3-Tier/100 Serving Wedding Cake For $125! Beat This?!!
Business By Sugar_Plum_Fairy Updated 7 May 2009 , 5:36pm by sweetartbakery
My mother-in-law calls me this afternoon to tell me that a friend of her daughter's is getting married and due to the economy and some other hardships, etc. this woman and her fiance have been able to save up $600 to get married. Mom told me that someone there (they're in upstate NY, I believe it's in Delaware County) has offered to do their wedding cake - three tiers to serve about 100 people - for $125. Before she said anything else (since I knew where she was going with this), I exclaimed, "Wow, what a deal!" So she asked me, "Good or bad?" My answer, "Great!! I'm working on a cake right now for a quarter the amount and more money than that - a sheet cake."
So she was still trying to get me to offer my services, "Yeah, but those are the prices by you. Up there it's different." My answer, "It's not THAT much different. She's really getting a fantastic price." Yadda, yadda, yadda.
Does anyone think I did the WRONG thing? Just curious. I, personally, thought it was absurd for her to ask though I did understand her point about this couple using about a quarter of their money on the cake. What I almost said to her, and I bit my tongue, was if they're so concerned about it why don't they just go to Costco in Oneonta for their cake? Or, if it's that important, tell them to wait another year - I'm not making a cake at a loss for people that my sister-in-law probably just met and decided to brag to ("Oh, I know my sister-in-law could do better.....and for less, too!") and find a way to transport it three hours away (one way)!!
I love my hubby; I'd just like to divorce the in-laws sometimes. lol
I do not think you are wrong at all!!! I too wish I could divorce my in-laws
I love my hubby; I'd just like to divorce the in-laws sometimes. lol
Oh, if there were only lawyers dedicated to this!
No, I think you did exactly the right thing...it's one thing to make a decision on your own to 'help out' close friends or family in these tough times, but to be backed into a corner for someone you don't even know? Crazy, I say! Stay strong and keep working on your 'paying' cakes. (...and good luck with the in-laws - it's a neverending challenge) 
Doesn't a sheet cake feed about 90 people... and it's only $38 at Sam's club.. ha... ha...
You did the right thing!!1
I love my hubby; I'd just like to divorce the in-laws sometimes. lol
LOL - boy you just said what lots of us probably think!
I think you were absolutely right to defend your prices right off the bat - set the tone for the conversation that you certainly couldn't do a cake like that for the same money. If you don't stand up for yourself no one else will and once you do a "favor" cake like that, the brides-to-be who want the same deal will be coming out of the woodwork. Good for you! 
You absolutely did the right thing. Nobody should expect you to give your services away. She'll get what she pays for.
And I agree that if you have your heart set on a certain kind of wedding and can't afford it, then either wait to get married until you can save up or adjust your expectations. I think we simply have to do whatever we can to expel this idiotic notion that's so prevalent that people have a right to things they can't afford just because they want them. So good job!
I LOVVVVVE your response. In fact, I'm down right proud of you & how you responded. When I read the topic I thought to myself "I wouldn't want to beat that"! 
My husband is Greek & Italian - big family get-togethers for everything - since I do cakes, I always brought one. His younger brother became engaged after we had been married about 5 years, the brother & now fiance had been together probably 4 years at that point. When it came to their cake, I of course told them no problem, I would do it as their wedding gift. Cake style was chosen eventually, many changes, but then when I asked about flavor, they said they weren't sure yet. Fast forward to a phone call between my husband and his brother, they had a LIST of flavors-all that they had tasted before-that they wanted me to bring to the next event so they could have a tasting. My husband told them they had to be kidding, they had my cakes a hundred times. My husband had enough at that point, put on his big boy pants as Indy would say, and told them he thought that whatever cake they paid for from another bakery would certainly be more to their liking than one from me for free. He dug his heels in and they had to buy their cake elsewhere, which ended up terrible and nothing like they ordered.
Oh boy.... I definitly need one of those lawyers sometimes... mostly just for my MIL 
My husband is Greek & Italian - big family get-togethers for everything - since I do cakes, I always brought one. His younger brother became engaged after we had been married about 5 years, the brother & now fiance had been together probably 4 years at that point. When it came to their cake, I of course told them no problem, I would do it as their wedding gift. Cake style was chosen eventually, many changes, but then when I asked about flavor, they said they weren't sure yet. Fast forward to a phone call between my husband and his brother, they had a LIST of flavors-all that they had tasted before-that they wanted me to bring to the next event so they could have a tasting. My husband told them they had to be kidding, they had my cakes a hundred times. My husband had enough at that point, put on his big boy pants as Indy would say, and told them he thought that whatever cake they paid for from another bakery would certainly be more to their liking than one from me for free. He dug his heels in and they had to buy their cake elsewhere, which ended up terrible and nothing like they ordered.
Wow! You have a COOL husband!!!!
Oooooo I like that idea, divorcing the in-laws! Can it be done?!?! LOL!
That is funny because I had someone ask me this morning about a three tiered wedding cake to feed 150 people and I told them I would charge them $2.00 a slice and she acted like that was a lot of money. I am new at this so I don't charge too much but I think that is a fair price. The cake she showed me was very simple so it wouldn't take that much time to decorate. But I think $2.00 is a fair price...what do you all think?
That's too low, IMO. Don't make the mistake I just made by quoting a ridiculously low price and then kicking yourself afterwards. $2.00 is slice is pretty low, but it depends on where you live and what others charge. I'd say anything lower than $2.00/slice is not worth your time regardless of how simple the design is.
That is funny because I had someone ask me this morning about a three tiered wedding cake to feed 150 people and I told them I would charge them $2.00 a slice and she acted like that was a lot of money. I am new at this so I don't charge too much but I think that is a fair price. The cake she showed me was very simple so it wouldn't take that much time to decorate. But I think $2.00 is a fair price...what do you all think?
That's more than fair - it's a steal, even if you're new. I had the same scenario. A request for a square, tiered custom designed cake for 175 with a budget of $200-300. Yeah, right. Good luck with that.
Especially for a wedding cake. Remember you'll have to buy supplies to assemble it too. The plates and support rods and such. And your time. People think that more than $2 a slice is a lot for a cake, and it could be, but then they aren't just paying for the cake, they're paying for your time, talent, and expertise.
I like how you jumped right into it before you were asked and said, wow what a great price! Seriously, it probably saved you so much.
As for inlaw divorces, send that lawyer my way!!!!
Mom_Of_4: this thread gets a little out of hand, but overall has fantastic information on pricing cakes http://cakecentral.com/cake-decorating-ftopic-628389-0.html
People just don't realize the work and cost involved. When my in laws had to purchase the wedding cake instead of getting it for free, they couldn't believe the cost even though that was 15 years ago. They were very comfortable getting cakes for every occasions and every size at no charge from me.
When I get emails from wedding wire, it seems most of those are the " We are having 200 guests, want specialty flavors, delivery, etc, etc, and oh, our budget is $300." This web site is linked to MS, if they are followers of Miss Martha, you would think they would know their budget is unrealistic.
bakingatthe beach - I was SO Proud of him for finally saying enough on my behalf to his own family.
I know exactly what you are saying, the day my husband stood up for me with my "bag in law" as I so affectionately call her, was the day I knew we would be together forever. Its been 18 years and still going strong!
I know what you mean. My in-laws are the opposite: they "mention" (brag?) about how much $$$ something was.
I agree -- you should not feel you have to beat that price. It might be for an all-whte cake, all butter-cream, no special filling type of deal, perhaps selected from a standard design. There was a thread a while back in which some of the well-known CC bakers mentioned they were offering a standardized special for a price similar to that. Also -- perhaps the baker is in-house, or very near the venue. I'll sometimes offer a discount if I can get more orders done in a day.
There's probably a lot of the story that was left out or forgotten, and the "price" (whatever it really included) was the only thing that stuck in her mind! 
bakingatthe beach - I was SO Proud of him for finally saying enough on my behalf to his own family.
I know exactly what you are saying, the day my husband stood up for me with my "bag in law" as I so affectionately call her, was the day I knew we would be together forever. Its been 18 years and still going strong!
I love the "bag in law" comment. Too funny!!
And I totally think that the original poster of this thread did the right thing. You would just be losing lots of money if you decided to help out. That's not something you need.
I am just curious? What is most of you decorators out there, (not sure that is worded right??) idea of a slice??
Where I work their slice is calculated on a 1" by 2" inch slice. I always get people to order the next size up if it looks like it is going to be right on the number and they are having no other desserts at whatever affair they are having, that way they get decent slices. No one at birthday parties cuts a 1" by 2" slice!!
No one at birthday parties cuts a 1" by 2" slice!!
Not true. That's how we cut them at all family gatherings. And no, I'm not always the one cutting the cake! 
For kids, a 1x2x4 is plenty of cake. 5 year old kids don't need a big 'ole honkin' piece of cake. They wont' eat it all and it goes to waste. The adults at the parties I'm at are fine with a 1x2x4.
Here's a good place to insert my KFC analogy.
They can take a 10" cake and cut it in half and feed it to just two people if they want, but they are PAYING for ALL of the cake ... not just 2 "servings" of it. It's designed to serve 38 .... I tell them "It will serve 25-35, depending on how you cut it." If they want to cut it bigger, then they need to order more cake.
just like if you plan to eat more chicken, then you need to order a bigger bucket.
No one at birthday parties cuts a 1" by 2" slice!!
Not true. That's how we cut them at all family gatherings. And no, I'm not always the one cutting the cake!
For kids, a 1x2x4 is plenty of cake.
just like if you plan to eat more chicken, then you need to order a bigger bucket.
I understand a 1x2x4, but I am only talking a 1" wide by 2" long, not 4"inch, that's a lot smaller slice! The height in all our cakes is a given.
No one at birthday parties cuts a 1" by 2" slice!!
Not true. That's how we cut them at all family gatherings. And no, I'm not always the one cutting the cake!
For kids, a 1x2x4 is plenty of cake.
just like if you plan to eat more chicken, then you need to order a bigger bucket.
I understand a 1x2x4, but I am only talking a 1" wide by 2" long, not 4"inch, that's a lot smaller slice! The height in all our cakes is a given.
The 4" *IS* the height, so you're confusing me. Here are pics of 1x2x4" pieces: http://www.cakecentral.com/modules.php?name=gallery&file=displayimage&pid=1156785
If you're cutting a single layer sheet cake, then the piece would be a 2x2x2" square (same amount of cake as a 1x2x4).
I'm new at selling my cakes even though i have been baking for years. I just made a tier cake this weekend for 75 people. I have been losing orders because of price so I discounted this cake and did it for $100. Never again! The cake was a simple design but it still took me all day to bake and decorate. After supplies and RIPPPED myself off.
A coworker's son was getting married "on a budget" but the groom wanted a carved 3D Razorback for his groom's cake. Well, I wasn't going to give it away and my price didn't fit their budget. They ended up with a carved 3D razorback on a sheet cake, serving 100 people for $145. It was from a bakery about 30 miles away. Someone else recently got a square tiered cake from the same place for $150 that probably served close to 100 people, based on the picture I saw. I don't know how that place stays in business. My time is worth more than that, not to mention ingredients.
cfao- your husband is awesome!
my standard with no fluff for a tiered cake is $2 a slice, like another said. it's not worth it for less than that.
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