I am no longer at the shop. I quit being a decorator and went back to school when they started taking advantage of me, but that wasnt the real issue.

I have had countless friends think that they are gonna get a deal from me while I am in 15 credit hours of school and working in an office part time for a wedding cake that they dont have to pay store prices for. I have turned them all down.

So when bestie decided that he was going to get married him and his new fiancee approached me giggling and fighting over who was going to ask me. Naturally I thought they were going to ask me to be in the wedding party, but nooo they wanted me to make the cake.

I humored them into taking about price and design, really not wanting to do the darn thing. They wanted a cake to feed 400 people with a more complicated design, all fondant of course. I told them to do a cake like that and to do it the way they wanted it, that the price would be roughly around $1200. You should have seen their eyes bug out of their heads. I almost laughed! They said that they would shop around, and I didnt have the heart to tell them that any place else for 400 servings of fondant would cost them a lot more than $3 per serving.

Seriously though?! 400 people? I would have to go out and get my own SPS system for 400 servings and that would cost me at least $100 dollars if not more. Plus, there is no way I would make all of that fondant, so just to buy enough Satin Ice would cost me over $200 alone. Plus cake boards? There goes another $50 right there. Plus my sanity? Well there are just some things you cannot put a price on!

Thanks for letting me vent guys... I thought I was going to get to dress up in a pretty dress and get my hair and nails done all the while cheering for my guy bestie to get married, not participate in slave labor!

Well, from the sound of it, you won't me making the cake.
I guess you'll get to have your hair and nails done and go shine at the party!

You make some great cakes by the way.

Good luck to you!

Actually you should have quoted them a LOT more than normal price because they may be coming back to you since you quoted a low price. Cause you said they wouldn't find anywhere that would make a cake for 400 at less than $3 an hour. Just saying.

People are amazing. As I say frequently ......

"A $4 cup of coffee isn't a lot of money ..... until you have to buy 400 of them!"

They are feeding FOUR HUNDRED PEOPLE. It is a wondrous study in human stupidity when they think they can get that for free or for around fifty bucks.

I know just how you feel. I've made wedding cakes for relatives over the years and friends as well and while they've all been really happy with the cakes and got just what they wanted- I don't think they even have an inkling as to how much $$$ I saved them on their wedding expenses. Luckily I think just about all my friends and relatives are married off now and the next freebie wedding cake will probably be for my daughter (who's only 15 so I am looking forward to AT LEAST a 10 year break,lol). I do have issues with friends who think that because they are my "BFF" that I can magically fit in a cake at the last second or give them a discount, it's hard for me to say "no"

I have family who are very appreciative and understand the value of time and talent that I am giving them on their wedding day, and for that I am very blessed.

however......

I also make sure to always tell them, "No one ELSE is giving you a $700 wedding present!!!!"

I made my sister's wedding cake about 1 1/2 years ago. She didn't want it as a present so my mom paid for it. It didn't charge her the $250 delivery fee. Just the price of the cake.

Well once they shop around and find out it is more expensive then try to come back to you just tell them you are already booked for that time...lol....enjoy the day being a person in the crowd...

I honestly have no intention of making the cake for any reason. Blame it on work, or school doesnt matter, its not gonna happen.

I was flattered that they asked and it's a first wedding for the both of them and they both have great jobs and are established, meaning that they might spend more than your average just out of college couple, but still I really think they expected me to tell them that I would do it for $500-600.

They actually had a decent design that I would love to play around with. They are getting married under the St. Louis Arch, so they wanted a St. Louis skyline done and immediately I envisioned a airbrushed fading sunset from blue to yellow down to a black skyline climbing up the tiers. BUT its not gonna happen!

I was just seriously upset that I have known and been friends with this guy since I was born and he used to come over and play with me in my crib and instead of the expected wedding party invite I got the be the baker invite.

I am so lucky in that my family appreciates the wedding cakes. On the designated day, I have about five people there to help me. They bring me ingredients, do certain steps, and clean! We have a great time and they are there from beginning to end each day. We do the same setup for the food. This is also how we cook for funerals.

Yeah, when they find out that they'll pay a lot more anywhere else and come back to you, you should be ready to tell them that you sat down and looked at how much the costs would really be and it would actually be more like $1600.