I need to hear from someone who has done cupcakes for a wedding cake instead of the traditional cake. I have a friend who has asked me to do this for her...300 cupcakes with fondant bows on each cupcake! This sounds like a HUGE feat!!! Has anyone ever done this and how many days did it take you? Would you do it again? I have not agreed to do this yet but if I do does anyone have any tips or suggestions for me?
Hey there. I have done a huge wedding with cupcakes. 350 white cupcakes with white buttercream and pink fondant flowers. My suggestion: talk her out of it if you can, charge well if you can't. It's not difficult, just horribly time consuming. I had access to a restaurant kitchen and it still took me all day to bake. A day to make frosting and frost them. And it took me a couple of days to make all the flowers, granted I was doing a 5 tiered cake to go with it...but it was a huge pain. I am not sure I would be willing to do it again unless I were getting paid really well. Good Luck!
I just took an order for 120 cupcakes, and convinced the bride to only put a flower on every other cupcake. I think that's going to help me save a lot of time. Would the bride consider that as an option?
i do a lot of wedding cupcakes- I charge them A LOT if they want that kind of detailing. More than a slice of wedding cake. I like the idea of a bow on eery other. Otherwise, you'll just need to start ahead and store the bows. If you're doing big loopy bows, I would charge her at least $1-2/bow above and beyond the cupcake itself. A lot of people are doing cupcakes b/c they are trying to save $$. (not all, but a lot.)
That would deter her, or at least when you get to cupcake 276... you can be saying "$2 extra.....$2 extra....."
I've also done in the region of 120 cupcakes for a wedding in 4 flavors with different decoration for each cupcake. I thought it was pretty straight forward. I didnt have fondant decor on all the cupcakes, just 2 of the flavors. I had a monogram on one, and a fairly quick flower for another one. 
-get the fondant decorations ready as early as possible
-bake the cupcakes ahead of time, keep in airtight containers for up to 2 days(or freeze carefully for longer)
-frost the cupcakes just before serving, then top with a topper
You can also get a bow mold and make the bows ahead of time, which is what I'd do.
I did a quince that required 150 cupcakes with gumpaste daisies and the number "15" on all of them and it actually didn't take that long since I did the numbers and daisies ahead of time. I baked the cupcakes on Thursday, decorated on Friday and delivered Sat. morning. They were a big hit. Just do as much as you can ahead of time and the actual decorating goes pretty quickly.
I did a wedding with 200 cupcakes; 3 different flavors including gluten-free plus 2 different flavor icings. Each one was topped with chocolate fall leaves. It took a lot of time to do these. Make sure you charge enough. I personally would rather do a huge wedding cake vs cupcakes. Also make sure to allow yourself enough time for unloading and setting up at the reception site. If you box these in trays it takes a lot of boxes and time. I wouldn't say turn down the order, just be aware of what your getting in for. Good luck!
I would tell your friend your regular price for cupcakes and then tell her if she pays for the fondant/gumpaste used in the bows and HELPS You make them all, you won't charge any extra for them!!!! Once she sees how much time it takes to make a few, there is no doubt she'll change her mind about all 300 cupcakes having the bows!
how 'bout royal icing loopy bows (if she wants loopy bows, that is).....pipe out all the loops on LIGHTLY greased parchment...allow to dry...assemble...those can be made waaaaaaaay ahead of time too and much less troublesome than fondant loopy bows (for the small ones...for large ones, yeah...fondant is easier)
The pictures of the cupcakes & towers that y'all posted are gorgeous!
Thank you so much for the "in-sight." My problem is I hate to say no. The reason why this friend wants me to make her wedding cake is because I've known her since she was about 8 yrs. old...she's 21 now. PLUS I made the attached cake for her finace when he called and asked. He used the cake as part of his process to propse to her. I actually did this as a freebie for them just because they are both so dear to our family.
*I made the cake for them IN the picture on the cake also.*
I would tell your friend your regular price for cupcakes and then tell her if she pays for the fondant/gumpaste used in the bows and HELPS You make them all, you won't charge any extra for them!!!! Once she sees how much time it takes to make a few, there is no doubt she'll change her mind about all 300 cupcakes having the bows!
That's actually a great idea because I know she doesn't grasp how long these cake projects take...I think non-cake decorators think we whip these cakes/cupcakes out in an hour tops! Serioulsy if they only knew that it takes hours and hours and some times days ...
I had a friend that always ordered cakes from me and i always gave her a reduced rate and she appreciated it........one time she said "why don't I help you with the cake?" I agreed and she helped me. We spent about 8 hrs. one day and decided to finish it up the next day (I finished that night, because I knew she was getting frustrated with it) she came by the next day and I told her "I couldn't help myself.....I had to keep going with it" She hugged me and thanked me profusely for not requiring her to spend aNY more time on it. She paid my full price AND gave me extra!! She refuses to accept any reduced rates on aNYTHING and is always sure to tell me that I don't charge enough for all the work and time involved in cakes.
She calls and says, how many cakes do you have this week and if I have a lot she doesn't even ask me lol she goes to walmart!
I think this can be a HUGE reality check for non cake people!! tell her you'll bake and ice the cupcakes if she does the bows.....tell her it's simple and show her how to form the loops, tell her you'll need about 10 for each cupcake, so she better get started that's 3,000 loops!!
I had a friend that always ordered cakes from me and i always gave her a reduced rate and she appreciated it........one time she said "why don't I help you with the cake?" I agreed and she helped me. We spent about 8 hrs. one day and decided to finish it up the next day (I finished that night, because I knew she was getting frustrated with it) she came by the next day and I told her "I couldn't help myself.....I had to keep going with it" She hugged me and thanked me profusely for not requiring her to spend aNY more time on it. She paid my full price AND gave me extra!! She refuses to accept any reduced rates on aNYTHING and is always sure to tell me that I don't charge enough for all the work and time involved in cakes.
She calls and says, how many cakes do you have this week and if I have a lot she doesn't even ask me lol she goes to walmart!
I think this can be a HUGE reality check for non cake people!! tell her you'll bake and ice the cupcakes if she does the bows.....tell her it's simple and show her how to form the loops, tell her you'll need about 10 for each cupcake, so she better get started that's 3,000 loops!!
I love that! I'm glad it worked out for you like that! Awesome!
I just did a 300 cupcake tower for a wedding this past weekend. And I loved it. I thought it was easier than doing a wedding cake for 300. The set-up just took longer. At least an hour. I had enough pans and oven space to bake 100 at a time, so it didn't take long. I think by the time I prepared the batter, filled them, baked them, etc. it took 2 hours per 100. And the frosting part wasn't that hard either. I tripled my recipe and I think I did that at least twice to have enough icing and I just used a large round tip and piping bag and did a swirl on each. These had to be delivered at 3 on Saturday and I just piped the icing on right before I left. Maybe took me over an hour to pipe them all. And if you need to know how to transport them. I used 3 full sheet cake boxes (18x26) and a smaller (14x19) box. I loaded the boxes with the cupcakes and put the icing on them while they were in the box. Then I didn't have to move them and less chance to mess them up. They were packed pretty tightly that they didn't move. I made the fondant flowers a few days ahead of time. And I agree that you should probably only do bows on 1/3 of them. That's what I did. Hope this helps!
I don't think it would be that bad. If you can get the bows done ahead-or order them, that would be the best. I did the 200cc wedding tower in my photos and started the day before. For me, it was much lower-stress than a tiered cake. BUT-mine were just a swirl, which took about 2x as much icing!
So what did you decide to do Nickymom?
Makes me sad to say I had to tell her no.....I tried to explain why etc. but I don't think she "got-it".....
I think she is upset a little w/ me.
She should be thrilled that I was completely honest w/ her by telling her it was too big of a job for me...I did not want to ruin her special day by not meeting her expectations. I would have never forgiven myself if I had taken on the job and then failed....know what I mean?
You did the right thing. Only do what you are comfortable with 
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