Deposit Fee And Misc Fees For Cakes
Business By Silver044 Updated 27 Jun 2007 , 3:28pm by karensjustdessert
Ok I got my first signed contract yesterday. I charged her a $250 deposit fee/non refundable. I told her that up front before I started the contract. I was going to charge that for all of my wedding cakes. Is that too much?
Also, how do you charge for fondant or satin bows on cakes? Everything seems to cost extra, so I am just confused on how to charge for everything. Should I just charge a flat fee and include it in the price or charge extra for this?
How many of you charge a rental fee on all of your equipment. I have seen some people that don't charge rental fees on their cake stands and some that do. How do you pay for them if you don't charge?
Ok one last question. I make all of my gumpaste flowers, letters(cake toppers), sugar bubble, and people. How do you all charge for them being "extras"? I would really appreciate any help on this subject.
Thank you soooooo much in advance!!!
In my oppinion, that is way too high for the average Wedding Cake. If it were over $1000 that would be 1 thing but I think for the typical wedding cake a non-refundable deposit of about $50-$100 is to be expected. You could ask for more as a deposit but as for the non-refundable part I just think that might scare a bride away and you won't get that many contracts.
It might work differently where you or others live but I only charge a $50 non-refundable deposit to get on the books and anything else they give me would be refundable - UNLESS, it requires a lot of prep work that you have to start early. If the bride cancels after you've started the prep work you're entitled to keep a fair amount to cover the expenses of the work you've performed...Hope that makes sense.
I charge a refundable deposit of $25-$75 for plates, pillars, stairs, fountains - things like that. I just make sure that I charge enough to cover the items in case they are not returned to me or are damaged. Once they give me the items back they get their check back uncashed. I have them make a separate check out for this deposit and I hold it until after the items are returned.
For Fondant/Gumpaste bows/ribbons or flowers I just charge per flower if the cake is NOT covered in Fondant. If the cake is covered in fondant I don't charge extra for the decorations unless it becomes excessive. Any flower toppers, or monograms are $25 at least and can go up from there if it's really extensive or hard to do. You just have to play around with pricing those items based on how long it takes you to do it and how much it costs you for ingredients. To me though, my time is the most expensive thing so that's what I base most of my pricing on. It will be interesting to see how others do this...Congratulations on your first contract!!
Tammi
For starters, congratulations on your first wedding cake contract!
For the deposit, I agree with Tammi, that $250 is way too much unless it's an extravagant, pricey cake. I charge a $50 non-refundable booking deposit. In my location of NC, we've been hard-hit with layoffs and unemployment. I don't see anyone in this area putting down that much. However, once they sign my contract, their $50 deposit is then deducted from the couple's final balance. IF the bride should choose to go with another decorator, I still have the $50 to cover any losses that I may have incurred by not taking additional orders on that particular day.
I charge a $30 refundable equipment deposit for basic wedding cakes without the fountain, etc. The fountain and/or cake stand is an additional charge in itself. The bride (or chosen representative) has 3 business days to return the equipment back to me in the same condition that it was loaned it...unbroken, clean, no missing pieces/parts, etc....and the equipment deposit is refunded.
Best of luck to you!
Amy
I require a $100 deposit. $50 is non-refundable as is to save the date and covers my time and materials for tasting consultation. The other $50 is returned to them on the wedding day unless either of their 2 payments are late then it is kept.
My equipment deposit is separate and varies depending on the item. For the garden stand it is $150 as that is what it would cost me to replace it. This is only kept if items not returned by specified date.
I charge 20% deposit, which is refundable up to a month before the wedding. I also do not charge more if the cake is covered with Fondant. I know fondant costs more, but not THAT much more, and the trade off is this: I have to spend more time on a buttercream cake, with crumb coating and smoothing and such. With a fondant cake, I can make it faster. So I think the cost in the end is equal. I also don't beleive in nickel and diming them to death, so my intial price per slice is slightly higher, but in most cases its the final price. and brides really appreciate it.
(about the only thing they pay extra for is fondant bows and gum paste flowers. Delivery is free, setup is free, royal icing flowers are free, etc etc)
I charge them $5.00 a tier for pillars (which is what they cost me) which is refunded when I get them back and I charge them a deposit for fountains and silver expensive stuff which they get 50% back on. (this is because these items are so expensive and I don't get many requests for them)
I also use all bakery craft internal support system, instead of wooden dowels and i don't charge extra for that. I have been able to transport a three tiered cake all assembled with those suckers, so it makes my life easier and I can get more cakes delivered that way!
but I agree, 250 is a lot for a deposit! especailly since my average wedding cake is about 350-400. thats a huge percentage!
I'm confused on whether you mean you transport your cakes stacked or on pillars? I haven't used the Internal support system so not sure what you meant....Thanks!!
I charge a 50% non refundable deposit for wedding cakes. Most of my cakes run between $200-$400 dollars and no one has complained about the 50% deposit. However, I am flexible on the non refundable part. I did have one bride whose fiance was overseas in the military and they broke up while he was away and cancelled the wedding. Gave her the whole deposit back b/c it was far enough in advance that I hadn't started buying any supplies back. I also charge a $30 deposit for plates, pillars, equipment, etc. Didn't used to do that but after two brides in a row told me that the reception site had accidentally thrown everything away, I decided to start charging a deposit. However, I have them pay me the deposit as part of their total price so I only get one check from them. Then if they return everything within the allotted time, I will write them back a check. I would be afraid that a second check for the deposit wouldn't be good by the time I cashed it if they didn't bring everything back. If someone pays 6 months in advance for their cake, who knows if the check will bounce, the account will be closed, etc. by the time the wedding rolls around?
What is a bakery craft internal support system? Never heard of it but sounds interesting....
What is a bakery craft internal support system? Never heard of it but sounds interesting....
Good question! I'm waiting to see the answer since I've never heard of it either and I always transport my tiered cakes unassembled and then assemble them on site.
Very interesting thread and I just want to say that I appreciate all you folks who took the time to post some very detailed information 
.
I'm confused on whether you mean you transport your cakes stacked or on pillars? I haven't used the Internal support system so not sure what you meant....Thanks!!
I transport them stacked. (I do transport them with the pillars in them and just place the cake on the Pillar) I would never try to transport a cake pillared! Sorry about the confusion.
I use the bakery craft single plate system (SPS) You have to get an account with them to order directoy, but sugarcraft has them. I LOVE them! They interlock and are easy to use and are very cheap (when ordering from bakery craft)
http://www.sugarcraft.com/catalog/wedding/Wplates-pillars.htm
I got tired of bringing all those boxes and all that buttercream and all the mess (getting buttercream on my hands and trying to set up) and the audience it would draw while trying to "decorate" I dont bring more then 3 tiers assembled (Stacked only) as it just gets too heavy. But I have delivered lots of cakes all assembed, especially the fondant ones, completely ready to just put on the table. The pillared ones, I put the pillars in and place the cake that goes on the pillar on its plate, and "glue" it down with royal icing. then all I have to do is place the cake on the pillar. I had a couple of brides pick up their cakes and "assemble" them themselves. I also use this system for ALL my tiered cakes,including whimsical. because the internal system is actually ATTACHED to the plate (and the plate has a little nail on it thats goes into your board your cake is sitting on) it is very sturdy! I don't trust those push in wooden dowels and have cakes "floating" on them. I like how it is all just pieced together! The 4 - 6 dollars it cost me per cake is well worth the piece of mind, as well as I can take more cake orders becuase setup and delivery is so much faster!
Of course, I don't want to guarantee anyone anything...you still gotta be careful, but I am so glad I use this system!
I have a 50% deposit policy; if the order is cancelled more than 60 days before the event, the full deposit is refunded...45 days or less, 50% of the deposit is refunded...if less than 30 days, no deposit refund whatsoever.
Most of my orders are between 300 to 400 hundred dollars.
Quote by @%username% on %date%
%body%