A co-worker asked me, as a favor, to make a small wedding cake (to serve 45) for a friend of hers. They want 2 tiers, fruit filling, buttercream, simple design. I say $70 and I'll come set it up. Friend price.....a bit over $1.50 a serving. She comes back to me. They said "no...too much money". I say sorry then and good luck. She comes back to me...tells me she's giving the cake as her gift so I say okay. This wedding is in less than 2 weeks at this point. Yesterday she comes and says now they want cake for 100 and they'll chip in and what will it cost. I keep the $1.50 per serving and say $150. Nope.....too much money for them to come up with. She told them they'd have to find their own cake then. Peachy with me.
Okay....yesterday......10 days until wedding.....they want an all chocolate grooms cake for 50. One tier, 12 inch square. What will that cost? I say $50. TOO much money! Criminey. So, Claudia offers to pay for that. Fine.
Today......9 days to go......but now they want it for 80 people and offered to pay $30 more. I explain that jumping from a one tier to a tiered cake makes it a whole different cake. My price is $1.50 per serving and I won't deliver.

Am I crazy or unreasonable? I don't want to disappoint my co-worker or put her on the spot, but this is getting NUTS! Right now I'm definately thinking of packing up my cake pans!

I'm proud of ya, sista! I luv it! You've given them a great "friend" price and obviously they (1) can't find someone to beat the price (2) have no idea what they are doing in planning this orchestrated pagentry of custom, tradition and symbolism!

I'm cracking up over how $70 is too much money ".....but now we'd like to more than double the headcount!" and then be surprised when it costs more!

Debi....This is why I run a Computer Lab instead of catering or cake decorating for a living. I've had these experiences! I catered a wedding a few years ago. Chicken Lasagna, Italian Beef, homemade rolls, salad, green beans for 200. Five bucks a head, because it was the daughter of a co-worker. It hardly covered the food and papergoods cost. Three days before the wedding they tell me there will be 75 more people. This was a May wedding when I was still teaching school! But, I pulled it off.

Last year...another wedding......45 people.....steak skewers, Chicken Lasagna (you need that recipe!), homemade rolls, asparagus, salad, white chocolate raspberry cheesecake with 2 sauces. Seven bucks a head. Five days before the wedding it jumped from 45 to 90 people in a place that seats 75. So, I had to jump from a buffet to served dinner. At least that one was in the summer!

I think I have "sucker" written on my forehead sometimes!

That a girl! Stick to your guns!! I say send them to WalMart!

I agree with Momof4!!

You are not unreasonable. Just the way that they keep changing the size of the cake while all the time complaining about the price...I would not even bother. It's too frustrating. You're not making enough to even deal with the hassle. I've found that people who constantly complain about the price are never satisfied anyway. That's not the kind of customer that I want to deal with. I'd very politely decline.

Stick to your guns. They are obviously not sure of what they want, and having waited so long and changing their minds so many times... Just tell your friend "hey, I am sorry but this is what I can do-I cant give away my time and effort...if its not feisable, then send 'em to WalMart (no offense to anyone who may work there)

you're more than welcome to the recipe. That lasagna is very different, with a white sauce with garlic and lemon, and chicken or turkey. When I use it for catering, I usually up the amount of sauce, increasing the recipe by 1/2 and I use the cookless noodles.

You can find that recipe (and many more of my favorites) here:
http://www.kahoks.org/kreitner/HTM/recipes.htm

I do my school webpage. I suspect we're one of the few elementary schools out there with a recipe page, but I found it was WAY easier than typing up my recipes for people all the time! Now I just post them there!

YOU GO GIRL! Way to stand firm and not give in...now wish I could do that!

I would tell her you need to know tomorrow how many people it is for and she needs to pay you in full by Friday, that way there is no misunderstanding about the cost. If she doesn't want to pay you for the product and time then let her get a cake from Wal-Mart. There are other cheaper options of course they won't be as nice or taste as good but if she can't afford a cake from you sorry. It sounds like she just wants to bargain you down and then tell the recipient of the gift that she paid sooooo much money for the cake, I have heard of that happening before, shame on her!!!!!!!!!!

Just because I want a David Yurman ring doesn't mean I can walk into the Jewelry store and tell them what I will pay! I think you have been more than patient and you need to draw the line. If she doesn't have the details and money in hand by Friday then don't do the cake it is not worth stressing out about. I would have probably turned her away at the beginning and told her "I do custom cakes and because of that my prices are higher because of the heart and soul I poor into my projects"

And girlfriend don't you dare pack your pans up over this women, just DON'T work with her in the future - tell her you are booked when she asks for a cake.

i agree, people just don't understand the time, energy and cost that goes into a cake. I agree, just let them go and that recipe sounds wonderful.

What does Wal-Mart charge for a wedding cake? Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmm.......no wonder people want something for nothing lately. I did hear Sams started doing them with the throw away base tiers, didn't hear how much though. Yes folks we must stick to our guns and if they want a Wal-Mart wedding cake let them buy one.

Step away from the oven...Stick to your guns. YOu are SOOOO right and they are SOOOO wrong.

I really don't get people sometime. Geez...

Oh my gosh these "kids" I'm guessing - are ridiculous. If you Can't afford a cake, DON'T invite a whole ton of people! I don't understand how wedding numbers "jump" like that..... heck mine went down. Well a few didn't show..... - it was okay, but we knew an approximate number weeks before the wedding - I can't imagine getting 45 RSVP's 10 days before the wedding... and not having any clue that that many people may be showing up..... just crazy.

Kids, it's a wedding - if you want all of your friends and family and their friends & family there, then do something simpler. If you want an extravagant event on a tiny budget, invite less people and throw those few significant people a big party!

Oh, what an uncomfy position for you. I hate that bargaining game esp. with people I know. You are in the right if even for the principle of it.

Really, Claudia isn't causing the problems...she's being abused the most if you ask me. She's been guilted into offering to pay for this cake, then they up the servings on her. I know they're trying to get her to offer to pay the extra money for the extra servings by saying they can't afford the difference. I think at this point she's more than willing to say "forget it", you find your own cake and I'll give you a gift instead!

I agree wholeheartedly....if you can't afford the party, don't HAVE the party!

I just saw that....and I'll get it fixed....but you can just scroll down. The
Entrees are the first recipes.

If the bride & groom are putting the squeeze on the Claudia....

You can do both yourself and Claudia a favor by politely declining to make their cake.... there are so many reasons why you should (already mentioned by others).

This way, if they get their act together they can order a cake from Wal-Mart or whatever....
And Claudia can pay for that cake or a gift or whatever.

And you and Claudia both come out of this with your sanity and friendship intact.

I just find these people's behavior appalling!!! Are they for real????

I really think becasue people see grocery store cakes for so cheap they then think that all cakes are cheap... Yet, if you go to a restaurant, their cake is usually $4-$5 a slice!!!! (big slices, true, but still!!!)

Hmmm... that and they see how much a cake mix is and a can of frosting, but yet, they don't want to make it themselves because it doesn't look nice... so why aren't they willing to PAY for it??? I really don't get it!

Melissa

People who can't figure out what they want for cake a week and a half before their wedding probably don't need cake anyway.

They ought to be so grateful that someone is willing to do it this last minute that they pay double.

Some people's kids....

I say be the "cake natzie" and say "NO CAKE FOR YOU'

REALLY they need to go to walmart.




melody

When I came home from dentist, errands and grocery shopping, there was a message on my answering machine from Claudia. She said "well, you won't BELIEVE what they want now!". I haven't called her back, because I had 100 cupcakes to make, filled with mango, strawberry, pineapple and chocolate fillings (25 of each) for a rehearsal dinner tomorrow.
I'll call tomorrow morning, but I guarantee my answer is going to be that I'm no longer able to do their cake. From the way Claudia sounded, I don't think she's going to mind one little bit!

I think that you and Claudia need to come to the conclusion together on the cake which I suspect may not be as difficult of a thing to do by this point. Find out what she has to say, then lay out the options. You cannot even go to Walmart for $1.50/slice! Also, explain to her that you are going to need to be paid for all of the servings by this Friday (remember, they have already gotten their counts into the caterer) because you need time to purchase ingredients, bake, and decorate the cakes.

Don't feel bad if you lose out on this cake. Chances are that Claudia is also fed up with those two and will be better off just buying them a toaster and saying enough is enough.

Good for you!

BTW, I just printed out the whole page of recipes! They all sound so yummy -- I can't wait to try some out! Thanks!!!

Hallelujah and praise anybody you want to praise....the cake is OFF!!
Claudia called me today and get this.....they told her they really didn't think they should have to contribute towards the Grooms cake for 85 people, because they had decided to give her THE HONOR OF GIVING THEM THE CAKE!!!!!


Well, Claudia decided that she didn't need to be honored. On top of all this garbage they've been throwing at her, I found out that SHE ISN'T EVEN INVITED TO THE WEDDING!!!!!!

I am SSSSSOOOOOOOOO happy I am out of this!!!!!!!

Wow that lasagna does sound yummy! Do you think I could leave out the mushrooms? Thanks!

BTW- i am glad you are out that order!