I have been making cakes for friends and family just for fun for a while now and do not charge for them, as I simply enjoy cake decorating and I am NOT licensed. I have recently been approached by a couple different brides requesting I make dummy cakes for their weddings, then they would purchase sheet cakes from a bakery to serve. The dummy cakes wouldn't be eaten at all, they are strickly for decoration. Would it be ok to charge for them as they will not be eaten and would be considered a decoration???

Yes if they are dummy cakes it then they can pay you, but it is just as expensive to make a dummy cake as it is a real cake. Unless you intend on getting the dummy cake back, then charge as you would for a real cake. If they are giving you back the cake to reuse for someone else later then maybe just charge them your actual cost of product, and then market to rent the dummy cake out to other brides. Collect a deposit however on how much the dummy cake would be to replace just incase it gets damaged or accidentally tossed by a venue.

I am pretty sure you would be fine with that option... most places do not require permits/taxes etc until you make a certain amount per year...

Maybe i shoudl start doing that ha ha! Then it's less mess

Cakesdivine has excellent points!

When i do display cakes that are for a complete purchase, i charge 30% less of what the real cake would cost ( Indy's advice). If it is a rental i charge $60, and have a deposit of how much it cost me to make. Unless you REALLY like the cake i would make them buy the whole thing.

Thanks for the advise girls... Now to figure out what to charge for a dummy cake, hmmm....