please enjoy desserts with us, after the cake-cutting ceremony.’
Just Cake
Cake Stand: See our list of cake vs. base sizing. A 12″ cake stand with a completely flat top-surface can support any of our cake sizes nicely. If your stand has a raised lip, the flat inner surface should be the same size ( or slightly larger) than the cake base for the best fit.
6″ cake is on a 10″ cake base | 8″ cake is on a 12″ cake base | 10″ cake is on a 14″ cake base
Cake Cutting Set: Wedding couples traditionally provide their own cake cutting set. It’s good to plan ahead if you’d like something chosen just for you. This is a great wedding shower registry-gift to consider.
Cake Space: Decide what is best for the photo opportunity, and choose a preference for cake-cutting at the dessert table, or to the side on a small round table.
Make It A Moment: This is all about a one precious moment and the photos you’ll cherish from your big day. So do it your way and let the joy shine through! Some couples skip the big announcement and share a quiet, intimate cutting with just their photographer off to the side. Others have a cake-cutting ceremony to the cheers of guests, unveiling the dessert table or passing out cake slices right after.โ
Cake Alternatives: Make it your own and get creative with a non-cake option. Maybe cross hands with cannolis? Feed one another a mini dessert? Having a ceremony of some sort helps to move a reception along, and makes a lasting memory. Whatever feels right, I hope you have fun with it!
On a personal note, my husband and I chose not have a cake cutting on our wedding day. It was an intimate reception, and dessert was part of our dinner, so we thought we didn’t need it. It was our only regret! We made up for it with our first cake cutting ceremony on our 10th anniversary.
Most people don’t host weddings or big celebrations often enough to know the ideal number of desserts for their event. I’m here to help guide you! Here are some general notes…I’d be happy to chat step-by -step with more specifics in a scheduled consultation call.โ
Over the hundreds of weddings and events I’ve catered DBA Mili’s Sweets, servings have ranged from a delivery with just one mini dessert per guest (at a formal, high-end wedding) to a spread we set holding seven servings per guest – at a more casual venue. It’s 100% your call, and we’re delighted to make it happen however you envision.
This Is a Personal Choice: You know your family and friends best! Dessert quantities might reflect cultural traditions, (like ‘abbondanza‘ from my Italian roots, meaning joyful-abundance) or dessert may simply not be a focus for you, but you’d still like custom, small-batch goodness to suit your guests. Choose what’s best, with no pressure and only total confidence in your final count.
Envisioning a Display: If there’s a particular venue-space you’d like to fill with desserts, or specific menu you’d like to offer tand base servings on, let’s talk!
Talking Headcount
If you’re looking to have a generous amount of mini dessert servings, 2-3 servings per guest is recommended. If you’re looking to have ‘just enough‘ we recommend you consider 1.5 servings per guest, including any cake slices you may offer, even if to only a portion of the total headcount.
Offering standard size (large versus mini) serving sizes may make for a different serving suggestion, and we’re here to guide you based on what you think is best.
You Will Know a Month Out: The finalization date for custom orders is one month before the fulfillment date. Thick or thin, you’ll be set and ready to check this item from your to-do list in your best quantity and flavor choices.
Mili’s Sweets cakes are all custom-made per client, and flat rate priced to include any flavors and outside buttercream decorating. A two-layer cake can have up to two different cake flavors and one filling option. A three-layer cake can have up to three different cake flavors, and different two filling choices.
If you don’t know exactly how to go about choosing your flavors (especially with so many options), I’m here to help guide you to the perfect slice. We can chat during a consultation call, or work it out via email, and I would follow up with a cake-flavor layout or two.
the details
I hope you find this information helpful!
Wishing you the best – always,
Mili
