Wedding Cake Sizes and Servings: A Simple Guide for Couples

Planning your wedding cake can be one of the most enjoyable parts of your wedding journey, but choosing the right size is not always straightforward. To make things easier, here is a simple guide to wedding cake sizes and servings, created for couples planning their wedding in across Surrey and the South East England.This guide explains standard cake heights, portion styles and the serving sizes you can expect from a classic three tier wedding cake.

Standard Wedding Cake Height

Most wedding cake makers work with tiers that are around 5 inches tall. This height gives a clean elegant look and allows for generous slices with plenty of filling. Some cakes may be slightly taller depending on the design, but 5 inches is the usual standard.

Wedding Cake Portion Sizes

There are two main serving styles:

Finger portions

Finger Slice

About 1 inch by 1 inch by 5 inches

This is the traditional wedding style slice and the most common option.

Dessert portions

Dessert Portion

About 1 inch by 2 inches by 5 inches

This is served as a plated dessert and is twice the width of a finger slice.

How Many Servings In A Three Tier Cake

Below are the typical portion numbers for a standard three tier wedding cake with 5 inch tall tiers.

Three tier cake portion guide (finger portions)

• 5 inch 7 inch 9 inch cake serves around 60 to 70 people

• 6 inch 8 inch 10 inch cake serves around 75 to 85 people

• 7 inch 9 inch 11 inch cake serves around 90 to 110 people

(Dessert portions are roughly half the number of finger portions.)

Should You Size Up Your Cake

If your guest list is small but you want a taller or more dramatic cake, you can add a dummy tier. This creates extra height without increasing the number of servings. It is a great option for large venues, tall floral arrangements or modern statement styles.

Final Thoughts

Your wedding cake should look beautiful and serve your guests comfortably. Choosing the right size makes the whole experience easier and ensures there is plenty to go around. If you would like help deciding the best size for your design and guest list, I am always happy to guide you.