Because I'm generally the one answering this type of question.

OK, I made a wedding dress cake for a freind's wedding shower. It was a gift, so I didn't charge. However, with all the oos and ahhhs, I suspect that I may get more orders. The whole thing was about 12" tall, with a black 8" round 2" tall fondant covered base that the mannequin was "standing" on. The mannequin was a black fondant torso, no heads, no arms. Dress had pearl buttons on the back bodice, cumerbund and bow with train. All fondant of course. I don't do sculpted cakes as a rule. So, I'm thinking this sort of thing should go for about $125 or so. Opinions?

And I have never figured out how to attach a picture, even after following the directions several times.

Leah, I was hoping I could help when I saw your post, since I have gotten so much help from you....but alas I can't because I've not done one of these type of cakes. I'm sure you'll get some great advice though

So the base is 8" - does the mean the torso part is more like 6"? Is this carved with fondant accents and all those details the makes wedding dress cakes so gorgoues? If so, $125 seems too low.....

[quote="leahs"]

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Because I'm generally the one answering this type of question.

that's ok, nobody is perfect.

I would go no less than $150...maybe even $185.
How many would it serve? I'm having trouble picturing it.

I, too, think $125 is too low especially based on your caliber of work! Taking into consideration you made it all and it's 12" tall, I'm imagining this amazing concoction of work that must have taken hours. Okay, at least hours for me. Then with the details I think you'd be fine for pushing $200 unless you want to do a base rate for plain wedding dresses and then charge according to accents which then would make this price more reasonable.

Okay, now to recover from the chance to offer advice to the mighty Leahs!

okay.. I am trying to picture it. I am seeing 2 6"tiers stacked and carved to be the shape of a dress bottom on an 8" round 2" tall base.

the 8" round 2" tall feeds 10
the 2 6" tiers feed 20

That's 30 servings.. am I in the ballpark here?

I start all carved cakes at $6/serving. That'd be $180 from me with additional cost of the modeling (the torso and dress bodice).. I'd say $200 minimum.

I say for a sculpted cake no less than $175..I dont know how many servings you got there but you got shape and a lot of details. I say Jkalman is closer to the right price. $200.
When I do a cake for a friend like that I tell them dont tell this cake was for free and I tell them a price so they can tell other people the real price of the cake. They tend to appreciatte more the work when I do that.
What is the issue you are having when you post photos? Maybe they are too big in size and need to be resized!
Edna

Another way to figure it out is check the amount of hours you put in the cake and pay yourself by the hour..It helps figure prices too!

Edna

Just from what you described It should be at the very minimum double what you quoted!!!!!!

It sounds beautiful! I hope to see it soon!


Amy

To attach the picture in your post, at the bottom of the posting page, click on the attachment button, then browse and find the pic on your computer, upload and submit.....the picture appears in the post (unless it's crazy big - then you have to re-size).

and yeah, I'm a visual person too so seeing a picture is always best - especially when evaluating details to determine price. HTH

This was a pretty simple design - only embossing on the skirt. This is a pic from the shower hostess, not from my camera. And remember this is the first time I ever tried anything like this.

Thanks Diva. Obviously I did it! I was making it way harder than that.

Since I didn't know what I was doing exactly and hate to carve cake, for the skirt portion I used a 6" round for the bottom, a 5" round on top of that, and then topped that with one mini Wonder Mold. That just left a little to be shaved off the top edges of the cakes.


My hat is off to all of you who carve cake.

I made this cake for a bridal shower last month and it cost me almost 30 in ingredients. I called around to two places that make custom cakes, and they would charge $63.99. Mine was a 10 base 6 base and the full size wonder mold, with a dress form doll pick, all bc and fondant with pearl dust and dragees for pearls. Unfortunately, mine was a freebbie!
I have it posted if you want to see it.

Leahs, its really beautiful! The way I would price something like that is to figure the price for the cake I used (even what was carved away) at the fondant price and then figure a price for the modeling. For the torso, I would probably charge about $15-$20.

Is the upper body cake...or something else leah? I say $150...Since is a smaller cake.

Beautiful. Kinda like a doll cake which I charge $100 for. Other carved cakes start at $7 per serving for me, how many did it feed?

That's still 30 servings.. 10 for the base, 10 for the 6", 6 or so for the 5", and a couple for the mini wondermold.

The lowest I'd go is $5/serving (my regular fondant price).. that's $150 plus another $15-20 for the torso. I'd go with $180-$220.

It came out really good Leah!!

The torso was a hunk of fondant on a stick. After I wrestled with it, I realized that I had a body mold in my collection.

I had originally thought $150, then started wondering if that was too much. Wow, does that sound familiar!

OK, thanks for the counsel everyone!

I've started charging $5 a serving for cakes like that, with a minimum of $150. So if they want 50 servings it's $250, but if they want 20 it's still the $150 minimum, and they'll get 30 servings whether they like it or not!

I've made something very similar and I charged $180 (Massachusetts). Generally, my carved 3D cakes begin at $6 per serving and this one is not too complicated that it would be a higher price.

I used a doll pick for the body; removed her arms, decapitated her, and then covered the torso in black fondant.

Great job, Leah, especially for your first 3D!!

LOL Leah.. I found myself second guessing myself too today when pricing cupcakes (it was for a family member but not for a family function).. but I stuck to my prices.

It really did come out beautiful!