My bride who picked the really awesome, HUGE cake...5 tiers w/a ball of flowers on top....has drastically cut her cake budget...not sure why b/c she didn't go into detail. But the last two days it has went from $450 to finally down to $100!!! And she keeps sending me cake pics...and so far...everything still goes over the budget she gives me. And then she keeps reducing her budget!!! And she isn't willing to comprimise on ANYTHING!!!
I can't do a cake for 60 people covered in fondant for that price!!! I don't think I'm going to be working her!! 
Oh well, I think I'm probably getting off lucky!!!
Gees, what is that bride thinking! Tell her you'll make her a 1/2 sheet cake for that price!
I think she'd crap herself!!! 
she's already horrified by the cakes she's sending me and finding out they are still too expensive. I tried explaining what she could get w/in her price range...but she doesn't like any of those ideas!!! 
geesh!! what do you expect when you keep cutting your budget back!!!
I would tell what she's getting for $100.00,, certainly not the one on the picture. Tell the truth. She cannot expect a 5 tier cake for $100.00..
SHe needs to get real.. 
Better yet, tell her she can get 7 half sheet cakes at Costco for $100.00..
That's what I was saying Prettycake. A 5 tier cake for $100.00 there in no way in the world that is possible unless you do the Costco or BJ's thing. Not for my hard work. I am very sorry.
Pinkbunny DO NOT sell yourself short.
Leave that creazy Bride alone.
I hope I am not being a creazy Bride. Huhhhhhh
I spent 3 hrs w/her last night....going through magazines, diff. websites, etc trying to show her what $250 will get (that was the price last night). She didn't like ANYTHING!!
Well this morning she called and said now it was only $100.....I told her I'm not sure what she's looking for anymore b/c she didn't like anything I suggested last night that was w/in her price range....so I don't think she'll like my suggestions for $100!! I told her a cake w/just BC for 60 would start at $150!! So not sure I'm going to be able to get her what she wants.
She said she'll get back to me!! So we'll see. I doubt it though!
OH my gosh!
do not give into that woman, i'm sure there are more brides willing to pay a good price for a beautiful cake
What she is probably doing is calling other people or places to see what she can get for a bill. She'll be coming back to you with a little more budget. I don't think she knows what goes into decorating a cake or for that matter a Wedding cake. They just don't know! Good luck!~Josie
I'd just tell her that a basic cake for that many people will cost $_____ if she wants you to make it and leave it at that. She's already cost you a fortune in time!
Good luck!
Debbie
I completely agree with Debbie. GEEZ, 3 hours. I would have told her that last night's consultation alone would cost her $100. She just wants everything for nothing. You are probably better off without her. She will only complain no matter what you do.
Good luck and keep us posted!!
I can't remember...was this girl a friend of a friend or relative or something? I wouldn't waste any more of your time with her. I would talk to her or e-mail her or however you've been communicating and say thank her for her interest and give her 3-5 final choices for $100. Maybe stacked 10 and 8" made with straight cake mixes and standard crusting BC.
You've probably already done all of this, though. 10 and 8" should be enough for 60 and they should only take a few cake mixes.
Anyway, I would give her the choices and say that is it. THat's all you can do. Give her a deadline to get back to you (like 24 hours) with her decision, no matter what that decision may be, and hold her to it.
Honestly, though, I would forget the whole thing, unless she is related somehow or a friend of a good friend or relative. It's just not worth it!
BTW, I have not really sold any cakes, so I am way out of my league here...just offering my 2 cents.
What a nasty situation!!! I'm with i_love_icing with that: if she's not related or a friend, let it go. It's not worth the stress. You deserve better, much better. Don't sell yourself short!! it's already hard enough to get paid what it's really worth to do what we love to lose ourselves. hope the situation gets better.
(((((((((((((big hugs))))))))))))))
Lorris
OMG! I can't believe this girl is STILL doing this to you! How frustrating There's a song by, I think, Radiohead with a line in it that goes a little like this..."Run, Run, Run, Ruuuu-uuuuuuuuuuu-uuuuunnnn!" 
This should be your theme song that you either sing or play in your head the next time the phone rings and her name/number is on the caller id!! 
OMG! I can't believe this girl is STILL doing this to you! How frustrating
There's a song by, I think, Radiohead with a line in it that goes a little like this..."Run, Run, Run, Ruuuu-uuuuuuuuuuu-uuuuunnnn!" This should be your theme song that you either sing or play in your head the next time the phone rings and her name/number is on the caller id!!
your soo funny...............
Well goodluck to her !!!!!! thats even if she has a cke by the end of this i had a bride that wanted all this and that and i only charged her 200.....well she called me back and canceled the cake order because she got someone else and just booked me for photography the smallest package,.....I get to her reception and what did i see..... the ugliest cake without a cake toppper no frill no decorations dots that were uneven and crooked and she tells me i cant belive they forgot to put a water fall like i asked........I was like oh well you got what you paid for.........
Just tell her that you are now booked for that date.
She is obviously wanting it for free, she is wasting your time and energy....look 2 pages of posts about this woman when you could be thinking of more important things - LIKE ANYTHING ELSE!!!
She will never like what you propose, and she will never like her cake no matter how beautifull or tasty because she doesnt want to have to pay anything for it!
No one needs this kind of aggrevation, dump her
Ok, I am talking with basically no wedding cake experience but I would tell her you cannot do her cake. You have spent a LOT of time with her and nothing satisfies her. Even if she finally agreed to a smaller cake, fewer decorations, etc. do you want her as a future customer? You know she would put you through this same thing for every birthday, party, anniversary cake she wanted! What a pain!
C
Edited to add: What if she started telling all her friends what a great deal she got from you on the cake? They would all expect the same thing!
Wow! I can certainly sympathize with you! 3 hours is a huge amount of time for you to spend just going over cakes with her. I would definitely tell her to go to the grocery store as her next option for a $100 budget. There's no way another specialty artist would even give her the time of day with the ideal of 5 tiers and a budget of $100. Sounds like she just might be one of those you don't need to do a cake for. She's probaby been reading "Fire Your Wedding Planner". I agree with some of the author's statements, but when it comes to some of it, a person's specialty work is worth their time and must be compensated for.
Well I talked to her again...she's already given me a deposit from the other cake she wanted. But she said she is sorry for being difficult...stress and all that!!
But I told her I just couldn't do a 60 serving wedding cake, covered in fondant for $100....couldn't even do one w/just BC!! Well come to find out...they are only having about 30 people at the wedding...NOT 60. But cake was the only dessert, so they were going to have 2 slices for each person!! One flavor of each cake!!!
Sooooo, she reduced the cake to 30 servings and asked if I could do the cake below for around $100.
I've seen on a few site where the price of a wedding cake for less than 50 people is usually reduced to the same price as a 'party' cake. Just wondering if anyone else does this?? Or do you charge the same amount for a wedding no matter how many servings. Hope that make sense....but for example if the wedding was for 50+ servings the price would be $3.50/serving, but if the wedding was only for 50 or less the price would be $2.50/serving. thought it was interesting! But I haven't done enough weddings to know if this is a good option or not.
If she wants that cake, why not do either a 10" or 12" and have the top two layers as one flavor and the bottom two layers as the other flavor. That way, it's one slice but they still get both cakes. You could get 30 servings from a 10", especially when it's 4" or higher. Whether you charge $2.50 or $3, it will still be under her $100 budget.
Well Personally I wouldn't have a problem doing that cake for $100; wedding or not. Labeled as a wedding doesn't make that one more difficult than another one. In fact I do the opposite. Party cakes that are more than one tier are priced more like a wedding cake b/c of the size and difficulty not the label. But that is a simple cake. My only thing is now you wasted so much time that $100 isn't that much for the time you have spent with her. If she walked in and asked for that; no problem; but now after all the wasted time. Ugh!
If she wants that cake, why not do either a 10" or 12" and have the top two layers as one flavor and the bottom two layers as the other flavor. That way, it's one slice but they still get both cakes. You could get 30 servings from a 10", especially when it's 4" or higher. Whether you charge $2.50 or $3, it will still be under her $100 budget.
yeah, but gotta add the flowers!! the 2.50 vs 3.50 is just for cake, icing, & fondant. But there aren't alot of flowers..so not too worried about that....but it will be close to $100 I just hope that if I give her this quote....she doesn't change her mind AGAIN!!!
I personally have set basic prices for single tiered cakes (all my cakes are double layered though), that have extra costs added as the decoration gets more elaborate. I only charge by the serving for tiered cakes, whether they be wedding or party cakes, adding extras as before. This usually means that tiered cakes do work out a little more expensive per serving than if they were seperate cakes, but that really only covers the price of extra boards, boxes, time for stacking & finishing etc. Hope that helps!
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