Would You Charge More For This Detail Work?
Business By Jessica1817 Updated 4 Feb 2009 , 9:18pm by Jessica1817
To be honest, I thought it was the graininess from enlarging the picture 
This is a photo the bride emailed me, but she said she found it from Bride.com. Let me see if I can find a link....
Looks to me to be thinned down royal icing sponged on. I've actually done it on a cake before and I looked just like that.
I've done brush embroidery and it's pretty time consuming. I would definitely raise my price some for it, depending on the size of the cake. MOST definitely for a tiered or wedding cake. No way I could/would attempt to charge what some of you are suggesting, because of my location, but I would have to explain charging more for this particular extra. As for the texture, I don't believe anything would adhere to a surface covered in sanding sugar or luster dust. Sponged with RI maybe, but that wouldn't make the BI easier to apply.Try stroking some bc over a cake plate dusted with granulated sugar. Forget that happiness!!
I'd love to see a full and better pic of this cake. It's gorgeous!! Where'd it come from?
I don't think that there is a texture on the cake at all. I think it's just noise in the picture. It looks like it was enlarged from a scan of a small image and there is some serious distortion because even the bow looks noisy and I just don't see that being textured like that.
And to OhMyGanache... I didn't mean to come off as if I thought you were being snarky so I appologize if I did.
Here's the link:
http://www.brides.com/realweddings/weddings/183723?f=36%3a847&offset=4#_slide=183734_chip=0
If you look at the wall behind the cake, to me it looks like the same "texture,", which is why I just thought it was the image itself.
The cake is from Gateaux, Inc. All of their cakes are phenomenal!
http://www.gateaux-inc.com/weddingcakes/classics.htm
I think the whole market price for your area only holds true up to a certain point. If you went into a department store and found 3 party dresses....they wont be priced a certain way because the town is smaller. They will be priced the same way because of the fabric detailing and craftsmanship that go into that particular dress. Big city or small town.
That cake is a custom made cake...not an "off the rack" fondant or buttercream that you do on a regular basis. If they really want that cake, they will pay the high price regardless of where you are.
I think the whole market price for your area only holds true up to a certain point. If you went into a department store and found 3 party dresses....they wont be priced a certain way because the town is smaller. They will be priced the same way because of the fabric detailing and craftsmanship that go into that particular dress. Big city or small town.
That cake is a custom made cake...not an "off the rack" fondant or buttercream that you do on a regular basis. If they really want that cake, they will pay the high price regardless of where you are.
That's my thought too..If they want the cake why you would have to lower your price. I mean I understand the whole small town thing, but then again dont undersell your work for this reason, if they cant pay for this work then they should pick something that is more according t their budget. You are going to spend that much time in a cake and undersell it?
We need to teach our costumers that there are so many cakes out there, expensive ones and less expensive ones. If you can't pay for this one maybe you should take a look at another one, or maybe change this or that to make this one less expensive... This is just food for thought, my opinion, just take it like a grain of salt. I dont let my costumer choose the prices for my cakes... Their budget needs to go with the cake they want..simple..
Edna
That logic might hold true for some things... however, the shops on Rodeo drive are far more expensive than the shops here. If one of them wanted to expand to the city I live in, it wouldn't survive here - people who live in smaller towns often have smaller incomes and spend more frugally. So, if I want to survive, I have to charge what the market will bear.
Frankly, I would love to hear of someone charging $10/serving and see the cake that sold for that (as well as the city it was sold in). This might help those who constantly ask "what should I charge?"
That logic might hold true for some things... however, the shops on Rodeo drive are far more expensive than the shops here. If one of them wanted to expand to the city I live in, it wouldn't survive here - people who live in smaller towns often have smaller incomes and spend more frugally. So, if I want to survive, I have to charge what the market will bear.
Frankly, I would love to hear of someone charging $10/serving and see the cake that sold for that (as well as the city it was sold in). This might help those who constantly ask "what should I charge?"
Every small town has "that" family, usually more than one. And by "that" family, I mean the rich people. And their semi rich friends who want to keep up with them. And the friends of friends who will spend gawd awful amounts of money on things they shouldn't (sometimes cake...gasp!) to keep up with them. As long as they are around in MY small town....I can command the $10.00 per serving.
I already have two very very interested brides in a design (who gets it first, leave it up to them and how they snark and sneak around each other) that I have already in a very matter of fact tone, informed them that I won't do for less than $12. I feel like a heel because halfway through the dummy work, swore it wouldn't be less than $15.00. ((sigh)) Oh well....what's a couple bucks. These girls both, by my estimates, be inviting at least 200 or so folk. So....math says...big bucks!
And then again, I am not in a position, thankfully, where cakes are my "bread and butter". So I get to pick and choose what I want to work on. I recommend others alllll the time. Not bragging, not being smartypants, just telling my situation.
That logic might hold true for some things... however, the shops on Rodeo drive are far more expensive than the shops here. If one of them wanted to expand to the city I live in, it wouldn't survive here - people who live in smaller towns often have smaller incomes and spend more frugally. So, if I want to survive, I have to charge what the market will bear.
Frankly, I would love to hear of someone charging $10/serving and see the cake that sold for that (as well as the city it was sold in). This might help those who constantly ask "what should I charge?"
I understand what you're saying but that example isn't a strong one and the small town = small income....I say "eh not necessarily". We're not saying sell all of your cakes at that price. We are talking about that particular cake in the photo. One that will probably take three times as long to complete as a standard 4 tier cake to feed 150. That design is on the level of a "platinum wedding cake" and not a "DIY bride" cake.
If the client wants a cake with more detail and craftsmanship than the typical cake - which might take only 8 hours to complete - then they need to pay for it. Small town or not..that has nothing to do with it.
Same as a house. They can have a house with the standard options, but if they want the house that has marble tiles, hardwood floors, vaulted ceilings, stainless steel appliances, etc..they have to pay for it. They don't get a special discount because they live in a small town.
That's all I mean by charge more for the extra detail. Location or small town has nothing to do with it.
Which reminds me of my kinda favorite kind of client. You know...the ones that say "Daaaa-dddddy! I waaaant it!" And then get that annoyingly cute little pout as their dad sighs and mentally calculates what this is gonna cost him. ((sigh)) Love those girls.
I am with OhMyGanache on thsi one. In my town (VERY small) our incomes are pretty small.... especially now when lay offs happen EVERYday. I can't chrage more than 2-4 dollars per serving for a cake unless it has major WOW factor. Even then I can't go to high say 6 as a max or I won't get business.... Just had to add my two cents worth. I hope that you get what you want but I am with the $5 people on this.
I am with OhMyGanache on thsi one. In my town (VERY small) our incomes are pretty small.... especially now when lay offs happen EVERYday. I can't chrage more than 2-4 dollars per serving for a cake unless it has major WOW factor. Even then I can't go to high say 6 as a max or I won't get business.... Just had to add my two cents worth. I hope that you get what you want but I am with the $5 people on this.
There certainly is a time and a place for $2 to 4$ per serving cake, absolutely. Let's remember, we're discussing the cake in question, which in no way shape or form should be priced that low. And all of us decorators who can command a much higher price than what some would consider normal....we're only doing the rest of you a favor. 
Refer to indydebi's comment about Duff charging a minimum $1000.
Ok ,so I just looked at all the pages again and didn't see the comment you are talking about. I only found on by her and it didn't say anything about $1,000. Who is Duf? I must be missing it but anyway,.... in my opinion the cake in question should be charged around $5-6. Again that is just my opinion. You are doing us a favor ... I get more business that way. I make the cake for a more reasonable price, which I still make enough money on and I think it's a good price, and the quality is still good. 
Remember this is only my opinion and I am entitled to it. I hope that she does charge more than that and that she gets it. I know that I couldn't, that all I am saying.
I know that I couldn't, that all I am saying.
I just don't honestly think you can say that with 100% confidence. Maybe for your next order, price it out .50 more than what you would normally charge. See what happens. You may be surprised.
Ok I will. If I get it I will snd you 10% if not then I have just lost money and a client......
Ok ,so I just looked at all the pages again and didn't see the comment you are talking about. I only found on by her and it didn't say anything about $1,000. Who is Duf? I must be missing it but anyway,.... in my opinion the cake in question should be charged around $5-6. Again that is just my opinion. You are doing us a favor ... I get more business that way. I make the cake for a more reasonable price, which I still make enough money on and I think it's a good price, and the quality is still good.
Remember this is only my opinion and I am entitled to it. I hope that she does charge more than that and that she gets it. I know that I couldn't, that all I am saying.
Duff is the owner of Charm City Cakes in Baltimore. The tv show on Food Network called "Ace of Cakes" is filmed there. The minimum order for cake from CCC is $1000. So when someone gasps at an $800 order, with visions of cake from the likes of CCC....we can say "see? We're much cheaper than them!" It's just an example.
Oh. Ok I don't have a TV so I still have no clue but Ok
I applaud and envy anyone that can get $10 or more per serving consistently. However, in my area, that's really not feasible. I am in the mid-high range here, and most of my business comes from people who shop around and find others too expensive.
Also, I'm still really shocked that people see that design as taking an exorbitant amount of time. I am positive I could replicate the three tiers (without the ribbon - which I don't like) in less than two hours start to finish. I think discouraging decorators by telling them how hard a design is - is really doing them a disservice. I think that design is very doable, and in a short amount of time. This looks easier to me than basketweave... and way prettier.
Update: She chose a different design. No brushed embroidery, but I did get the order 
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