It's official!!!! I just got my FIRST wedding cake order for March 8th!!! I posted earlier about this. It was called, "I'm ssssscared of this cake!". I wasn't sure though if it was official or not. It is now!! I just talked to the Bride and she gave me the date and said she DOES want me to do her cake and that she will have to come over so we can talk cake!!! I told her "Yes, you'll have to come over so we can have a consultation." Since I have never had one before what do I do? I'm sure I need to have a list of question and probably some kind of price sheet and paper to write down her ideas and mine? Is a contract necessary? How do you do payment? Pay part on Deposit or upon delivery? Is there a delivery fee or what? HELP! 
Anna
If you do a search in the business forum for first consultations and limit the search to the titles only, you will find many discussions about first consults.
here is a link to one
http://forum.cakecentral.com/cake-decorating-ftopict-74001-consultation.html
Thanks Vonnie99 and firstlady! I wish this wedding cake was to have flowers on it. It's going to have a camouflage theme. It will be a challenge to make it look tasteful. I'm hoping a camo ribbon will be sufficient! I appreciate your kind words and encouragement!! Good luck on your first wedding cakes to!!!! 
Anna
Congrats on your first order. I was scared to death on the first one too but you'll be fine. You have time to get all "your ducks in a row". You can find an order form here on CC. Ask your bride to bring pictures and also have some to show her if she doesn't already have a design in mind. Does she want a "taste testing" and then of course what flavors and type of icing she would like. Will she have a topper for the cake, fresh flowers, fondant decor - just start making notes and then do a sketch for her after you have met to show her what it will look like. You should get a deposit at least a few months in advance to hold the date and to cover the costs for your ingredients. Also, ask for final payment a week or two prior to the wedding so that you're covered and not having to worry about it at the last minute. I ask for $25 to cover taste testing that will be deducted from deposit if the bride signs with you. I've done several taste testings and they all went very well. I'm so excited for you - it's so rewarding to be able to do something you truly enjoy and your enthusiasm will show in your work.
Please feel free to PM me if you need any other questions answered. Have fun - that's the most important thing!!
I love the idea of $25 to cover taste testing. I might have to "borrow" that idea. It's really not a big deal if they're buying from you, but if it's just a lookie loo, then at least it pays you for the ingredients you use. Whenever I'm baking, I find that I have a little cake batter left over. I cook it in 4" x 2" round pans and then once they cool, I trim them, wrap them well and freeze them. Then when I have a tasting, I defrost a few different flavors of cake and then fill the small round and frost them. Usually, I'll put fondant on one and buttercream on another and then see what works with what I have. I'll decorate them pretty simply (just border, and what not) but having the little cakes really seems to make an impression. They think I went to all this trouble just for them when it was really just leftover cake batter. The decorating is the best part anyway. And at the end, I box up the little cakes for them to take home with them after the tasting. Good luck!
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