Ok so I guess this is really a vent.
I had an aunt ask if I would make my cousins wedding cake a few months ago, the cousin was eloping and they would be doing a home reception when they got back. I said of course I would and to let me know what they wanted when the date got closer. She called 8 weeks ago and asked about cost for about 75 people. I told her normally I would charge $3.00 per serving on a basic buttercream frosted cake,so cake normally cake would be $225 to which she gasped and said I didn't plan on spending that much. I really liked this aunt and was fairly close to my cousin growing up so I said I would give her a discount and charge $100. for the cake. Again a gasp and she said I was thinking of spending about $45, and could I just do a "small" tiered cake and she would just buy some sheet cakes (from the store) for the rest. To which I took a DEEP breath and said I would do a SMALL 2 tiered cake at cost ($45).I know...crazy!
ok, wait this gets better (worse)!!!
At my daughter graduation this past weekend she sees this phenomenal 3 tiered ( 12,9. and 6 inch) zebra print cake done in fondant that I made (took 6 hours just to decorate) and says "that size will do, and oh yeah we are expecting about 100 people now."
I thought "OHHHH wait a minute here" and sent her an email reviewing our conversations and what we had agreed on and that even at cost this cake would be $75 for expenses alone. I would do it at cost but it would be buttercream and not fondant . (I know, I was an idiot to even agree to this but it's family I kept telling myself)
She emails me back today and says they they have rethought the wedding cake and decided since it's now an "open house" and with the additional cost they decided to go with a sheetcake from Walmart! And sorry to waste my time.
I'm not even sure I can respond to her right now. What do others tell relatives and those who think we work for free???? I want to scream "I'm trying to start a business here"
I'll try to attach the graduation cake I just did so you have an idea of what she was asking for but I only have a pic on my camera phone and hubby took digital with him and the pictures are still on it.
I had an aunt ask if I would make my cousins wedding cake a few months ago, the cousin was eloping and they would be doing a home reception when they got back. I said of course I would and to let me know what they wanted when the date got closer. She called 8 weeks ago and asked about cost for about 75 people. I told her normally I would charge $3.00 per serving on a basic buttercream frosted cake,so cake normally cake would be $225 to which she gasped and said I didn't plan on spending that much. I really liked this aunt and was fairly close to my cousin growing up so I said I would give her a discount and charge $100. for the cake. Again a gasp and she said I was thinking of spending about $45, and could I just do a "small" tiered cake and she would just buy some sheet cakes (from the store) for the rest. To which I took a DEEP breath and said I would do a SMALL 2 tiered cake at cost ($45).I know...crazy!
ok, wait this gets better (worse)!!!
At my daughter graduation this past weekend she sees this phenomenal 3 tiered ( 12,9. and 6 inch) zebra print cake done in fondant that I made (took 6 hours just to decorate) and says "that size will do, and oh yeah we are expecting about 100 people now."
I thought "OHHHH wait a minute here" and sent her an email reviewing our conversations and what we had agreed on and that even at cost this cake would be $75 for expenses alone. I would do it at cost but it would be buttercream and not fondant . (I know, I was an idiot to even agree to this but it's family I kept telling myself)
She emails me back today and says they they have rethought the wedding cake and decided since it's now an "open house" and with the additional cost they decided to go with a sheetcake from Walmart! And sorry to waste my time.
I'm not even sure I can respond to her right now. What do others tell relatives and those who think we work for free???? I want to scream "I'm trying to start a business here"
I'll try to attach the graduation cake I just did so you have an idea of what she was asking for but I only have a pic on my camera phone and hubby took digital with him and the pictures are still on it.
