The only way to work around this is to save as much as you can on the food that's only there because it's tradition
. The cake doesn't have to be three or four tiers and it doesn't have to be decorated by a French chef either. You can get a simple cake from your local bakery and ask your caterer to supply cake tier plates. Get a replica of the cake in a much smaller size and have them both covered in white frosting. Decorate it yourself using fresh fruit covered in chocolate. Instead of having an alternative dessert and adding to the cost of the wedding arrangements make your centerpieces the dessert. Get edible centerpieces like fresh fruit arrangements or fruit bouquets.