I have made wedding cakes for friends and family and have only charged for the ingrediants not my time. I've just started my business and have been doing lots of party cakes but had my first request for a wedding cake. She did not want to be charged by the slice, she wanted a flat price. Her request was a three tier cake, 2 full sheet cakes (not to be placed in the kitchen but on the cake table), and 6 dozen cupcakes (she thought this would be good for the kids). I have not given her a price yet since I have never thought about just a flat price instead of per slice. I told her I would get back with her with in the next week. Could anyone tell me what a good price would be? I was thinking $500 but my husband said it is to low. Please Help!!!

I would find out how many servings she wants (just ask her how many guests she wants to serve cake to) and figure out the price from there per serving and just give her the final price. Also, what kind of decoration does she want, and does she want it setup and deliverd, things like that!

ha, no wonder she doesn't want be charged per slice!
Let's say, for example sake, $2.00 per servings.

72 cupcakes = $144
(2) half sheet @ 72 servings = $288
6/9/12 tiered cake = $150
Grand total = $528
- and that's on the CHEAP side of things!!

You need to figure out how many servings she needs. If she says she's not sure, tell her you can't give her an accurate quote until you know how many servings she needs. Then how loriemoms said, figure out the price per serving (you can use one of the matrixes found in teh "Cake Business Forum" at the top) and then give her a final price. Don't be afraid to charge delivery (it's your gas and time that she's using up) and extra for intricate decoration, IF you want to go that route.

"A 3 tier cake to serve 15? Or a 3-tier cake to serve 200? Because I can do both and you're not getting them for the same price."

Cake civilians ... are idiots! "Hello, Lowe's? I'd like to buy some paint for my living room but I don't want a price per gallon....just give me the total price. Size of the room? Why do you need to know the size of the room? Just tell me how much the paint will cost ... the total!"

The good news is that it's just a matter of semantics. Bride wants cake for 100 but she doesnt' want to "hear" that it's $3/serving. Fine. Tell her it's $300. (gosh! Guess she got one over on US, huh?)

But when you DO give her "a price" ... be sure to tell her that it serves X number of people. Because dumba$$es like this will come back to you and increase the cake from 200 to 350 and then complain if the price goes up, "..... because you SAID a 3-tier cake was $600!" well, duh, dummy! for cake for 200 it is!! cake for 350 will be $1050!!!

Thank you for all your advise. She is wanting me to deliver and set up and it all done with BC and fresh flowers. She is not providing the flowers so that is something I will have to pick up. I talked to her last night and I asked her several times how many they think will be at the wedding and she will not give me an answer. She will not even tell me how many invitations was sent out. ccr03 thank you for the break down on the $2 a slice and indydebi thank you for the advise on telling her how many the cake will serve when I give her a price. I did not think of it and I can see now how it could cause problems.

Thanks so much!!!

WOW ! She is really wanting something for nothing..... I would stop everything RIGHT NOW if she won't give you a number that will be served..... there is no way you can give her a price without knowing how LARGE the cake needs to be.........it will also determine what size and how many flowers you need to get....... I know how much you want this first order, but she has to work with you to SOME degree.....Just think..... if she is being unreasonable now, how will she be as the wedding draws closer ?

Oh, WAIT A MINUTE ! A cupcake is considered ONE serving..... she wants 72....... 72 KIDS are going to be there ?!! This isn't adding up...... this wedding would be HUGE !!! Be AFRAID...... BE VERY AFRAID !!!

Also, I never, never, under any circumstances provide fresh flowers. That's what florists are for. I coordinate with them, but they deliver the flowers to the venue.

And without a head count, there's no way to give her a price. I always tell them that the size of the cake determines the price and the number of servings needed determines the size of the cake.

You have to take control of this NOW.

Indydeb and I share a brain.

Thanks again for all the advise. It looks like she is not going to have me do the cake any more. Which after listening to all your advise I'm happy I was excited about it being my first paid wedding cake but I hope when I get my first one it will be with a bride willing to work with me.
The funny part is the bride is going with a cake from Super WalMart. They do not deliver, they do not set up, and do not provide fresh flowers. When she called me last night she told me that she was going with them and then had the nerve to ask me to pick up the cake and do the whole set up. I just informed her that I only set up my cakes and if she wanted to go with me instead of WalMart the price would be $1500 for everything she is asking. She is only paying $350 for the cake at WalMart so I do not see her calling me back and I really do not want her too. Thanks again!

And she's a CHEAP bridezilla, too!!! Glad you dodged this one!!!

Hmm I Never thought of buying a wedding dress at target! Whats next, flowers? Rent-A-Priest?