Just had an email from a bride of mine who is a local planner for a venue in the area. She was (pleasantly) surprised that since she booked one month before my prices went up, I "locked" her into the lower price. Her venue does not do that.
I guess I never assumed it would be any different than locking in a price.

Is this standard practice once the contract is signed and the deposit is booked? Or am I just losing out on money here?


Oh, yeah and on a side note she just asked if she could have 8 flavors in a 4 tiered cake. Um, no. Some places around here must do that. Eeesh.

Once a contract is written up and signed that price is locked in. Our contracts have the price on them. If however, the bride changes the flavors of the cake, number of servings, fillings, etc, she will have to pay the difference at the new price.

Thanks, that's how I've always done it, it never occurred to me to do anything differently.
Yep, I have that in my contract too that price goes up as changes are made.

I wouldn't think it would be fair to change a price on a signed contract.

Even on my non-contract cakes (yes I do some of those, usually my pickup ones) if I have quoted them a price, I will usually hold to it even if I have since raised prices, and always if they have paid a deposit.

If I have quoted a price already, I will stick to that price.

Once booked that is the price unless they make major changes, then a new contract is drawn up at the current price rate, not the original contract rate. I do know that If I had a contract with a venue and they upped the price between the time that I signed and my event and I got a bigger bill than contracted I would be calling my lawyer for sure! I didn't even think that was legal to do that, once an amount was agreed and contracted.

Right now I'm about to raise my prices but my brides who have already booked will get the price they booked at. Raising prices once a contract is signed and expecting them to pay it doesn't make any sense. If I were a bride who'd had this happen I'd be spreading the word like wildfire.

I definitely always keep the base price once they book (put $ down). Even if I raise my prices...theirs stays the same. It wouldn't be fair to raise it on them after they paid their deposit.