Anyone Else Just Doing Wedding Cakes?

Decorating By majormichel Updated 8 Nov 2010 , 11:59pm by amygortoncakes

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majormichel Posted 2 Nov 2010 , 3:27pm
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I have decided just to offer wedding cakes. A 8" round cake my $60.00 price for birthdays is not worth my time in the kitchen. Customers can go to the local grocery store and get the an 8" cake for $12.00 for less decorations and its cold.
There I said it.

Any comments?

10 replies
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CakeChica Posted 2 Nov 2010 , 3:34pm
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I lean more towards wedding type cakes myself. If I do a birthday it's in a wedding type style. No sheet cakes for me. I have the pans just in case I change my mind though LOL. One of these days maybe. I have seen some really nice sheet cakes on this site so it would probably be one from here that I attempt to do. But I am the same way if you want a birthday sheet cake go to walmart. I work full time so it's not work my time and I just don't seem to have the desire. As well as sculpted cakes. Those are probably more cause they intimidate me though.

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tracycakes Posted 2 Nov 2010 , 3:48pm
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I want more wedding cakes because they bring in the most money. However, I LOVE to make fun birthday and shower cakes, I get to be creative. I would like to get out of the sheet cake business but since I have a business to run, until I have enough other business, I'll keep doing them. I can knock them out pretty quickly (not 5 minutes like was stated in another thread) but I do make them special, even though they are just a sheet cake.

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Mb20fan Posted 2 Nov 2010 , 4:00pm
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I have always been fascinated with weddings and wedding cakes. I could just sift through pics ALL DAY. I just love them! My dream - MY ULTIMATE DREAM would be good enough one day to just do wedding cakes, confidently. And I've read on here how some say they do NOT want to mess with wedding cakes because it's not worth dealing with the bridezillas. And then of course there are those that say that's where the money is.

I am such a newbie and I already feel the pressure of just doing the party cakes for friends. Just knowing how a little girl is just waiting to have her special cake there in front of her friends and I am responsible for that. Does anyone else feel anxiety over the pressure of that responsibility? I mean, it's like I don't fully breathe until the cake is delivered and out of my care. I feel like that about party cakes...I honestly don't think I'd EVER be able to handle the pressure of wedding cakes knowing that it is such a main staple of the whole package and such a huge showpiece to be on display by so many. I'm bummed by that feeling - the feeling of "I don't think I could handle that kind of pressure". BUT...I totally love the feeling of delivering a cake and getting a great review which makes all the hard work that went into it worth it. I can only imagine how great that feeling is for a wedding cake!

I've equated the cake making process with pregnancy and delivery. You feel everything along the way, the pains and the frustrations; you put your heart into seeing that all goes as well as you can control it, try to be prepared for anything, questioning whether you are over thinking or under thinking things you should be doing, wondering if you should be doing this at all [me anyway, lol], all the while saying never again. And then after all of the labor, the big day arrives and you look at what you have created and suddenly, everything that you went through prior to that moment doesnt seem to matter. The time spent getting ready for the big day seems like only a moment in the past because now you know it was all worth it. And then after the exhaustion lets up and you get time to recuperate, you begin to think about the next creation.

Lolsilly, huh?

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cakesondemand Posted 2 Nov 2010 , 6:57pm
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I have a cake studio with a Bridal dress shop(not mine just invited her in to share the space) we are both by appt only. I am now only taking orders for wedding cakes or tiered party cakes with the same pricing as my wedding cakes $6.50 per serving. Most dont want to pay for a custom decotated ocassion cake they think they can get them for the same price as Wal mart so I gave up on taking those orders and just refer them to someone else. I already have 30 weddings booked for 2011.

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Mb20fan Posted 2 Nov 2010 , 7:58pm
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@cakesondemand
Wow...$6.50 a serving - with 30 weddings already booked. That's awesome!!! You have gorgeous cakes in your album. thumbs_up.gif

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traci_doodle Posted 2 Nov 2010 , 8:08pm
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@Mb20fan

I love your pregnancy/delivery analogy. lol I know how you feel. I'm just starting out, too, and wedding cakes seem very daunting. I get stressed just making birthday cakes for my good friends. I think I'd go nuts trying to please a bridezilla!

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costumeczar Posted 2 Nov 2010 , 9:30pm
post #8 of 11

I pretty much do only wedding cakes, but I also do the 3-D cakes for groom's cakes, and an occasional 3-D birthday cake if they want to pay for it! icon_twisted.gif I do 98% percent wedding cakes, though, so it's possible to do only those and stay busy.

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majormichel Posted 3 Nov 2010 , 1:03am
post #9 of 11
Quote:
Originally Posted by cakesondemand

I have a cake studio with a Bridal dress shop(not mine just invited her in to share the space) we are both by appt only. I am now only taking orders for wedding cakes or tiered party cakes with the same pricing as my wedding cakes $6.50 per serving. Most dont want to pay for a custom decotated ocassion cake they think they can get them for the same price as Wal mart so I gave up on taking those orders and just refer them to someone else. I already have 30 weddings booked for 2011.




Wow, 30 booking, You go girl icon_lol.gif .

I understand the frustration of the cake process from start to finish, its horrible. But I love doing it.

Thanks for the feedback guys.

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myrtlebeachbaker Posted 8 Nov 2010 , 10:23pm
post #10 of 11

A 8" round cake my $60.00 price for birthdays is not worth my time in the kitchen. Customers can go to the local grocery store and get the an 8" cake for $12.00 for less decorations and its cold.

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WOW...no offense, I am sure you are good...But i would NEVER pay that much for an 8" round birthday cake!!

Now I jumped in head first into weddings somehow and its all I get! Dont know why. I would LOVE LOVE LOVE to do more birthday cakes, anniversaries, etc.

Any tips, please let me know!


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amygortoncakes Posted 8 Nov 2010 , 11:59pm
post #11 of 11

I think the people like me that are just starting out settle for the birthday cakes and way undercharge for them to get the experience. I am realizing that if you want to make a living decorating cakes, your main business is going to be weddings.

When you get married you already have in your head that you are spending a ton of money on the cake, dress and photography.

But when your child turns 1 or 4 or whatever it never crosses your mind to set aside $200 for a cake. In most cases the entire party costs that.

I am still excited to make my underpriced birthday cakes, but I am starting to feel the same as cakesondemand...that I don't really even want to turn the oven on for under $150.

When I feel my skills are developed enough and when I get done with pastry school, then I will start marketing myself for wedding cakes.

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