How many of you specialize in wedding cakes? How has it worked out for you? I get the keys to my new shop November 1. DH and I want to specialize in wedding cakes and sculpted cakes. It seems to be the biggest money maker but also the most stressful and time consuming. I'm not sure I want to attempt to do smaller cakes as they don't generate as much profit. Did you do birthday, anniversary, and shower cakes until your wedding cake business picked up? We have a few weddings booked for spring of '08 and the beginning of '09. We network with a local florist, banquet facility, and caterer, and plan to establish relationships with other local businesses. We also plan to do a bridal show in February, which will hopefully generate some serious wedding cake business. I considered doing other cakes to bring in money the first few months. However, I don't want to set a precedence and establish a client base with other cakes and then turn people away once we start booking weddings. Our goal right now is 4-6 wedding cakes a weekend. I look forward to your responses!

well, i dont own my shop, i rent from another business. but i specialize in wedding cakes and only do other occasion cakes here and there. my biz officially started on Aug 20, and i've been really pleased with my response so far. it seems to be working well enough for me. now keep in mind, im just booking for next year and a couple late comers for nov/dec. in the mean time im meeting with brides, hitting the books, and practicing to keep up my skills and fine tune them. for income right now, im lucky enough that DH has a full time job and it doesn't really matter if i take a while to start turning a profit. (as i know it usually does).

i highly recommend getting signed up on the knot! i've been listed on their website for about 6 weeks and i've already booked (solely from the knot) triple the amount i pay for 1 years advertising with them. been soooo worth it! i get 10-15 hits everyday to my website from the knot.

i would be prepared to not really start making wedding money until next spring. most brides are booking 6 months or so ahead, and i've only gotten a couple procrastinators who are looking for dates this year. if this is your only source of income i'd definitely take other occasion cake orders until weddings take over. don't feel bad if you get busy with weddings adn you can't take b-day cake orders over the summer. you'll likely want those b-day cake orders again in the winter when weddings slow down.

good luck!

Thanks!! I'll definitely have to sign up for the Knot. My DH works full time so I'm not too worried about finances. I'll pull from our personal finances the first two or three months if necessary.

Another option would be to set a minimum $ for an order. I for one can sell quite a few cakes for other occasions than just weddings and people spending the same amount of $ on them. For instance sweet 16's. With a minimum dollar amount this would help to keep the options open for other cakes, but would allow you to keep profit on all of them.

You may want to start around $100 if that is approximately the cost of a small wedding cake for you.

Just another idea

I have a store front that I started 4 1/2 years ago and I do all kinds of cakes(dessert-wedding)and right now Im in the predicament sp?
of trying to change over...........Im sick of the dessert cakes and I want to do just the high end stuff but with that being said...........................a girl has to pay her bills

In a perfect world I would have a" by appointment only shop"but I have set myself up with all the other stuff to get my name out there so Im kinda stuck. This is how a typical week works................I have 25 tickets hanging..... 2 wedding cakes,7 highly decorated cakes(baby,bridal,special b-day)and the rest is dessert cakes or cheesecakes,cookies whatever........needless to say I have NO answer... gotta pay the bills,make a little for myself and well I just cant say NO because then I get "But why not you have always done it,isnt this a bakery?"

Anyways...Metrocakes were in Jax are you located I have a sister that lives there.My shop is in Florida south of you......... T-ville!

Good Luck!!

I only do wedding cakes, but I work out of my home, so I don't have a shop to finance. I did do smaller cakes when I got started, but I stopped doing them eventually because they don't bring in the same money as the wedding and grooms' cakes.

As far as advertising goes, I tried the knot and found it to be pretty useless. I was getting a lot of questions from random people asking strange questions about cakes, but no business. I now only advertise in local wedding magazines, nothing that has a national reach. If it works for other people it's worth giving it a try, though, since the knot might work for you, you'll just have to see. I also did wedding shows for about the first two years I was in business, but I get so much business now I don't do them anymore. I find that my biggest source of business is my website and referrals, so make sure that you have a website up and running.

The idea of having a minimum order for cakes might be good, if you're trying to get away from the $25 sheet cakes. If people are willing to pay for a better product they'll still come to you, and if they were going to go to Costco for the $18 special anyway you haven't lost any business!

My business is solely from a website. I don't have a store front but i do have a commercial kitchen. I have 4 wedding cakes almost every weekend. I do a few other cakes as well (mostly shaped but some sheet cakes). I only advertise wedding cakes but will take other orders if people find me. My brides book me 3-9 months in advance usually. It works out well for me!

Hello Metrocakes! I am in the Jacksonville area too, congratuations on your new business. Yes as the other CCer's have said we do what we have to pay the bills but wedding can make up most of your orders but it will take time.

PS Have you heard of the local Sugar arts Gulild? We meet again next week check our web site & email me if you have any questions. Hope to see you there! www.sagnfl.com