Hey ya'll I am getting ready to meet with a bride and groom for my first ever wedding cake in Oct. 
I am scared to death....I meet with them Monday at 11:30 am. They know this is my first wedding cake and I will price accordingly for my inexperience. But I know they are bringing a picture...I don't want to "copy" a wedding picture. I know the picture has a spiral looking thing that the top tier sits on (doublely scared!) What are the basic tips for doing a wedding cake? Am I gonna be ok? When should I bake for this (the week of?) AM scared and don't know what questions to ask ... shaking right now as we speak..I don't even know the ??'s to ask you all!
Oh one of the ??'s I do want to ask is this....I am not a huge business and do not own a silver plateau..do I need to invest in one or is this something the bride and groom furnish...if I have to buy one how do I factor in this cost without sending them through the roof, the cheapest one I found was 125.00 and that was just a 10 inch base!!! HELP!
TIA
Christi
I cannot help personally, but I saw this a while back and kept a note of it.
It might help.
http://forum.cakecentral.com/cake-decorating-ftopict-275863-figure.html
Good Luck.
Rent-all stores for weddings and events have silver plateaus. Rent one.
You need to breathe and calm down. Your photos show that you are ready for a wedding cake. You even have stacked cakes in there. Just wait until you have the photo, then you can show us and we'll help you 
Unless they specify they want that silver plateau, you dont have to invest in one.
You want to write up a contract so that both parties are covered. I would have someone knowledgable with doing this help you out. Im sure someone here on CC has one for you to copy.
Questions. Ok, well since your meeting with them are you doing a tasting? If not, I suggest you tell them to think of atleast two different types of cake/frostings so that they wont come back and say that they didnt like the taste. Also helps you out!
You want to find out as much about them and their personality as possible. If she is bringing a picture, does she want it to be the exact dublicate of it or does she want some of her own touches? So if she does, then you need to find out colors, flowers if she wants real, gumpaste, silk. Buttercream or fondant?
How many people are going to their reception? She can give you an estimate without knowing the exact amount. If the cake she wants is for a lot more people she doesnt have to sacrifice the look you can use a cake dummy on one of the layers to get it. Make sure you tell her this and where you plan on putting it so when they cut the cake their not trying to cut a dummy (yes, at my wedding we were trying to cut a dummy. My neighbor froze her top tier for her anniversary to find out that it was a dummy. Not very nice for your anniversary!)
Pricing. Tell her what you charge per slice. Tell her what you will charge for more elaborate decorations.
Ask for a deposit to hold the date. Tell her if she cancels up to two weeks before the date of the wedding its refundable. If not, you keep it. (put this in your contract).
Also, if you plan on getting your separator plates back and if you do purchase that plateau then make sure that you get a deposit for it. The separator plates, etc. you can ask for her to drop them off when she is back from her honeymoon or beforehand if you want to keep your costs down.
Hope I touched on some of the aspects for you.
Since I don't do wedding cakes..really...yet...I am not so sure.
Firstly...meet with them as you are.
You can say this is your first wedding cake..and that you are totally ready for the challenge.
(I am speaking from experience as I have done one small wedding cake..and I am doing another for a friend)..
IF they want a fancy stand..they can buy it.
Or if you can find it to rent..then they pay for it.
You can only really offer what you know.
I am going to be shortly, delivering a 4-tiered-stacked Sweet 16 birthday cake...it may have well been a freaking wedding cake with all the planning....(and yes, a meeting)....but I told the mother that I never did a cake like this before...and I am taking it very slow...not assembling till I get to the party site...and just going with what I have learned thus far.
About their picture...just say you'll do your best to make it as similar as you possibly can.
I had a pic to follow for this Sweet 16 party..lol... 
One step at a time..we all need to start somewhere. Again...just be yourself. People admire that when you don't put on 'airs'.
And for baking...I baked my cake on tuesday and wednesday (party today)...wrapped really well once cooled---and froze the suckers.
I took them out the night before..(thursday night) so they would be completely cooled for D day! 
I made all the icing on Friday.
Oh ya...I made the fondant letters for the young lady's name and had them drying for a week. (Painted with silver luster dust)
Go with your gut...leave yourself lots of room for error.
I know this is all jumbled up advice...but I just got through the decorating of a large cake..(might as well have been a wedding cake)...and I am going with my experience...
I am relatively new at this too. I just completed my fourth wedding cake., but I am by no means an expert. I am continually learning from my mistakes...and I make a lot of them!!! I always make sure that I ask how many servings they will require, if there will be a sweet table in addition to the cake or if the cake is the main dessert. If there is a sweet table then I plan for 50% of the guests to have a piece of cake. I would like to get a deposit to reserve their date (I don't always) since I am new at this some people have called me rather last minute and I have just done the cake for the sake of getting experience and hoped that I get paid. I have been blessed so far in that respect. I haven't done a tasting, most of my business has been conducted over the phone or via internet. I always charge a refundable deposit for my cake boards, pillars, picks etc... inflated so that if they do not come back I have money to buy more with a little extra for the trouble to do that.
Here is a link to a site that has cake plateaus for a good price.
http://www.save-on-crafts.com/we2.html
I hope some of this is helpful to you. Good luck with your wedding cake. I sure it will be beautiful!!!
delaware
I can not thank you in person but thank you for sharing that website. I will be ordering from them on monday. thank you thank you.
michelle 
Here is another site to check out. There are some cheaper at, Cakes by Sam, http://www.cakesbysam.com/store/cart.php?target=product&product_id=21323&category_id=248. Good luck.
First of all, calm down. It will be fine. I've only done one "real" wedding cake but.......
Cake Plateau - I rented it at a party store. I told the bride the cost and she reimbursed me for it. I picked it up and returned it. I was at the wedding and reception so it was not an issue. Just remember to call and reserve it in plenty of time. The store I used apparently rents them quite often.
Contract - kellym has one that is good. It can be found here:http://www.cakeboss.com/contract.aspx
You can save this to your computer and add/delete if you wish.
If you aren't comfortable doing the design that they want, then let them know up front. However, if it is something you think you can do and have plenty of time to practice, then by all means, go for it.
I must second the advice to make sure you have a contract! I would also strongly suggest that you make sure to get paid in full BEFORE you make that cake!!! Two weeks ago I had two weddings in the same weekend. I have yet to be paid in full for one and I haven't received my equipment back from the other 
. The only reason I have my equipment back from the first is because I showed up at their house thinking I would get my money and my stuff--"Oh sorry, ____ isn't home right now and he has your money in his wallet" 
. I'm sending hubby over there today!!
Other than that, just breathe and take it one step at a time. Wedding cakes are just several smaller cakes put together--scary at first but once you make a plan for yourself and focus on the steps it's not so bad, even fun!
I know you'll do great!
I can't offer any wedding cake advice because I have never done one. I do know you will be fine from looking at your pictures. I love your blue package cake with the large bow. Calm down and use that wonderful talent that you have.
I did my first wedding cake last fall and it's all about timing ~ what/how much to buy (and when), when to make the flowers and decorated cakeboards so they have time to dry, fondant (better if it can sit 24 hrs after making it), baking (ditto) ~ anyway, my head was spinning just like yours.
I found that once I put it down all those million details in writing on an Excel file, I started to relax because I was making a good plan. I had my shopping list and equipment list to check off once I'd done things. I knew what I had to do to stay on task every day for a week leading up... AND once it was written ~ it cleared my poor buzzed-out head! Start on it right away.
About your bride bringing a picture ~ be sure to tell her that every cake develops its own personality, that she shouldn't expect an exact duplicate because HER cake will be unique. That covers you if you have some unexpected "surprises" at the end like I did ~ Ooops! Gotta cover that little fondant hole with a flower! lol Good luck!!!
Firsts are terrifying! I just did my first wedding cake for my sister AND then had my first bridal consult/tasting last week for the next wedding cake.
You can do it! Just keep breathing.
My bride brought a picture. I had also printed out some pics based on what I knew about her wedding already (colors, style, etc.). When she came in, I think she was pretty set on the design of the cake in the pic she brought, but as I talked to her we made some changes.
For instance, her pic was a fondant covered cake. I gave her a bit of fondant to try, then showed her pics of buttercream cakes I'd smoothed with Melvira's method. She was delighted and changed it to a buttercream cake instead. We made several other changes based on elements from some of the cakes I'd shown her, and in the end she LOVED the fact that her cake would be totally unique- nothing else out there just like it.
Listen carefully to what she really wants. Don't be afraid to show her something else or make suggestions. I can't wait to hear about your success!
wgoat5, You have some great cakes in your gallery so you'll be fine in that respect. Planning ahead is soo important. Get your info together and decide what you will charge per serving etc and stick to that.
Someone here on CC has made up a great ordering form that's got details out the wa-zoo. Very very useful. I can't remember who she is but I saved the form someplace. Someone will pop up with the name and the form.
Now I'll have to find that form and print it out and file.
Ok darlin, here we go - ready?...
**Breathe**
Now say it with me: "My name is Christi and I make beautiful cakes"
(repeat as necessary)
Better?
No cake advice, but I do want to have a little chat with ya about this. I have read enough of your posts to know that you are going to drive yourself CRAZY with this wedding cake! I am only going to say this once, so listen up -
You are good enough to make this a spectacular wedding cake!
Your biggest obstacle with your cakes is not your talent, it's your self confidence! When you start to think "I can't I can't" (and I know you will), remember that all of your friends here on CC know that you CAN! There is nothing about this cake that all of us here can't figure out or help with, even if it's just a pat on the back or a kick in the pants! Got it? 
Now go to that meeting prepared with a list of info you need from the couple and a contract to cover your a$$, and show then a competent, confident cake decorator!!
(I expect complete details as soon as you're done with the consult! 
)
Get 'em tiger!
Thank you all for the kind words of encouragement!!! And all the wise advice! I made my contract, I got my cake folder ready and I am baking some sample cakes as we speak ... I don't know what I would do without you all!!! Love ya all like family!!!!
(((((((((((((((((Hugs))))))))))))))))))
I WILL be confident I WILL not fail I WILL be proud
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