So I did a wedding cake tasting about 2 weeks ago. Bride and Groom are having a LAVISH wedding. They made it very clear that they want to use me. I hadn't heard from the Bride so I reached out to wedding planner. Finally, I hear back from Bride and she sends me over a few pics of cakes she wants. I call her to discuss everything with her and we make changes to the cake...at the end of everything she chose on a 5 tier wedding cake...4 of the tiers are dummy tiers and 4 (1/2) sheet cakes (2 flavors of Vanilla White Chocolate and Red Velvet). I make the quote and call the bride again to go over everything. $7.15 per person. She tells me she wants to go with it, but she still needed to talk to her Fiance. A few more details...the cakes are to feed 150 people and the dummy cakes are covered in Fondant with Fresh Flowers. 

So I shoot the bride a text to see if she talked to her Fiance. She responds back that she just touched down in Vegas for her Bachelorette Party, but she did talk to her Fiance and they want to stay within a budget of $500.00...where in the hell are they going to get a 5 tier cake and 2 FULL SHEET cakes for $500.00??? 

I am so over it with these clients that act like they have so much money and spend money on things that don't matter, but want to cut back on things that do matter such as FOOD and CAKE. I really want to email this customer and tell her I can't do it and keep it moving, but the nice side of me says try to do something for her budget...maybe a cupcake tower or something....but I am beyond FRUSTRATED with certain clients/customers. 

Do other Bakers go through this crap and if so...what would your response be?

Welcome to the world of 'not a clue brides'.  If you really don't want to try to work out something tell her since you have spoken you have gotten other orders and no long are available for her.  Other wise  tell her there is no way you can provide her w/all you discussed for the amount of $$ and offer her something that you can do in her price range.   Give her a very short time frame to give  you a definate yes or no and do not hedge one bit on that time limit.  If you don't hear from or she says 'can we do such & so' tell her you have already  given her the only options. 

If her budget is $500 then you tell her exactly what that will get her--and that it won't be a 5 tier cake [even a mostly dummy should be 80% the cost of a real cake] and 2 full sheets. 

She wants over 200 real servings PLUS about 200 in fake servings.  She can't have a custom product and do that on $500. 

Personally, I wouldn't even do 200 cupcakes with a swirl on them [and delivery] for that amount--and I bet they want a small cake for them to cut, too, so that makes it even more unrealistic.

You just have to tell her the truth.  You're a business, not a charity.  I'd like Mercedes for the cost of a Kia, but no one will even consider it when I ask................

if no money has changed hands, the cake is not booked -- just tell her nicely that you're out

I really want to drink a bottle of wine and get my liquid courage up and not give 2 shits about turning down this cake...Lord please help me get the strength to be nice and decline!!!!

If there is no Deposit / Retainer paid, then the cake order has not been placed... 

Just tell her that you are sorry, but have booked another cake for that weekend...

I think that if I was in your position I would offer her what she COULD get for $500 and like someone else mentioned, give her a short timeline to decide. 

You cannot put an order in and then decide what you want to pay for that order! 

Im sure you were flattered at her request to have you bake her cake (I would be too) but you are not a charity. If you do turn her down, I think you need to let her know why. You don't have to be rude but definitely tell her why. I think it's disgusting that people act this way. 

Maybe not disgusting---just clueless. All people "normally" see are the cakes at SamsClub or WalMart with a price on it. And a decorator who has 8 minutes to decorate it. I AM GUILTY OF THIS TOO--- in my clueless newbie days. Who ever imagined it could take a week to make the decorations and the cake?

I would say, "What you requested is a showpiece cake that requires no less than XXX hours of work, plus XX pounds of fondant and XXX pounds of icing and the cake itself. It will both look awesome and taste great. If you want to cut costs, we can do that with cupcakes that will not be as impressive but will still taste great. Or, if the budget doesn't allow for that, there can always be grocery store sheet cakes. It is up to you. "

well it's better to think twice before order a cake, you are not really clever

What K8 said^^^^^^.

You don't need to chase her down for an answer. Wait for her to contact you, then let her know you are already booked.

Rude much? 

MunticOre we are talking about /people/the public who order cakes.  We have no control over their thinking except to tell them 'how the cookie crumbles' :(  We cannot think twice for them!