So Am I Quoting Prices That Are Too High?
Decorating By potatocakes Updated 27 Apr 2007 , 5:24pm by CakesbyMonica
I posted a couple of pictures the other day of a wedding cake I was asked to give a price on. I met with the couple and the bride's mom last night and gave them a quote of $500 for the cake (to serve 200, throwing in the top tier for free basically), $90 for gumpaste hydrangeas (we decided to just do small bouquets placed on each tier like the first cake instead of the 2nd), $25 delivery/setup, and $25 refundable deposit for equipment. Before I gave them the price, they were raving on and on about how beautiful my cakes were (they attended the wedding last year that I did my 1st and only wedding cake), and also said they'd never had a wedding cake that tasted good at all until mine. They just couldn't be more complimentary about my cakes, looks and taste-wise. I told them they may find it cheaper to use silk flowers, but gave them the price just in case. After I quoted the price, they just got really quiet and had sort of stunned looks on their faces. I told them I'm sure they needed to discuss it and to please contact me within a week. Oh, they also told me that all the other bakers they had contacted wouldn't do a wedding on a Sunday, and I told them that was no problem and I wouldn't charge extra for it. So please be honest with me, am I just charging way too much? This is the 2nd couple that has had that reaction, and the first couple flat out said it was too high and they went somewhere else. Here are the cakes. She wants the design of the first one, but the flowers of the 2nd, with the flowers placed like the lilies on the first one.
I would have said the same thing. Don't back down. They love the cake but don't want to pay the price. Let them go to the grocery store for a mediacore cake. Not nearly as pretty.
if this is the couple's first big white wedding each, it's possible that they don't have any idea how much wedding cakes cost especially if they hadn't gone around canvassing for prices yet.
for 200 servings it comes out to 2.50 per person. that is a good price!
i find that sometimes people will go to a supermarket get a quote from them then expect a custom baker/home baker to be less.
dont budge on your pricing you won't be happy about it.
I do not think it sounds too much to charge $2.50 per serving. But the only way of knowing for sure is to check what other bakeries and cake makers in the area charge.
I do think a lot of people just do not know how much to expect to pay for cake, so they may have an initial shock. Give them some time and they will probably come around to it. Strange how people will not bat an eyelid at paying thousands of dollars for other goods and services, but for some reason when it comes to cake is should preferrably be free.
Ummm...you quoted her $500?? You are giving her a discount!!! ($100 worth) You should be charging her $3.00 per serving for that cake! Even more cause the fondant hydrangeas are going to take a lot of work! You are actually shorting yourself for the flower work!
I think they were thinking cause you were a HOME baker that you wouldn't be charging as much as a bakery. Tell them how much you SHOULD be charging them and they should get the point. If they don't do the cake, it's their loss and you don't have to stress over it. They will see what a diamond in the rough you are!
I think that is a very reasonable price. I agree that people do get price comparisons from grocery stores, sam's club and places like this and if we are going dollar for dollar we can't compete. The difference is the custom work, the time the highly upgraded style and the list goes on and on.
I've set my buttercream wedding cakes at $2 a serving, and fondant at $3 a serving (local delivery included). And I would charge extra for gumpaste flowers. So, to serve 200 with buttercream, I would charge $400, plus the flowers. The cakes are beautiful, I think you're being reasonable!!
Your price is right in the medium range with the gumpaste work.
I want to know what you all charge for white chocolate dipped strawberries
in September (they are out of season here at that time)? I qouted $1.25 each. Is that high or low?
They are to circle each tier of the wedding cake.
These people are the ones that don't know cake prices. I spent 250 for my wedding cake. I got it from publix. I know....I was dumb. Your price is more than fair. A little underpriced. Alot actually. That would be alot of work for those flowers. I hope for your sake she goes without the flowers. How much did you charge her for the actual cake?
I agree with what everyone's saying. Break it down for them and show them WHY the price is what it is (custom flowers, # of people, price per slice) and remind them of their own wonderful opinion of your work! It's delicious, beautiful and I'm sure they'll get the best attention possible especially come wedding time because all your clients are important. Maybe they're looking for you to budge on the price and bring it down a little?
Don't let them make you second guess yourself. This should be worth the money for you considering the time, patience and money that YOU put into it. Be strong!
If you add it all up (including the delivery charge and flowers) it's 3$ a serving.. that's not bad at ALL. For the gumpaste work (hydrangeas are time consuming to sat the least) and the cake.. I'd probably charge more.. like 3.50 a serving.. is it going to be covered in fondant? Then more.. At LEAST 3$ a serving.. nothing less. You are giving them a deal.
Have they shopped around at all? I think if they do they will see that you are being more than reasonable.
Your price is right on! Don't back down, I get that sometimes
too. At first it was hard, but I'm getting used to it. It only
took one time to work so hard and long on a cake for a
reduced price because they balked at the original price to
say NO MORE! It is not worth it!
Can you imagine doing all that work for less??
You did the right thing!
Your cakes are beautiful...........
no thats not high at all. my little cousin had a $800 cake for her sweet sixteen, and it fed 200. and she got it in beverly hills. my motto is quality over quantity, if they dont want it, they dont want quality. simple as that, and your cakes you like they are quality. =)
Thanks for all of your replies. It makes me feel much better. I mean, I know $500-600 sounds outrageous for a cake to people who don't do cakes, but like I told them, even though this is a part-time hobby for me, I still have to cover my expenses and time!
To answer a couple of questions, I did break down the pricing to them just like I listed in the first post. The cake will be all buttercream, no fondant, except for the gumpaste hydrangeas. They have apparently shopped around because they told me they kept running into the same problem with other bakers -- they don't do Sunday weddings.
I am definitely not lowering my prices. It's just frustrating because I really want to do another wedding cake. 
People are usually ok with the price per person..... they just don't know how to multiply it out times 200 people!!!!!
A friend asked me to look over the quote they were given for a small party for about 50 people to see if it was reasonable because it seemed like a lot of money to them. When I broke it down, it was a VERY reasonable price per person .... I told them "It seems like a lot because you are feeding 50 people."
People can figure out and understand that to feed 6 people at $5 a person will cost $30. They have no idea how to figure out that to feed 100 people at $5 a person will cost $500!!! All they see is the $500 check they will have to write!
they are beautiful cakes and fondant flowers take a lot of time, but over 600 dollars for a cake that serves 200 might be a little high, especially if you haven't done a lot of weddings.
My personal opinion is that is doesn't matter if you've made 1 or 1000. A cake of this magnitude is worth what it is worth. Have done a lot or a few weddings really should not figure into the equation if the cake is well done. I would not charge less than $3.00 per serving...maybe even more with fondant and gumpaste flowers. I know how time consuming they are to make!
I seem to be in the minority...ok, the only one who thought it was too much. i'm just saying that when you first start out it's hard cuz everyone does a double take at prices, especially when you're not well known. and sometimes when you're first starting into wedding cakes you have to bite the bullet and lower the price a little so people will go with you. once you get your name out there and everyone sees how beautiful your cakes are, then you can go up. that's what i meant.
heyjules - I understand what you're saying, but I really can't afford to lower my prices on this wedding cake. I have to cover my personal expenses in making it, not to mention, it will take hours away from my family to make all those flowers, and to construct the actual cake, plus a Sunday afternoon/evening away from family. And actually, the first wedding cake I did was at a major discount, and I'm afraid that's what is causing these people to balk at my prices. Even though the 1st bride promised she wouldn't tell people what I charged, this is the 2nd couple from her wedding that have thought I am charging way too much. I have a feeling she spilled the beans, and now that friendly discount has come back to bite me. That's why I refuse to give big discounts on wedding cakes anymore. The last thing I want to be known as is the best "cheap" cake decorator. 
Plus, I'll be totally resentful making that cake if I don't get what I think I should for it.
I seem to be in the minority...ok, the only one who thought it was too much. i'm just saying that when you first start out it's hard cuz everyone does a double take at prices, especially when you're not well known. and sometimes when you're first starting into wedding cakes you have to bite the bullet and lower the price a little so people will go with you. once you get your name out there and everyone sees how beautiful your cakes are, then you can go up. that's what i meant.
heyjules, i get what you mean too. it is difficult for me. have to make a lot of freebies. a friend kindly advised me to "follow market prices while still starting out" and "make promos like order 2 get cookies free or 5 discount" because i am still in the "courtship stage of customer retention and relationship building." 
of course she doesn't decorate cakes. but this is how other people think. it's very important for us decorators to learn how to tactfully inform others of the value of our work.
I just wanted to add that starting out with what may be perceived to be higher prices would still be easier than starting low then going higher. You may have a slow start, but try and get people to pay more if they have been used to paying next to nothing will be next to impossible. I say stick to your prices!
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