Give The Bride A Limit ?

Business By sweettoothmom1 Updated 10 Oct 2010 , 3:43am by andreamen1

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sweettoothmom1 Posted 9 Oct 2010 , 7:07am
post #1 of 15

how do you tell a bride that they can only order a limited amount of flavors. what would you do? last weekend i did a cupcake tower and top had a small two-tier - total 140 servings. bride requested 5 flavors, with 5 diff icings. it was a killer night. i usually have a 2 doz minimum per flavor, so she really met that requirement, but that was 10 different times that the mixer was working on just that single order. any advice is appreciated. TIA. Since I'm a small guy, i'm glad for the business, but it was a toughie.

14 replies
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jenscreativity Posted 9 Oct 2010 , 7:21am
post #2 of 15

I know we all went to do wedding cakes, but you have limitations! Just be honest and state your reasoning for this. OR up the price a lot for the extra work involved for so many different flavors. I'm sure she'd understand once you explain yourself.

Best of luck
jenifer

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jleigh982 Posted 9 Oct 2010 , 7:44am
post #3 of 15

I agree with Jenifer,

let your brides know that in the price you have quoted them, it includes 1 (or 2 depending on if you wanna be nice) flavors and any additional cupcake flavors after that will include a "convenience fee".

I have done this and it went as follows...
Customer wanted 100 rose cupcakes (in my photo album) because these take a bit more time to make, i charge $2.00per cupcake with a minimum order of 2 dozen.

100cupcakes
X
$2.00
---------------
$200.00

now, first flavor was included in this price, any flavor after that had a service charge of .25 added to each cupcake. she wanted 4 flavors total
so that meant there would be 25 cupcakes of each flavor

25vanilla-included
25redvelvet X.25 fee
25chocolate X.25 fee
25strawberry X.25 fee
---------------------------
75 x .25 = $ 18.75

soooo initial order $200 plus service fee for me having to change flavors more then once $18.75
customers total $218.75
Ive realized that buy putting it this way, the customer looks at it more of a per cupcake price and less of a extra 20 bucks price...but I still get compensation for my trouble.

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indydebi Posted 9 Oct 2010 , 8:31am
post #4 of 15

It's just a matter of education and most will understand when it's explained that to make 200 white cupcakes, we just have to make one huge batch of white batter. but to make 8 different flavors means we have to make a flavor .... stop, clean up, mix new batch ... stop, clean up, mix new batch ... stop, clean up, mix new batch.

It's like when they want mini 2-tiered cakes on each table. That's a total of 4 cakes per table times let's say 20 tables = 80 cake pans going into the oven. 80 cake pans that need prepped. 80 cake pans that need washed. As compared to a 4 tier cake that only takes 8 cakes, which is 8 cake pans that need handled. More time = more labor = more expense = more money from the client. thumbs_up.gif

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jleigh982 Posted 9 Oct 2010 , 8:54am
post #5 of 15

problem is, where some will think of this logic, some have been bite by the 'but i saw it on tv and that bride got over 500 cupcakes in an hour with 20 different flavors...." bug.

and as much as in the beginning, I would have done it and made 5 different flavors of anything under the sun to impress them and make them want to come back over and over, I slowly realized that it wasnt worth exhausting myself over every weekend, so now even if what i charge them is small, im still charging them...period


heck about a month ago i had a bridezilla that ordered a 4 tier cake, all round, all fondant....and at first, 4 different flavors. THEN she came back a WEEK before the wedding because she wanted 6 flavors. after explaining to her that she already had a different flavor for each tier she says "well cant you make 2 tiers half and half, kinda like a pizza" after she saw the horror come across my face she said, "well I saw it on one of those cake shows on tv, and i really liked it" I really wish i could have responded "the decorators on those cake shows would charge you well over $1000+ for your cake...im only charging you $350!"

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indydebi Posted 9 Oct 2010 , 8:59am
post #6 of 15
Quote:
Originally Posted by jleigh982

I really wish i could have responded "the decorators on those cake shows would charge you well over $1000+ for your cake...im only charging you $350!"




icon_lol.gificon_lol.gif I love it!

"OHhhhhH! I didn't realize you were willing to spend TV prices to get a TV cake! In that case, have a seat! let me get you some champagne and cavier while we talk and I re-calculate the price of a TV cake for you!" icon_biggrin.gif

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jason_kraft Posted 9 Oct 2010 , 2:23pm
post #7 of 15
Quote:
Originally Posted by jleigh982

" I really wish i could have responded "the decorators on those cake shows would charge you well over $1000+ for your cake...im only charging you $350!"



That sounds like a perfectly reasonable response to me...whenever brides bring up the TV shows during tastings, we always let them know the typical price range for those cakes, never fails to steer the conversation back to a cake that fits within their budget.

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kansaslaura Posted 9 Oct 2010 , 2:34pm
post #8 of 15
Quote:
Originally Posted by jleigh982

"well I saw it on one of those cake shows on tv, and i really liked it" I really wish i could have responded "the decorators on those cake shows would charge you well over $1000+ for your cake...im only charging you $350!"




Well what's the problem!?? Make the cake and deliver it in that talking car you saw on TV..you know Knight Rider! icon_rolleyes.gif

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leah_s Posted 9 Oct 2010 , 2:39pm
post #9 of 15

Your order would have been normal for me, minus the different icings. I really only offer vanilla and chocolate, and even that's the same icing with coca beat into it.

Maybe the problem is your recipes.

To make any of these flavors:
almond white, lemon, orange, strawberry, chai, Italian Creme, Spice, Carrot, Snickerdoodle,
I START with white cake batter and add extracts, icing fruit, oils, or spices.

For chocolate raspberry, chocolate orange, chocolate almond, I just start with chocolate.

Now that I'm thinking about it, Hummingbird may be the only cake that doesn't start with a basic base flavor.

And before you start asking for recipes and amounts, I just throw stuff in "until it looks and smells right."

5 flavors of cupcakes is not big deal for me, and I would have actually encouraged them to have at least 4 flavors to make it fun for their guests. And I never charge extra for "premium" flavors or flavor changes.

Anyway, that's the way I do things and it makes it fun for the customers to get a lot of flavors and easy on me.

Now last week, when a person wanted to order an "assorted dozen" of cupcakes, I said no.

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kansaslaura Posted 9 Oct 2010 , 4:17pm
post #10 of 15

leah--thinking about you this AM while I stack, level with my agbay and get the little caps popped off the SPS--girlfriend, you make things I've done for SO many years SO much easier!

Re: the multiple flavors. I tried to convince my 10-10-10 couple to switch things up a bit--no dice. They've got 4 tiers of dark chocolate with raspberry filling.

And she wanted seeds in the filling. I can just picture the line of people needing to wash that upper plate now icon_rolleyes.gif

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redpanda Posted 9 Oct 2010 , 4:46pm
post #11 of 15
Quote:
Originally Posted by jleigh982



she wanted 4 flavors total
so that meant there would be 25 cupcakes of each flavor

25vanilla-included
25redvelvet X.25 fee
25chocolate X.25 fee
25strawberry X.25 fee
---------------------------
75 x .25 = $ 18.75




That seems like a good idea, except that once a customer has opted to go with a second flavor, they have no reason not to go whole-hog and add on a couple more, since it doesn't cost them any more to add third, fourth, etc. flavors. (It's the same 25 cent fee, regardless.)

What makes more sense to me is to have a specific charge for each additional flavor, say $5 or $10. That doesn't penalize each individual cupcake of the second/third/etc. flavor, but it does serve to be a greater deterrent for smaller orders that for larger orders, which makes sense to me.

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loriemoms Posted 9 Oct 2010 , 5:00pm
post #12 of 15
Quote:
Originally Posted by sweettoothmom1

how do you tell a bride that they can only order a limited amount of flavors. what would you do? last weekend i did a cupcake tower and top had a small two-tier - total 140 servings. bride requested 5 flavors, with 5 diff icings. it was a killer night. i usually have a 2 doz minimum per flavor, so she really met that requirement, but that was 10 different times that the mixer was working on just that single order. any advice is appreciated. TIA. Since I'm a small guy, i'm glad for the business, but it was a toughie.




I tell them that if they order more then 2 flavors, their guests are going to want to try all four flavors and so they will have to order four cupcakes per guest. That stops them pretty quickly from overdoing it. icon_biggrin.gificon_biggrin.gif

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Jenn2179 Posted 10 Oct 2010 , 2:56am
post #13 of 15

I tell them they can pick 2 flavors of cake and 2 flavors of filling at no extra charge. If they want more I charge $25 per extra flavor.

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jleigh982 Posted 10 Oct 2010 , 3:18am
post #14 of 15
Quote:
Originally Posted by redpanda

Quote:
Originally Posted by jleigh982






That seems like a good idea, except that once a customer has opted to go with a second flavor, they have no reason not to go whole-hog and add on a couple more, since it doesn't cost them any more to add third, fourth, etc. flavors. (It's the same 25 cent fee, regardless.)

What makes more sense to me is to have a specific charge for each additional flavor, say $5 or $10. That doesn't penalize each individual cupcake of the second/third/etc. flavor, but it does serve to be a greater deterrent for smaller orders that for larger orders, which makes sense to me.




Very true, i never quite thought of that since I've yet to have that problem...but I think your right that i should just charge for each flavor change at a base price...thanks for the idea!

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andreamen1 Posted 10 Oct 2010 , 3:43am
post #15 of 15

I let them pick one flavor for the whole cake and if they want an extra it's $5
and can you believe they end up getting one flavor go figure sometimes ppl are so cheap

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