Bride's And Groom's Cake For "friend"
Decorating By mlharvell Updated 25 Jul 2008 , 2:12pm by SweetResults
I've been asked to do a wedding cake and groom's cake by a "friend" (we went to college together, but we're not really what I would call friends).
I'm pretty sure she's asked me because she thinks she can get it cheaper.
She wants a pretty simple bride's cake - 220 servings with a cascade of gumpaste roses in varying colors and sizes down the entire side of the cake. She's asked for white cake with vanilla buttercream and raspberry filling. I am quoting her 2 prices - one for fondant and one for buttercream.
For the groom's cake (84 servings), she wants a cream cheese pound cake with chocolate ganache and chocolate dipped strawberries (about 4 dozen). The strawberries will also have white chocolate drizzle on top. It's a February wedding, so I'm sure the strawberries will be more expensive then.
The cakes are pretty simple, but labor intensive (GP roses and strawberries). I think this is what I'm going to quote her:
Buttercream Bride's Cake and Groom's Cake: $879
Fondant Bride's Cake and Groom's Cake: $1007
Does this seem like a fair "friend" price or am I just quoting a regular price to her? Or is my pricing just completely off?
Any help/advice would be greatly appreciated!
I think you're giving her a deal.
220 servings X $3 (my bc price) = $660
84 servings X $3.5 (ganache is the same price as fondant because if you do it correctly it is very labor intensive) = $294
For approx 4" roses (you did say huge) I get $6 each. I require clients to bring fruit to me, especially strawberries in February, but assuming I could get them, and that they require both a choc dip and a separate drizzle, $2 each.
You going to have to do some math to compute how many flowers you need. Also, those February strawberries are probably gong to be small, so you'll need a lot of them.
I live in a big city, though and your location will influence the pricing you can get. Don't sell yourself short. For friends I generally charge the real price and give free equipment and/or free delivery.
No I think that is a good "friend" price - I think you can even go up a bit more to $3.50 per serving for the fondant and $3 per serving for buttercream. That would be .50 less per serving for me.
That's a LOT of work and the strawberries should definitely be a pricing factor! I would itemize those and the gumpaste roses so she can see where the real cost lies if that would make you feel better.
I've been asked to do a wedding cake and groom's cake by a "friend" (we went to college together, but we're not really what I would call friends).
Does this seem like a fair "friend" price or am I just quoting a regular price to her? Or is my pricing just completely off?
Any help/advice would be greatly appreciated!
Would you have been invited to the wedding if you weren't making the cake? If not then she is not a friend that constitutes 'friend pricing' IMO.
According to my prices - you are basically giving away the gumpaste roses for free. It sounds like a LOT of roses to make - or fairly pricey to purchase. Are you willing to absorb that cost? Is it much more of a 'gift' than you would be able to give your best friend as a wedding gift - if you were giving cash? Keep in mind that if you are making them you are probably donating more time to her than her bridesmaids - how does that make you feel?
That being said - I would do it for one of my friends at that price.
Ditto on the strawberries. I had a wedding in March and a wedding in May that both had berries ..... the March berries were TWICE the price of the May berries. When I gasped at the March price, the Sysco guy laughed and said, "Don't you know what time of year it is!?" I said, "Yeah, but I can still not like the price!" 
Would you have been invited to the wedding if you weren't making the cake? If not then she is not a friend that constitutes 'friend pricing' IMO.
GOOD POINT!!!!
Would you have been invited to the wedding if you weren't making the cake? If not then she is not a friend that constitutes 'friend pricing' IMO.
GOOD POINT!!!!
EXTREMELY good point!! I hadn't quite thought of it that way. I think I've decided I'm going to give her a quote for full price minus a 10% discount and free delivery. In addition to that, she's also getting a "going away cake" (single layer 6" round) and an anniversary cake free. I've decided that I'm going to stand behind my pricing and if she walks, she walks. It'll free me up for someone who's willing to pay me what I'm worth.
Thank you, everyone, for your help! You all are too kind!
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