First Possible Wedding Cake--What Price To Quote?!?
Business By lish1904 Updated 6 Jul 2007 , 6:24am by CoutureCake
Hi. I have been battling this question for 2 weeks now and I think I have settled on a number but am uncertain. The cake she picked is all doube layered, 14", 12", 10", 8", 6". From the Wilton instructions there 15 large orchids, 50 stephanotis and 50 stephanotis buds and 100 ivy leaves. Plus she wants lil hearts all over the cake. The cake is enough for 196. Soo the flowers I am not sure I can do and I found them online. It would cost about $125 to buy them all but I figure if I were try to make them it would take forever and it would cost me alot. So I figure cheaper and easier to buy then to make. The cake will be covered in fondant. But I'm thinkining $4.50 a serving = $882. Is that WAY to much or just a little to much? Help please. I really want to do a wedding cake but I don't want to over or undercharge. I have been undercharging before and I want to start being more strict. Thanks for advice and help.
Remember, you can always go down, it's harder to go up. To go down, she's got to give up SOMETHING. Remember, this cake is going to cost you in ingredients, stands, supports, etc. alone around $400-475. Think about your wages for 40 hours worth of work (which the cake will still take even if you purchase the gumpaste flowers/leaves premade).. You never ever in business want to resent taking an order. Even if you're dealing with bridezilla, you still want to be making enough that you really don't care if she's a PITA.
I guess I've found that the first person to mention price is who usually loses the negotiation. Selling cake is like selling drugs (in theory, cake is at least a legal product), hook them in with the delicious sample, deliver what you promise (always underpromise and overdeliver) then you've got their business for life 
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If she fusses about the price breakdown, it's $3/slice for the cake itself, then ~$1.50/slice for the gumpaste work (just have the full number worked out of what the gumpaste work is worth because then you've got a negotiating point).. This way you lock in what your per slice rate is, then the add-on is the what to add/subtract for budgeting purposes. That way if she only wants to spend the $3/slice and take care of the flowers herself, then she can pay more to go that route without you being out ANYTHING on the cost of making this cake.
Also, when you go into the meeting, have your game face on. Act like you aren't desperate for her business (even if you are!), you do tiered cakes all the time, and know the lingo and what sets you apart from the 20 bakers up the road. Be honest about what you can and can't do yourself, you don't want to be stuck doing a cake that you know a baker up the road would do 3x better than you can. Along with what prices everyone else in your area is quoting. That way when they tell you "baker B told us they can do the same cake for $2/pp, you can call their bluff. Usually a good one to call people's bluff on is the size of slice they're getting for the money. Also, if her budget is out of the ballpark, then have someone to give her a referral to. You'll build business because they'll refer people to you if they can't do a particular design that is your specialty or are booked on a certain date.
Good luck with everything!
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