Cheap Bride...this Is Ridiculous...what Would You Have Done?
Decorating By BakeLoveMom Updated 30 Jul 2009 , 12:03pm by indydebi
Oh! a Champagne Wedding on a beer budget!
just wait until a little one runs to her with chocolate on their hands....she will wish she spent $ 10.00 a slice.
I have seen it before fountains make me cringe.
I love chocolate. I think chocolate fountains are the coolest! But chocolate fountains and weddings are something I do not enjoy. In close quarters, I've seen chocolate all over folks as people bump into them...most especially a bride with a full skirt.
Good for you for telling that bride the way it is.
Becky, a pot-luck WEDDING! Are you kidding?
If I got an invitation to a wedding that said "Bring your favorite covered dish" I would bring JUST that -
My favorite (empty) baking dish with the cover - wrapped in the appropriate wedding paper with a card that said "Thanks so much for letting me know what you needed to start your new life together!"
You go Girl!!! I live in misissippi on the gulf coast. The people here also don't know the price of a good cake. I undercharge and people still try and talk me down. I think everyone should have to make a cake as a project in high school. They should have to pay the cost and do the labor. I guarantee this would enlighten some people. I ask $60 for a cake that would easily go for $100 and people still want to get it for $25. I feel like saying go to walmart!!! Get your cheap fake ingredient, when was it made at the factory cake (no offense to the decorators), and when you want a real cake call me! But, alas I never do I just politely explain and turn it down if I have to. I did have a mother who thought she could make a cake for cheaper ask for me to guide her along in making a cake. I gave her a list of ingredients and supervised her work. When she finished she swore that she would just pay me to do the cake next time, and that I should charge more. It was great.When I quoted a price at the place she worked and someone tried to quibble, she backed me saying the ingredients cost her more than I was quoting them! See they need a class lol. A chocolate fountain in place of a cake!! lmao I have heard it all. She'll go cheap on the chocolate too. No belgian for her! I wonder if her guests know they'll be getting an ex lax fountain. Did she bother to ask the $75 mystery baker if the cake was a dummy? For even cheaper she could get her hubby to carve a block of ice and let the guests have a lick lol.
I'm not against choco-fountains, but I don't think that will save on cake. She may very well be embarassed when she's 100 slices short. Even if it did help, I doubt it would cut the number in HALF, more than 100 will want cake even with the fountain.
I am impressed with your response to her. It had a friendly tone to it, even though you were telling her NO way. Things like this are so funny-I get them too.
The things you write and then delete before you come up with a diplomatic answer like you sent....'Ohhh, I was under the impression you wanted something good. Good luck dear'
*cough*i'veconsideredapotluckwedding*cough*
Then my mom looked at me like I was crazy and said, "NO."
I thought that email was perfect, by the way. Nicely worded.
LOL...When my husband asked me to marry him I was soo excited. "So what month do you want to get married in? I asked. "I like May." He said. So far so good, I love May. "What kind of wedding do you want?" I ask. "I was thinking we could have a little potluck/BBQ at the park. Invite a few friends...you know." Pause...GULP! "Really?" I asked. "How long have you been thinking about this? I asked. "Oh a few weeks I guess." He said. "You know how long I've been thinking about this? Since I was five." He says. "Oh... well... we can do whatever you want then." Whew that was close!!
It was a lovely, little white church wedding for 135. Full dress, veil, vocalist, organist, flowers, two course sit down dinner, 3 tier cake, favors, little honeymoon, etc. At the end he looks at me and says. "I'm glad we did it your way." Yeah, me too.
I thought your email was perfect too.
I love when people value our hard work less than the price of a Hostess Ding Dong. Oy!
I live in the South and if I actually take the trouble to put on pantyhose and something besides sneakers (not to mention good money spent on a gift that they may or may not really want even tho it was on their registry!), they darn well better have spent enough on a cake so that I get a slice~!! So there, cheapo bride with her choco fountain (yes, I love those also, but I want buttercream cake on the side ).
As a caterer, I've gotten the sob story so many times, I can't take it any more. Sometimes, if I like the b&g and am feeling generous I will throw something in-IF they up their guarantee. $75 is basically free. They should look up that caker from before the crash who was doing free cakes to get the practice.
I thought the email response was great. Maybe this bride will think gee, if $75 doesn't even cover the cost of her ingredients, what is this cheap baker going to use for ingredients? And if it only covers the cost of ingredients, is cheap baker going to spend any time on my cake? There was a lot of information packed into that response, which is good, because if she does come back to you for the 100 person cake, her price needs to be more than $3.50/person now because although it will be less ingredients overall, reducing the size of the cake doesn't cut the costs in half nor does it cut your time investment in half.
I loved your response! It was VERY professional and appropriate, not to mention educational for her. Saving it as a great example!
Tita, your response was classic!
And a chocolate fountain could never replace a cake--they are so messy and sticky. Messy McMessykins for a wedding? yuck...... I mean I like choco fountains but if I was in wedding attire I probably would stear clear of it. Not to mention stearing clear of double dippers.
Here's another thing--are some caterers and venues trying to horn in on wedding cake arenas? I mean who said the chocolate fountain replaces the cake??? Not even close. Stupid even.
I'll tell you who started that rumor .... the chocolate manufacturers!!! Just another reason I hate the word "trends" in the wedding industry ... because the latest "trend" is whatever the wedding industry itself is trying to push ... not what all the brides are actually wanting on their own accord.
I offer chocolate fountains. And I charge more per person for those than I do for cakes. But I would NEVER suggest that a bride replace her cake with a chocolate fountain! That is dumber than ridiculous!!
My son-in-law says, "If I go to a wedding and there's no white cake with white icing, then I'm taking my present and leaving!"
"Wedding Cake" is the only food designated as wedding food .... and the only place to get it is at a wedding. You invite people to a wedding and dont' serve cake, they are going to be TICKED!!
k8 is right ... I've had brides specifically say "no chocolate fountains" because they don't want to chance getting any of it on their dress.
In another recent thread ~~ Who's bright idea was it for the caterer to serve a variety of desserts including cake???
That is without a doubt the 2nd dumbest thing ever ... for a caterer to suggest desserts at a wedding! These are probably the same people telling brides "Oh people don't eat wedding cake anyway!" as their selling point for having other GOOD desserts.
I had a groom ask me about that just today ... "you always have a lot of cake left over because people don't eat it." I said, "No .... you have a lot of cake leftover because the couple follows the magz's advice and they cut it too late in the evening. It's not that "nobody eats it"..... it's because nobody is still THERE to eat it!"
I recently had an order for 250 cupcakes. 1/2 chocolate with mocha buttercream and 1/2 carrot. Each cupcake would have either a chocolate covered coffee bean on top or a candied piece of carrot. They spared no expense while wasting my time. They ended up avoiding me and had a family member do homemade cupcakes.
My aunt catered the wedding and the check bounced! She is still chasing the money and threatened them with the state's attorney. I'm so glad they ended up backing out.
So, if you're upset over losing this client...just remember someone else may be getting the bounced check now. :p
I love your response!
I just sent out a cake for 30 people for a 3 year old birthday girl - $98.00. She told me her husband was going to kill her for spending that much, but it was completely worth it. She had tasted my cake at friends birthday party and knew it was exactly what she wanted!
Those are the kind of customers we all need.
Unfortunately, there always seem to be more "peanuts" in a can of mixed nuts than cashews!
Job well done!
K8 & Tita - you guys are hilarious!
Sarah, I think your email was genius! Like everyone else, I am consistently baffled by the Thrifty McCheapskates out there. Sometimes you just have to break it down for them.
A friend of a friend asked me to do her wedding cake in August. Before she asked she went on and on about how she can't find anyone to do her "dream cake" (fondant, four tiers, different flavors per tier, different piped designs per tier, plus an extra sheet cake to feed all 250 of her guests) for less than $4/slice. I laughed at her for a few minutes.
Me: *wipes tears away* "Girl, you should take that $4/slice and run with it!"
Her: "Really? I just don't want to pay $1,000 for a cake!"
Me: "You aren't paying for a cake. You're paying for someone's skill, time and artistic integrity."
Her: "Oh. Well, can you do it for less than $4/slice?"
Me: *turns away and starts talking to someone else*
Yeah. You can't fix stupid. Or cheap.
Becky, a pot-luck WEDDING! Are you kidding?
If I got an invitation to a wedding that said "Bring your favorite covered dish" I would bring JUST that -
My favorite (empty) baking dish with the cover - wrapped in the appropriate wedding paper with a card that said "Thanks so much for letting me know what you needed to start your new life together!"
I wish I'd thought of that
yeah, I hate to make fun of it cause she's a good friend, but I just found it weird even for a small southern wedding.. and her in laws have money, they could have paid for the reception easily... I dont remember what the cake looked like (it was before I decorated) I wish I did now... My own wedding was small, but my family, MIL and I all worked together to feed everyone a nice meal...
anyway... so glad the OP had the nerve to tell this bride like it is... and did it very professionally
And I don't know that I would do it if she does come back to you. Not only worrying about the money upfront, but who's to say she wouldn't pull. "it's not what i wanted, it was nasty, someone found 'something', etc" to try to get money back. She could become a royal PIA.
I know where you're coming from though. A lady from our church approached me asking me if I could do a cake w/ a budget of $125 for 130. i told her I couldn't cover my expenses w/ $.96/serving. but all they wanted was white cake w/ a ribbon! I wanted to say, good luck finding someone & if they accept then they either owe you a huge favor, they're nuts, or it'll be nasty & look just as bad. Then to find out that they've found someone who'll do it for $2/serving (mine starts at $3) & then some sheet cakes for $50 makes my blood boil. I may sound mean, but I pray it's the driest nastiest cake they've ever put in their mouth since she didn't even approach me like that, just can you do this many for this amount. It could have been good for business b/c it's for a big event/reception that is done up every year. But I know they're spending some big bucks on this event & to try to get a "donation" out of me ticks me off.
Ok, I've jumped off my box & made my blood pressure rise right before bed! FYI, all I told her was I couldn't cover ingredient & electricity used w/ that price. And thankfully dh is behind me now that he knows my expenses.
I had the wool pull over my eyes before with a bride. I charged her $350 to do a 3 tier buttercream, ribbon and jewel cake. I was just starting out not knowing what to expect. Anyway the bride and her mom was complianing how the the wedding was not going as plan. So me my soft heart offered to do the cake for $150.00. dumb me the wedding reception had about 200 people and it was cater. So I do jacked big time.
Whether she pulling your leg or telling the truth your e-mail hit the nail right on the head. I think you were being very (very) generous just charging her $3.50 per person for all that work. May her wedding picture be nice suiting with her $75.00 cake!
Thanks everyone, you made me feel much better. And I don't think I would do the cake if she comes back to me...I will tell her that since she didn't give me a deposit or answer my requests to schedule a tasting (as I detailed out in the 3 page letter plus sketches I sent her), that her date has already been filled. You guys are so funny...I think my new favorite quote is "You can't fix cheap or stupid" It made me laugh so loud.
Sarah
You responded great. I was just watching Ace of Cakes and thinking customers have no clue what we as cake decorators go through. You're right the ingredients, time, supplies, delivery, all the stress to make sure there cake is near perfect as possible. You were not the one for her. I don't understand people they want the look but don't want to pay the price. Then you have those who will do anything to get a $. Well I can't and I realize I'm not for everybody but I am for somebody.
Oh and cathycakes they do it to the caters also. I work for one and they would try to get something for little than nothing. There are just how some people are.
I also think it is kinda funny because, I had sketched out some designs to her based on the cake pics I had e-mailed her as to examples of style. She choose two very high end cakes and wanted to combine them...she must be fibbing because I really don't know who could make that for her for $75.00. If she ever e-mails me back I will let you guys know.
Thanks,
Sarah
Y'know what? I would not let my sketches nor any detail in the quote go out at all. Certainly not before money changed hands--just a thought for you.
No no no I got it I got it!!!
Let her run her choco fountain on full steam ahead and some little kid come to give her a big hug with chocolate smeared all over them selves.
Bwuuwhahahahaha
I though your email couldn't have been said more perfect.
k8memphis, you are sooo right! Kids and chocolate fountains do not mix. I attended a huge graduation party that was set up just like a wedding about 2 years ago. They had a really tall chocolate fountain with several levels of chocolate waterfalls coming out of it. Well, it wasn't long before we had a 4 year old, thinking it would be funny, stick his entire head into one of the lowest level of flowing chocolate. His head was instantly completely covered in chocolate. I guess he panicked because when he pulled his head out - he just started crying, shaking his head and trying to wipe the chocolate from his nose and face so he could breath. What a huge mess. That chocolate wound up everywhere. It all happened so fast, no one was expecting it. Lets just say there were a lot of unhappy guests standing by that fountain (who were dressed in formal attire) who wound up with chocolate all over them. We laugh about it now, but it sure wasn't funny then. Ever since then I make sure to stay on the opposite side of the room if there are any kids at the chocolate fountain. LOL
Ever since then I make sure to stay on the opposite side of the room if there are any kids at the chocolate fountain. LOL
Chocolate fountain or not, I am always on the oppsite side of the rpoom when little kids are about! Blech!
Ever since then I make sure to stay on the opposite side of the room if there are any kids at the chocolate fountain. LOL
Chocolate fountain or not, I am always on the oppsite side of the rpoom when little kids are about! Blech!
Wow! That's deep.
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