My business is participating in a seminar this week being held for approximately 50 brides to educate them about the wedding industry. It's being sponsored by a reputable local magazine. My company is representing the wedding cake business, and we are to educate the brides about what they need to know before scheduling a consultation or meeting with a baker. Finally an opportunity to set the record straight from the misinformation provided by websites and magazines. We've got some great info put together, but I thought it would make for a great discussion here on CC.

What, in your opinion, is the most important information a bride should know before her wedding cake consultation? Doing price research and educating herself on the current per serving price for her area is a biggie, and I'd like to hear your input from there. I can't wait to hear your responses.

To keep her expectations in line with her headcount and budget. Don't ask for a 5 tier cake for 300 when in fact you have 50 people coming and a budget of $300. It is the one area I have to educate over and over again. They want a $3000 cake for $1 a slice and it's way too much cake for the headcount and then they get all upset that they can't afford it. Or they think they can get that same cake using dummies, not realizing that they are going to about the same, real cake or not. So I'd say expectations.

To check what prices REALLY are, not just the first "per serving" quote that you get. Once all the extra fees are added on the per-serving price that was quoted is suddenly twice as much.

Also, the sheet cake/fake cake thing, not always cheaper. Again, check prices. I had a girl today tell me that another baker had told her that she could save money by doing a fake tier and buying a sheet cake. I told her to go ahead and go to the consult, but to have the baker itemize the difference between the two, all cake or fake+sheet. It might be cheaper, it might not, but I don't see how it's cheaper to pay for a fake tier AND buy sheet cakes, unless you get really cheap cheet cakes that nobody will eat and which will be wasted.

I guess basically my advice would be "don't believe everything you read" and make sure that you get specifics on what you're being charged.

Many of my first-thought-ideas have already been mentioned.

On the fake/sheets, I've already run the numbers on my blog, so feel free to browse that.

Centerpiece cakes ..... an 8" cake serves 24 but since only 8 people are sitting at the table, a bride thinks she's going to pay for 8 servings. Again, I've run the numbers on my blog. Little cakes do not have a little price tag. Debi's RUle: "One-fourth the size means 4 times the price!"

Cost of cakes: Ace of Cakes and Colette Peters have a $1000 minimum. Buddy's rhinosaurus-type cake was $8000. Toba Garrent has per-slice pricing that ranges from $25 to $60.

I find I charge on the lower end of the price scale for the type of cake I offer but people are just not educated enough on what cakes are running these days. Right now I can't raise my prices further because I'm not busy enough. I'm charging more than regular bakeries but not as much as the speciality cake bakeries.

How about the myth that fondant is icky? I actually like fondant. If you get/make quality stuff, it can be very good. My fondant melts in my mouth.

And perhaps you could show that picture collage of a cheap pottery bowl next to the statue of David, then a finger painting next to a Picasso, then a cake from Cake Wrecks next to a Collette Peters cake. "They're all made from the same ingredients!" I like to emphasize that with high end wedding cakes, you're not just paying for flour and eggs, you're paying for time and talent which is something not everybody has. If everybody could do it, then the cakes would be a lot cheaper. Same reasoning as to why doctors get paid so much, because not everyone can do what they do. Not everyone can do what we do and it's not selfish to ask to be properly compensated.

ok the van gogh thing isn't showing up right to me, so if you want a copy, send me an email.

Educate them on time is $$$$. Our business is all about time...

Jen

educate them on the amount of servings/size of servings.

It always amazes me when some one will say x cake feeds 30 when really it feeds closer to 20. IF the price per serve is cheaper on the 30serving 8in cake it can still end up costing more the the 20 serve 8in cake. Brides need to learn to crunch their own numbers.