In my area (Detroit) I'm seeing a trend towards using a dummy wedding cake and serving a sheetcake to the reception guests. Most people think it's cheaper, but I'm not so sure. (Personally, I think it's kind of tacky, but that's just my opinion. Seems like you're shirking your guests.) Anways...how do you price for something like that? The wedding cake is not real, but you still put your labor into decorating the dummy. I've never used a dummy, so I don't even know if you use real icing or if there's something more durable you can work with. And I would assume that you'd try to make the sheetcake resemble the dummy in decorations, wouldn't you? Otherwise you could just dole out Hostess cupcakes, if the cost is that important to you. Does anyone have experience with pricing dummy cakes?

Mickig

In a couple of wedding books recently, it was suggested to brides as a way to save money- it wasn't a suggestion made by a decorator!

I charge almost the same for the dummy as I would for cake. Most of the cost of a wedding cake is in the labor and skill of the decorations.

Sometimes, they order a smaller cake at $2.50 a serving and sheetcakes at $1.50 a serving to save money. The guests don't mind, and it is easier for the decorator.

there are permanent 'icings' , royal, or even spackle to use to cover the dummy. You could create one they could rent for a minimum and then get the less expensive sheet cakes.

Hmm, I never considered the idea of "renting out" the cake dummy. That's a great idea, if the situation ever comes up for me.

Mickig

I was just wondering the same thing!!!!

I would charge MORE for a dummy cake... the dummy cost more than my materials for real cake and the work is the same so the cost to the bride is more... it is not like someone else would rent what she picked out and had made special.

The places that do rent dummies have them to show potential customers when they order their cake so if they want to rent a dummy cake they pick from those.

people around here want to eat the cake so I doubt it will be a trend.

JoAnnB....AMEN!!!!!!!!!!

I get on my soapbox on that one! Let's see....if they order just a wedding cake, I'll bake it, ice, decorate it, transport it and assemble it. If they order a dummy cake and sheet cakes, I'll still bake the same amount of cake, ice it, decorate AND..... spend money for the dummies, ice them, decorate them, transport all of them and now it's costing me more because I have to use my big van instead of the smaller vehicle. I have more raw materials, it takes me twice as long ...... and you're suppose to get it cheaper WHY?????

I may throw in at no charge a single styrofoam layer to make a wedding cake bigger IF they have also ordered their buffet from me, but you're right .... whoever said "Oh order it THIS way to get it cheaper!" was not in the cake decorating business!