A multi-tiered wedding cake beautifully decorated is an important part of any bride's dream wedding, but the price tag can give you nightmares. Use these tips to take a bite out of the bill. Your cheap wedding cake will still look and taste fabulous.

If your heart is set on a three tiered cake that feeds 100, order it with plain white frosting, no decorations, and then decorate at the reception with fresh flowers. Or you can wrap a length of lace around each layer, like you would a ribbon. Of course remove the lace before cutting. Your wedding cake will be cheap but gorgeous.

Stick with basic flavors and fillings, exotic flavorings add to the cost of the cake.

Rather than one huge multi-tiered cake, use a modest tiered cake and then several (as many as you need for your guests) sheet cakes. Serving will go faster this way as well. No one will know your wedding cake was cheap.

Order from a grocery store rather than a bakery. Many grocers have onsite bakeries, just like they have onsite florist departments.

Don't order a wedding cake at all. Order a sheet cake with white frosting to serve guests and a smaller two tiered cake to cut for photos.

Depending on how many servings you need, order a full sheet cake (100 servings), a half sheet cake (50 servings) and a quarter sheet cake (25 servings), all iced in white. Place the half sheet on the full sheet cake and then the quarter sheet on top. Use ready-to-use frosting that comes in a can with a nozzle to touch up any mistakes and fill in the gap between the layers. You don't have to remove the cardboard between the layers, it will help steady the cake when it's time to cut. Don't go any higher than three layers, if you do you run the risk of the bottom layer being squashed by the weight of the upper layers.

Use cupcakes. Order as many as you need in white paper wrapping, and white frosting. Use a tiered serving dish to arrange the cupcakes. Or you can buy two or three inexpensive white plastic serving platters. Line the platters with white paper lace doilies. Place the first platter on the table. Place three inverted wine glasses at noon, 4 o'clock and 8 o'clock on the platter. Fill in around the glasses with cupcakes. Place the second platter on the overturned wine glasses. In the center of the second platter, place three more inverted wine glasses.

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Fill the second platter with cupcakes. Place the final platter on the overturned wine glasses and fill with cupcakes.

Use a two tiered cake for the bride and groom to cut at the reception. Order a sheet cake for however many guests will be attending. On a separate table offer guests various toppings for their slice of cake. You can offer fresh strawberries, chocolate syrup, raspberries, sprinkles and whipped cream. Consider offering several flavors of ice cream. It's fun and festive.

Have a friend, or several friends bake the cake using various sizes of heart shaped pans. Each can be iced in shades of pale pink, pale lilac, cream, and white. The cakes are placed on a table covered with a lace cloth. Rose petals in pinks, cream, and lilac or whatever colors suit your color scheme are scattered between the cakes.

None of your guests will realize how cheap your wedding cake is, they'll just be impressed by how beautiful it was.