Wedding cake serving chart and calculator

The rule: one wedding slice for each guest who eats cake

Plan one 1 × 2 inch wedding slice for every guest when the cake is the dessert (WeddingWire), fewer when it's served late or with another dessert. Bakers use a serving chart to turn that into tiers; ours is Wilton's.

Wedding cake serving chart

How to order

• Ask how your baker cuts. Charts differ by baker. Type their numbers into the calculator and we use theirs.
• Dummy tiers add height, not servings. If you want a tall cake for fewer guests, ask about them.
• A kitchen cake feeds more guests for less: a plain sheet cake cut out of sight.
• Final numbers. Give your baker your final guest count about three weeks before the wedding.

How to choose the size of your wedding cake

1. 1

   Count the guests at the reception. Everyone there when the cake is cut. Babies don't need a slice.

2. 2

   Say how the cake is served. As the dessert, everyone has a slice. With another dessert or late in the evening, fewer do.

3. 3

   Pick the slice and the shape. A wedding slice is 1 × 2 inches; a party slice is bigger. Square tiers serve more than round ones of the same size.

4. 4

   Choose a cake. We show the smallest tiered cake that feeds everyone, one with fewer tiers, and a smaller cake with a kitchen cake.

5. 5

   Check with your baker. Bakers cut differently. Type their servings for any size and we use theirs.

Frequently asked questions

How many servings are in a three-tier cake?

A 6, 8 and 10 inch round cake gives about 74 wedding slices; 8, 10 and 12 inches about 118 (Wilton's serving guide, checked October 2026). Square tiers of the same sizes serve more.

What size cake do we need for 100 guests?

If everyone has a slice, about 100 wedding slices: a 6/9/12 inch round cake serves 100. If the cake comes late in the evening, fewer guests have a slice, so a smaller cake may do.

What's the difference between a wedding slice and a party slice?

A wedding slice is 1 × 2 inches and 4 inches tall, the size most wedding cakes are cut to. A party slice is 1.5 × 2 inches, so the same cake serves fewer.

Does every guest need cake?

When the cake is the dessert, plan a slice for everyone. With another dessert, about 8 in 10 have a slice; late in the evening with other food, about 2 in 3.

What is a kitchen cake?

A plain sheet cake in the same flavors, cut in the kitchen and served with the display cake. It feeds more guests for less, and nobody can tell on the plate.

Should we save the top tier?

Many couples freeze the top tier for their first anniversary. If you do, it isn't served, so the rest of the cake needs to feed everyone. Switch on "Save the top tier" and we leave it out of the count.

How much does a wedding cake cost?

It depends on your baker, the design and where you live, so we don't guess. Add your baker's price a slice and we work out the cake.

Is the calculator free?

Yes. No account, no email and no adverts. A free account saves your cake with your wedding and reads your guest list as people reply.