weirkd....I'm with you. Have had some PITA'S lately. The one that just blows my mind is the little diva who is having 300 people and has a budget of $300 for cake. But is having an uber fancy reception with full service dinner. Uh huh....don't try to trick me.
When I do kitchen cakes (sheet cakes) for a wedding I torte and fill them just like the wedding cake. The price is less than the decorated wedding cake but still not a major discount.
Since I dont' charge for the decorating elements, there is no 'savings' for a plain 2-layer sheet cake vs. a plain 2-layer wedding cake. There is no savings for a plain 2-layer sheet cake vs. a 2-layer wedding cake with some flowers on it.
I sell it to the bride by telling her she can have a grand 4 or 5 tier wedding cake for the same (or someimes less) money than she'd spend elsewhere for a dinky 2 tier cake and bunch of secret sheet cakes.
I've never done a sheet cake for a wedding. They go for the gusto!
DSilvest-
I am so intrigued by your faux cake business. I think that you have a fabulous idea there. Would you mind telling us if you are successful with this kind of cake business. I work part-time and have two small kids. I've been decorating cakes as a hobby and recently decided to start selling cakesfrom home, my husband did a website,etc but have just found out from the health dept in my town I will need a separate kitchen etc which is not in the cards right now. I live in the states but could you tell me if Canada requires a kitchen license for this kind of business, I am just curious, I would imagine not since it won't be eaten and I'd imagine the same here. I love doing cakes and want to bring in some extra income by combining the two but I don't want to break any laws and can't afford another kitchen right now. I hope you can share some more info. That is so interesting.
I notice you're in MA..........I am too. I do have a separate licensed kitchen in my basement, but I was told that in MA our family kitchen can be licensed. Does this vary by county maybe?
favtrdtr: sheet cakes are generally an 11x15 or 12x18 size pan and are a two inch high rectangle pan.
Thank you so much!! 
I'm intrigued by the faux cake biz too....once I get my decorating skills up to par that is.
Sometimes I think dealing with brides should have an extra charge for the grief they give us!
I don't get the faux cake thing. I would be be dissapointed if I was at a wedding/ party and all the cake was fake.
Just to look at. Whats the point? I think its a sad reflection of our society that we want our friends and family to see how super and big our cake is even though its not real.
Whats next, parking a fake ferrari outside our house so our friends think we are loaded.
If I see a beautiful cake, I can't wait to taste it, and I am sure most people would feel the same.
I think it depends on the area of the country your are in. In the Niagara Peninsula, Ontario, Canada, real cakes do not have the same meaning as in many parts of the US. Most brides don't even have a cake cutting ceremony. A photo may be take with the couple beside the cake, but that is it.
Faux cakes vs real cakes also follow a trend. Twenty years ago faux cakes were more popular than real cakes. In this area, fruit cake was more popular before that. It has only been the last 10 years that real cakes have become popular in this area.
I guess you have to look at the big picture and provide your customer what will follow the trend at the time.
With the economy the way it is, not every bride can afford the hundreds to thousands of dollars that a real cake costs, but they still want a lovely looking cake at their wedding. It is not about anything more than spending your money wisely on the things that are important to you.
With the economy the way it is, not every bride can afford the hundreds to thousands of dollars that a real cake costs, but they still want a lovely looking cake at their wedding. It is not about anything more than spending your money wisely on the things that are important to you.
But if a real cake costs $1000, and *IF* you find someone who will do a fake cake for 20% discount, then the fake cake will cost $800. Then you have to buy sheet cakes to feed the 250 people. Even at only $1.50/serving, that's $375. The bride spent $175 MORE to have a "cost saving" fake cake. 
As I frequently suggest ..... Do The Math.
I will conceed that if a bride uses one of those cakes that sits under a dust cover and adorns every wedding table at every wedding every weekend, and she has a cake that looks exactly like every other bride who had a reception at that venue or with that baker (using the term loosely), and if the fake one can be maintained and kept looking nice so the maker doesn't have to re-create it every single time .... then MAYBE it can be cheaper.
But I have never gotten a bride walk thru my door and tell me "Oh just give me the exact same cake you made last week for that other bride!"
My faux cakes are priced from $50 and up. A 6 storey stock cake will rent for $250. Usually colour and flower changes do not increase the price, so the cake is different from the last person who used it. What does your real 6 storey cake sell for? Do The Math.
In this area dessert is provided with the meal at the venue so sheet cakes are not necessarily required.
Ahh, now I can kind of see the point if the venue provides the cake as dessert.
Your cakes look very nice and high quality.
When I think about it, a fake cake for the venue is just like the other eye candy, flowers, chair covers, table settings, etc.
Do you do much business with film type people? I always found them very demanding wanting a fake cake at the drop of a hat. It would be perfect for them already having cakes ready!
OMG, I hope their not all like that (the brides I mean)!
DSilvest-
I am so intrigued by your faux cake business. I think that you have a fabulous idea there. Would you mind telling us if you are successful with this kind of cake business. I work part-time and have two small kids. I've been decorating cakes as a hobby and recently decided to start selling cakesfrom home, my husband did a website,etc but have just found out from the health dept in my town I will need a separate kitchen etc which is not in the cards right now. I live in the states but could you tell me if Canada requires a kitchen license for this kind of business, I am just curious, I would imagine not since it won't be eaten and I'd imagine the same here. I love doing cakes and want to bring in some extra income by combining the two but I don't want to break any laws and can't afford another kitchen right now. I hope you can share some more info. That is so interesting.
I notice you're in MA..........I am too. I do have a separate licensed kitchen in my basement, but I was told that in MA our family kitchen can be licensed. Does this vary by county maybe?
I believe it is by town/city, but I may be wrong.
I dont charge any less for fake tiers...(I tell them that Styrofoam actually costs more then cake, so in some cases a fake cake maybe more then the real cake. And we also explain to them you still have to buy cake to feed everyone, so you will spend MORE money if you do a fake cake and sheet cakes.
But back to cheap brides. Raise your prices. I am not kidding. I used to get all these cheap brides who tried to talk me into this or into that...since I raised my prices, I now get these wonderful brides who have class and doing these beautiful weddings and dont mind paying 25 dollars for delivery (they actually think something is wrong if you dont charge delivery, where the cheap brides want you to pay them to allow you to come to their wedding to deliver the cake! haha)
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