There's no way on earth to have a wedding without a wedding cake. It's practically tradition that the bride and groom cut a cake at the reception and it's followed by toasts and dancing. For people who have huge budgets and can afford three or four tier cakes, this isn't a huge concern but many couples who are paying for their own wedding have a lot of constraints; most of them are money related. An average couple who pays for their own wedding have a budget of $20,000 and at least half of it will go towards the reception. That leaves the dress, the dcor, the music, the wedding favors and transportation for the wedding party to the other half and it can all add up to a huge bill even if the arrangements are modest.