I am making cupcakes for a wedding and I am assuming that just because she says there are 500 guests, maybe we don't make 500 cupcakes. Does anyone have a guideline of perhaps a percentage of people who don't eat the desert? Like if you have 500 guests, are there maybe 10% who don't eat cupcakes? I don't want to make too many so that she has to figure out what to do with them after the reception. Anyone have any ideas?
I always calculate 1 and 1/2 x the number of guest. So if it was a 500 guest wedding I would do 750 cupcakes.
Its not too bad. My oven holds 4 cupcake pans at a time. I could have them all mixed and baked in probably 2 hours. I always put the cupcakes in the box then pipe the icing on then add decoration (if its simple). Goes faster.
Yeah, I was going to say that actually, you will need way more than 500! I do either 1 1/2 or 1 1/4 of the actual amount of guests. I have noticed that with cupcakes they will eat more because they are way easier to transport than cake slices on a plate and they will want to take 1 home.
I usually recommend +20% of confirmed guests for cupcakes. I did 150 cupcakes for a graduation party last weekend and the lady told me she was out within 2 hours of the party starting! One girl said she had one cupcake, went back had another, waited a little bit had another and took one home. This is a 120lb woman who had 4 cupcakes! She said they were so good and easy to sneak a few! So, I think you will be baking more than 500 cupcakes and I may need to up my estimates! 
HTH!
Well, I'm glad I asked!! I was thinking the opposite, but I will take your word for it!! It does make sense that cupcakes are easy to grab so people will be more inclined to take more than one. I was also not too stressed out about baking them. I like the idea of icing them in the box. I'm just doing a quick buttercream icing swirl with a big tip, so not hard at all. I know it will take me longer to keep refilling my piping bag.
I bought an additional large cloth bag that hubby refills while I empty the first. He and I somehow manage to work well in the kitchen together so it works for us.
I ice in the box too, less handling of the cuppies, therefore less overall work 
I charged $1.25 for a 1M swirl of buttercream with a graduation pick. This also included set up of a cupcake tower and delivery, so I think it was pretty fair.
I charge $1.00 each for cc w/ swirl and $.25 for the chocolate letter on a toothpick (see pic attached)
YOU WILL hate them after 500!!
Oh and I had to do 500 cupcakes recently too....check out this pic of my counter and I think I was only halfway through them at this point!!
I always calculate 1 and 1/2 x the number of guest. So if it was a 500 guest wedding I would do 750 cupcakes.
Its not too bad. My oven holds 4 cupcake pans at a time. I could have them all mixed and baked in probably 2 hours. I always put the cupcakes in the box then pipe the icing on then add decoration (if its simple). Goes faster.
Oh my lord, if you can mix and bake 750 cupcakes in 2 hours you're a freaking magician!!! That would take me at least 12 hours! Mind you, my darn UK oven is so tiny I can only bake 24 at a time 
I always calculate 1 and 1/2 x the number of guest. So if it was a 500 guest wedding I would do 750 cupcakes.
Its not too bad. My oven holds 4 cupcake pans at a time. I could have them all mixed and baked in probably 2 hours. I always put the cupcakes in the box then pipe the icing on then add decoration (if its simple). Goes faster.
If your pans are 12 cavity, your estimate of 2 hours is a little short.
4 pans with 12 cavities each = 48 per baking batch.
750 divided by 48 per batch = 15.62 baking batches (round to 16).
16 batches at about 20 minute each = 320 minutes, divided by 60 minutes = 5.3 hours.
This is STRICTLY baking time .... not putting in, taking out, emptying the pans, refilling them, etc.
If your pans are 24 cavity, then "a couple of hours" is close.
Is she EXPECTING 500 guests? Or did she INVITE 500 guests? BIg difference! Debi's 60% Rule says if 500 people, then only about 300 will actually show up. (leah uses 75%, which would mean 375 will show up).
Last year i did 420 large cupcakes for a wedding and it took me 37.5 hours from start to finish...
I was happy what i achieved - but happier to jump in the shower and lay my head on my pillow 
Actually - i was happiest when i got paid for the whole thing - lolllllllllllllllll
@ $7.00 each
Then there was the 2 tier wedding cake on top of that.
Each cupcake was filled - then a ganche topping - embossed regalice top (lid) the 11 regalice flowers on top of each....then 11 little gold cachous in the middle of each flower. - No way could i do 500 cupakes in 2 hours ............ *faint*
2 hours !!! - could that be right 
2 hours!!! - i am gobsmacked -
Bluehue.
I charged $1.25 for a 1M swirl of buttercream with a graduation pick. This also included set up of a cupcake tower and delivery, so I think it was pretty fair.
I'd like to buy these from you and resell them here! Cupcakes here start a $2.95 for just a swirl. .25 up towards 1.00 for a pick or fondant/choco decorations.
I charged $1.25 for a 1M swirl of buttercream with a graduation pick. This also included set up of a cupcake tower and delivery, so I think it was pretty fair.
I'd like to buy these from you and resell them here! Cupcakes here start a $2.95 for just a swirl. .25 up towards 1.00 for a pick or fondant/choco decorations.
Revel, can I come and spend the night...or a week, just to sell some cuppies?! I would have people laughing in my face if I even suggested $2.95. However, like most of us here have said, I can't afford my OWN prices! heheheeh
Sorry, I do have 24 cavity pans. I also have 7 of them.. I need one more to make it even, lol. But I usually get the next batch ready to go in while the other is baking.
I did 350 for a local benefit and it was just over an hour to mix, fill, and bake everything.
I think a 24 cavity pan might be a good investment. I would think that you could only do 2 pans at a time then - so 4 pans would be enough for me. 2 in the oven and 2 getting ready to go in. I can see how you can get a bunch done pretty quickly. Thanks to all for the good advice on this ambitious project!
Yup..I agree with Revel..Here you can command basic swirled cupcakes starting at $2.95 each and go up from there depending on the embellishments...No way I would take the order for $1.00-$1.25 each...bit I realize some markets can't support higher prices.I just got an order for birthday cupcakes for a 1 yr old..packaged in clear 4x4 boxes,cupcake wrappers I found on sale and flowers ontop of the swirl with Thankyou note and ribbon..I am charging $5.00 each..and I still think I should have charged more...Lady didn't even flinch...LOL
My cupcakes are $3.00 each, add .50 if you want some sort of simple fondant decoration, add another .50 for more detail.
I also frost & decorate while they are boxed--so much easier and less handling.
I charged $1.25 for a 1M swirl of buttercream with a graduation pick. This also included set up of a cupcake tower and delivery, so I think it was pretty fair.
I'd like to buy these from you and resell them here! Cupcakes here start a $2.95 for just a swirl. .25 up towards 1.00 for a pick or fondant/choco decorations.
You bet! I could use the work! Just 2 years ago, I only charged $.75 for the same thing! I really felt like I was overcharging at $1.25/ea. Of course, I am sure your cupcakes are much nicer than mine! 
I've only ever made wedding cupcakes once, newbie here, so I don't have the experience that everyone else has on here. But I would suggest asking the Bride how many cupcakes she requires? The one wedding I have done, the bride was having them for dessert, she requested 100cupcakes for her 100 guests. The cupcakes were served on a plate with fresh cream and strawberry coulis. (so nobody was walking around helping themselves)I did however make 110. I think its way too hard to predict how many cupcakes people eat..... as long as there's enough for 1 each..... I'd be putting it back onto the Bride and leaving it with her as to how many are to be made.......
I'm going to sound really stupid here, but what do you mean by decorating them in the box? Each cupcake has an individual box or do you line them all up in a sheetcake type of box? I'm assuming you also use the cupcake insert to space them all out? Sorry, for the stupid question but it sounds like a great idea that I might want to start implementing!
"decorating in the box" - I have boxes that hold 30 cupcakes (30? - that's for another forum!) Put the cupcakes in, ice, decorate and - voila! I s'pose it wouldn't work so well if you are doing some type of elaborate piped design.
I charged $1.25 for a 1M swirl of buttercream with a graduation pick. This also included set up of a cupcake tower and delivery, so I think it was pretty fair.
I'd like to buy these from you and resell them here! Cupcakes here start a $2.95 for just a swirl. .25 up towards 1.00 for a pick or fondant/choco decorations.
You bet! I could use the work! Just 2 years ago, I only charged $.75 for the same thing! I really felt like I was overcharging at $1.25/ea. Of course, I am sure your cupcakes are much nicer than mine!
You must live near me!! I was charging $.75/ea up until recently (like 3 weeks ago) when I bumped them up to a base charge of $1.00/ea. our local bakery charges $.50/cupcake for a swirl of buttercream! I don't get too many orders, but the ones I get are because I offer a much bigger variety of flavors/fillings (the local bakery has your typical white, choc, marble and no filling)
I'm going to sound really stupid here, but what do you mean by decorating them in the box? Each cupcake has an individual box or do you line them all up in a sheetcake type of box? I'm assuming you also use the cupcake insert to space them all out? Sorry, for the stupid question but it sounds like a great idea that I might want to start implementing!
No such thing as a stupid question here!
I line all of mine up in full sheet boxes (holds about 4-5 dozen if I remember right) then start swirling. Then I go back and add whatever topper they need. My only advise is to watch the angle of your wrist when swirling so that you dont end up with some sideways swirls because you're reaching too far. HTH
I bought an additional large cloth bag that hubby refills while I empty the first. He and I somehow manage to work well in the kitchen together so it works for us.
I ice in the box too, less handling of the cuppies, therefore less overall work
Where did you purchase the Xlarge piping bag?
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