I just received a call from someone asking me to make a wedding cake for 160 people. They want the cake for April 24th!!! The reception is 1 1/4 hours away from my house. How should I price this cake??? If the bride wants just buttercreme icing____? If she wants fondant___?
Should there be an extra charge for fruit filling? I'm not good at pricing and need some help. Should there be a delivery charge, etc.... Can anyone give me some advice???? Talk about the bride to be waiting until last minute!!!!!! Help!
S

Yes to the delivery fee, for that distance I am currently charging $50. I can't tell you what to charge per serving, but at this late stage you need it all signed, sealed & delivered by this weekend at the latest and FULL payment up front by then too. I charge FROM $4 for buttercream and $5 for fondant, but I live in a metropoliitan city and bake from scratch etc. People here want to go intricate this year, so far and all my weddings booked are in the $6.50-$8.50 range (lots of gumpaste flowers etc)!

My prices start at $3.50 per serving for buttercream and $5.00 per serving for fondant. Extra charges depend on the intricacy of the decorations. I don't charge extra for fillings. That's a long way to transport a cake - delivery would be at least $100

Well, I am in a rural area so you will get a variety of opinions here. I would say $3-4 for BC and $5-6 for Fondant. Fruit filling would be extra and definitly a major delivery charge. Say enought to cover your gas and if you are cutting and serving that would be extra too. Make sure that you also get your equipment back if you need it. Or work it into your price so that you don't have to worry about it being returned.

why is the bride only just doing this? maybe see if you can find that out... if she has been chucked by someone else for being a PITA, do you want to take that on? and it is short notice, so maybe add a late charge, get full payment upfront, since its too short notice for a deposit, and then payment however many weeks before.

for pricing, think about the cost of ingrediants, the time to bake, and buy ingredients, cost of electricity, cost of delivery (thats a 2.5 hour round trip, plus leaving extra time, and presumably setting up, i would say thats worth charging for), and then work out the price of your time. dont worry about what the bride might think, think about if that is a fair price for custom work.

most people have basic fillings as part of the basic cost. if she wants to have fancier fillings, that can cost more.

get an agreement asap as to design and flavours, she doesnt have time to be allowed to change her mind now either, id say.
xx

A very good point about as why so late. I completly agree with brincess_b

I now know why noone else wanted to make her cake. She keeps changing her mind!!!! She wanted something simple and now she wants something from the ACE of CAKES!!!!! I told her she needed to come to a final decision (what she wanted) or she would need to find another decorator. I was actually hoping she would ask someone else, she's being a royal PITA.
Does anyone have any helpful hints on how to transport a stacked cake an hour and a half away?!?!? I plan on placing the cake on thick foam padding to prevent it from sliding around in my small SUV. Is there a better way???? Help!!!
S

I use a yoga mat under the cake. One of those mats to put under carpets works great too
Edna

if, you want to do it........then you need to tell her.... to come over... sat down.. she tells you what she wants then, no changing , when she leaves.. get full amount for cake... for delivering it.. round trip.. etc. just get it then. ... go to bank soon as you can.... cash it... then, do your part on making her cake like she wants it.. etc.. you,ve gotten a lot of questions answered here on all that you asked.. it is late in asking.. so charge extra for that, etc.. so, after all of this. and you want to make that money.. then go for it.. but get your money first.. again, don,t let her keep changing her mind , after she leaves your place. hth

Just make sure you charge for late booking as well as the travel fee. 100 for delivery is not out of line either. She has not given you any time to do much. ALSO...get CASH before delivering the cake! Do not take a check or money order. CASH in FULL payment before even starting on it. Do not hesitate on this. Read the thread where one of our CC decorators had a stop payment placed her check for the cake the day of the wedding. Luckily for her she had a friend at the bank call her right away to tell her. It came down that the MOB and the bride did not want to PAY 1000 for the cake they ordered but still were planning on it being delivered and devoured by their guests. Since she found out before the delivery she did not deliver the cake to the bride. MOB was a real piece of work. SO ...moral of the story is get the cash....CASH....again CASH in hand ...ALL OF IT too... before even baking that first tier.... Did I say CASH IN HAND!!!

I think the cake will be fine travelling that far. I use a yogo mat too. Just drive slowly and make sure you have a good internal support system.

I was suppose to have received most of the payment last Monday (in CASH). From what I've heard, the MOB (who was to deliver the money), is sick. I'm just surprised I haven't received an email or phone call to tell me why the money wasn't delivered. The wedding is next week and I'm waiting until I get some kind of payment before I go forward with making this cake. I'm looking at this whole situation as a learning experience, I will make sure I get a deposit next time.
Thanks for the advice everyone!!!!