Me Or The Bride That Hasn't A Clue???................
Business By MikeRowesHunny Updated 10 Sep 2006 , 9:24am by MikeRowesHunny
A friend of a friend has just got engaged (this past Tuesday), and she's already talikng about me making her cake - great! However, I spoke to her for about and hour and a half yesterday about what she was envisioning for her cake. She wants an all fondant cake to feed 100 - 120 guests, 3 tiers on a 3 tier stand, and all the cakes to be different, a 3D castle, a 3D cinderella carriage and then a 3D top hat ( 
?). Then she says to me, 'so what are we talking......about E200 (approx $250!)?' 
. I nearly choked on the coffee I was drinking and said, 'err, no. My fondant cakes start at E3 per serving!', and that would be for a simple elegant fondant covered cake with ribbon decoration and maybe some light scroll work or similar!
What would you charge for a cake like this? Please help, I need to be reassured that I'm not crazy for thinking a cake like that should be worth at least double what she thinks?!
No you are not! That will be a lot of work! You might could give a little discount for a friend but I would not.
I have no idea as to pricing cakes--just a hobby for me, but I wanted to ask where do these people get their "ideas" of what a cake should cost? Sure before I started to do cakes and cookies, I think my thinking was off too, but geez, some of the posts have even me, the newbie, shaking my head! The time and craft it takes to get everything right?
I think your price is fine. I am sure she will come around once she starts to really look around.
Tell her $250 is fine, but you charge another $200 to deal with people like her--lol!
No, you are not crazy!!! I don't think people really understand the time and energy that goes in to making even a simple cake, let alone something such as she wants. I recently had a bride that freaked because she thought $2/serving was overpriced for an all bc cake. She said she knew someone who would do it for $1.50. I told her to hire the other person then. Do not be afraid to charge what your time and effort are worth.
i don't know how to convert to european money, but in the states, a simple fondant cakes starts at at least $4.00 per serving, plus all that stuff she wants would be extra. i'm in the midwest where prices are cheaper, i'm sure in more metro areas the cost of a fondant cake would be even more to START with, like i said, all those extras equal more $$$$
What I would consider, take the idea she has to several places in the areas for what they would call a 'rough estimate', just off the cuff, then give her a little discount off of that, but SHOW her the name of the places and what they would charge if she had it done there, then tell her, "Since you are so-and-so's friend, I will only charge you X."
Dutch bakeries do not do the kind of wedding cakes we are used to in the UK & USA, so she will not get what she wants anywhere else, except for 1 shop in town, who looking at their work, would probabaly not even consider doing it -they don't do 3D cakes at all! Their Barbie doll cakes in fondant are about E75 ($95) - so I think we can guess that they'd charge a lot more than I would anyway! I was going to give her maybe a 50 (about $70 discount) if she let me put my business cards with the cake at the reception. She's not even my friend, just the friend of a friend of mine, so I don't feel obligated to give her a discount of any kind for nothing in return, especially for a cake that will involve so much work! They will be married on a Monday (date still to be decided!!!!), so that will mean I will have to spend Friday and the whole weekend before working flat out on this cake - so that's a weekend away from my kids. I'd also have to take a day off work to set this up at the reception on the Monday - so that'll be lost money too! Hmmmm, I think I might be having second thoughts about this one already!
I think your subconcious has already made the decision for you... thanks, but no thanks! I think it would be a good opportunity for exposure and to try something fun, but only if she were willing to pay you what you're worth. Since she doesn't seem willing, I think she'll be getting a simple wedding cake from the local baker!
Here's an idea ... why don't you tell her to check out some websites for 'design ideas' just so you're sure of what it is she wants (!).... give her a few to look at maybe lvcc.co.uk or securecakestore.com etc, where their prices are listed beside the cakes, hopefully she'll soon realise what these bespoke cakes cost!
Ask her what her budget is and then tell her what you can do for that amount. But that stinks about having to take the day off of work. I would charge her for that too personally or else it's not worth your time.
Melvira and eilers have good suggestions. I actually checked out the local competition and put the examples on my website (not listing any names to protect the innocent, but I have the print-outs in my files in case the bride wants to see them). It helps to give them a starting point for pricing, because as we've all found out one way or another, many people just have no idea what a realistic price is. They pull something out of the air and "just decide" that's what it should cost. Having actual costs from other places will be a big help.
Stick to your guns. Your pics are great and you obviously put a lot of work into what you do. (I LUV the cake for Darcie! So Cute!!!)
How can this cake even be made? It sounds like a nightmare - how can it work visually? Sounds to me like she's got three cakes she likes and has decided they'd look good lumped on top of each other. If it's three tiers then I'd charge no less than £300 (about $550? No idea what this is in E) It sounds very complicated, potentially dreadful looking and like she's going to be mean about paying for it.
What I do in situations like this is price her out - so give her the price you'd consider doing it for (something very high so that if she says yes you'll at least be thinking about the cash!) chances are she'll 'change her mind' and as you know she won't be able to get anyone else to do it she might starting asking your opinion. Another thing I have done in the past is say to people 'I can't do you that cake because I feel it won't look good once it's realised, however I've sketched out a few designs that follow your ideas that I think will work' then you've bent her round a bit.
A customer wouldn't go to a fashion designer and expect them to draw up the exact dress they've scribbled on a bit of paper so I don't see why someone coming to a cake designer should not expect their design input - it is YOUR talents they're paying for after all.
You know what Emmacakes, I couldn't agree more! I think the carriage & castle would work together just fine (I've seen cakes like this, and they look very nice), but the top hat as well ? I sat down last night and worked out that even if I just did the castle (2 tiers) and carriage, there was no way I'd do it for less than E450 (£300/$570), considering the work & the sacrifices I'd have to make. I'll tell her the price and my suggestions, she either likes it or doesn't! If she gives me a budget (and a date!), I'll work on what I can do with that (and it won't be much if she wants fondant for E200!). I know she wants a very OTT wedding, but you have to draw the line somewhere (considering I've now been told by my friend that they don't have any money for a really extravagant wedding!). Thanks for all your help & suggestions! BTW, I emailed the other shop in town with the original design and asked what they'd charge - they haven't got back to me, and I'm not suprised - they probably think the whole idea is completely off the wall and impracticle!
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