So I work with this young girl who really wants to get married. She has been with her fiance for a couple years and really wants a wedding but can't afford it and her parents are not finacially capable either. So of couse she knew I liked to decorate cakes. So she took down my phone number but in the nect sentence she said she is going to try a budget of 500.00. 
I really would love to do a wedding cake since I have never done one but at the same time I don't want people thiinking they can just get off cheap. I read a forum on here of one lady that wanted to pay 60.00 for a wedding cake but the cake lady ended up giving her a beautiful cake. So please tell me what I should do. I love helping people and would love to make her wedding cake memborale but don't want to be taken advantage of. Thanks~Melissa
If you're doing her a favor out of compassion and she's equally as grateful for the opportunity to have a beautiful wedding cake, then you're not being taken advantage of. If you're worried about other people trying to get cheaper/discounted services in the future, just talk to the girl and tell her that you'd like to do this for her, but that you can't do it for everyone and that if she really needs your help that she can "repay" you by keeping the entire thing quiet. I know what you mean and I hope everything works for the best!
Well only you can decide if you think she is being honest about not having money as you work with her. And if she is being honest and you can afford to do the cake for little or nothing then I would say go for it. The exposure would be good for you as well as the experience and it would be great advertising. Besides the good feeling of helping out someone. You could ask if you could leave some business cards with her for her to pass along and just make sure she understands that you are doing this as favor for her and that you would like to get some customers out of the deal sort of "I scratch your back if you scratch mine" and see what she says also tell her since its free or at cost that it will be a simple but elegant cake so that she doesnt start asking for something truly expensive and very time consuming. Well just my opinion but hope it helps
If your compassion is leading you to want to help her out, you could tell her that if she buys the ingredients, then you'll make the cake for her as a wedding gift. The value of your time will probably be the most expensive gift she receives! I would think this may help deter some future inquiries for "cheap" wedding cakes as you can always fall back on "oh that was my gift to her" as opposed to trying to explain why the price you're quoting them is so much higher.
I would advise to proceed cautiously .... in some of my previous lives, I've done a few wedding cakes for co-workers and some (not all) of them tended to lean toward the attitude of the more I gave 'em the more they expected. So make it clear up front what your expectations are as far as what you are doing for her. Perhaps ending the conversation with "....anyting beyond that, I'd have to charge you full price for".
I say do it charge her the cost or whatever price you two agree on then tell her the rest is a gift. get an idea of what she wants then make it as fancy as you want to besides I would just do it for the experience and think of it as a cake for someone with no pressure just make it fun. I did a shower cake for a friend with the same situation and I told her I would do it for her for the amount she could afford, it was one of the most pretties and the most fun I ever had making a cake it turned out beautiful she was happy and so was I. I got to do something that I had never done before and when someone asked she just told them a close friend made it
Molly2 
I was in asimilar situation to this about 6 wks ago! It was a very young couple, neither's family had much money. Being that the bride's mom is a GOOD friend of mine (2 of our kids were in the same class in school), I offered a deep discount on the cake, which the appreciated greatly. At the time I was also low on funds myself, and was not in a position to buy a nice wedding gift. As a surprise, I got the bride and groom a very nice card, inserted the ticket for the cake, and wrote "paid in full-congratulations!" on the receipt.
I was very happy with the cake and the smile on their faces were priceless, worth every penny the cake cost me! (It was a very small wedding-only about 40 guests!)
You are only being taken advantage of if YOU feel you are being taken advantage of!
Alternately, if you know that you are invited, are close friends with her, and you can afford the expense, you can make the cake your gift to her.
Theresa
I too have felt compassion for a bride, be very cautious in this situation... Be sure you know exactly what the bride wants before you offer to do anything for free. I have gotten into several jams 
because I didn't gather enough information before I said "yes". After you see the design she wants, then you can either discount the cake or offer to do it for a wedding gift.
I agree with JulieBugg2000 - she could "repay" you by keeping the price on the DL. I did a cake for FREE out of the goodness of my heart for a co-worker because she was leaving...it's not so much that I was close with her, but because I saw it as an opportunity to play and do something really fun (the cheese cake in my photos). Unfortunately, one of my friends got upset with me because I didn't make her a cake when she transferred (I gave her damn good cake we sell at work lol)...and she isn't friends with cheese cake recipient. So she feels slighted. And since co-workers know cheese cake was free...yeah. If ANYONE ASKS me to make them a cake for free, I will say no. It is ultimately my decision when I do pro bono cakes and if they ask, that's rude. I only offer discounts to close friends...and even then, sometimes I don't do stuff for them! 
It's your budget and your time - give it away wisely.
That said, I am all for compassion. If you're close enough to do the cake as a gift and want to, then do it.
What if you work out a trade with her? Big discount on the cake in exchange for some cleaning around your house. I know I could use an extra hand for the house when I get busy with cakes. There are always lots of dishes and counters to clean. The fridge could probably use a good scrubing (at least mine could!) and I ALWAYS have laundry to fold.
Just an idea. 
I agree with all that is being said here - - - be cautious, be compassionate, be giving and be smart.....look at the situation with your eyes wide open and do what your heart and your head are telling you.
I'm thankful for all of this advice as I am doing a bridal shower cake for a co-worker in mid October. It's the 2nd cake I'll be doing for a co-worker, the first being a b'day cake for tomorrow, and I am charging them only $25 for a half sheet cake with a FBCT on it. I am partly doing it for such a low cost because I know it will give me ALOT of exposure, so I think it is worth it. I work with about 80 people and we are like family, but I know that I have to be VERY CAREFUL with this, as some of my "family" are wonderful, caring people and some are........well, like family. I want to do the bridal shower cake as a gift to the bride, but I will think long and hard about what I will tell her when she wants to know how much the cake is.
I was asked to do a cake for free for a friend's parents 50 anniversary. I agreed to do it because they were trying to do something nice for their parents and she's a close friend of mine. When she came over to see the cake books to pick one, the small simple cake turned out to be a pretty elaborate one. It was nine rounds of cake in different sizes from the new Wilton book Tiered Cakes. Since I had said yes, I felt obligated to do it, then I find out another person was giving them money to pay for the cake, I felt like I was lied to, so I told them that I was sorry but I was going to charge her $150 pretty reasonable in my eyes, anyway they decided to go somewhere else and pay the same amount of money for 2 full sheet cakes with no decorations at all. The day of the reception they forgot to go pick up the cakes. I call that karma. wouldn't you?
I think it is great that you want to do this but if she is on a budget of 500 for the entire wedding then I would find out how many people she is inviting. With little money then there should not be all that many people. I would say if it's for 50 people then make it your gift to her but if there are more than tell her it will be "x" amount of dollars for lets say 100 people. Don't say yes then find out she has invited 200 people to the wedding. Don't be taken advantage of either....
I agree with everything everyone else is saying...on top of that, this might be a good chance to not feel so overwhelmed.....especially if it's your first wedding cake. I mean, if your doing it for super cheap then she can't hold too high an expectation...even though I know your cake will be fabulous!!
PLUS, you can easily explain to her that this isn't normally something you would do but you want to help her out. Tell her that because you are giving her such a good deal that she can repay you by advertising you like crazy!!
I charged a friend half price once and she got me 3 cake orders in return!! This could be the start of something fabulous for you!!
Good Luck!
I would definitely help and ask for discretion in the matter. If she's truly tight on funds then you have the ability to give her an extravagance that she won't get otherwise. If everything else is on such a tight budget, imagine how much you could impact her special day by creating the cake of her dreams. And, since it is your first wedding cake, you could explain to her that you'd like to do it as a portfolio builder so she doesn't think / feel like it's a gesture of pity.
Another idea would be to find out exactly what she wanted I really mean go though it with her with a fine tooth comb then tell her you'll think about what she is requesting( to see if you can do that kind of cake sinces it's your first request for a wedding cake) in the mean time if their are other close co-workers ask them if they would like to help with the cost as a gift to the bride let them know what she is requesting.
Molly2
Just an idea
Thanks everyone for the ideas. I always learn so much on here. I am taking all advice in because everybodys advice has helped and made me think of things that I would have never even thought of. I will keep you all posted and posting more ideas for me. Thanks
ckkerber wrote:
I would definitely help and ask for discretion in the matter.
I couldn't agree more. I have so much compassion and would help everyone out, and most people who know me know this. And when you discount for one, others all think that they deserve it as well. If the bride would just not tell that the cake was such a value then I say go for it. It would be a little less stressful for you making your first wedding cake if it's not a high end ($$$$)cake. All the advice given in prior posts in this thread have been great!
Helping some one out does not always mean your being taken advantage of.
Happy baking 
I posted earlier that if it were me I would help her out...
After reading some of the other posts, I would like to elaborate! You said this would be your first wedding cake. then I am guessing that means you would not have any of the necessary plates, pillars, stands, etc. you will need if she wants a cake with seperations. A lot of people have suggested ways she could repay you if you decide to do the cake for free.
What if she were to buy you the plates, pillars, (...) in exchange for you doing the cake at no charge? She will get a glimpse at what the supplies actually cost and you would be paid in getting to keep the equipment to use again. You could even print some of the HL coupons to get a 40% discount on the items you needed. If you went with her, she would know what to get, and you could both use the coupons!
...just a thought!
My only suggestion is that if you plan to charge her 'cost' for the cake, I would definitely try to actually get as close to that number as possible in advance. My wedding cake was a gift from my aunt, who also catered my wedding. After my wedding a local caterer told me that my cake was a $1000 cake - WHAT!!!!!!!???????? Actually, it was mostly fake b/c of the distance she traveled to cater the wedding - with sheet cakes to cut. But, I was totally oblivious to the fact that cakes cost so much until I started working on them myself. I truly appreciated that gift and I am certain this lady will also. Good luck!
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