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abbey
Frequent Member
Joined: Mar 17, 2005
Posts: 301
Location: NC
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 Posted:
Wed Feb 08, 2006 5:29 am |
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Was just wondering how everyone got their first wedding cake order. Who was it for? Did you give them a cost break since they were your first order? I have my first potential wedding cake and would love to hear the story of your first and how you handled the details.
Oh and if you have the picture of your first one post them I'd love to see them. |
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Sherry0565
Frequent Member
Joined: Nov 15, 2005
Posts: 373
Location: Cincinnati, Ohio
Birthday: May 24
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Wed Feb 08, 2006 5:38 am |
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I actually have received 2 orders for Wedding cakes, but they are both down the road. (one in June, and one in September) These will be among the first I've done. Both Customers approached me after seeing and tasting my cakes, and asked me to do them. I'm a little nervous about it, but I know I will pull through. I've got plenty of time to practice.
I will post pics when they are done. |
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KittisKakes
Forum Fanatic
Joined: Aug 08, 2005
Posts: 1146
Location: Virginia
Birthday: Mar 10
Gallery Supporter Member
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Wed Feb 08, 2006 5:53 am |
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Hi,
My first order came as a refernce through my neighbor's daughter. She worked with the bride's mother. I was still new at this, so I pretty much stumbled my way through it all. I undercharged, just because I really didn't know what I was doing. I finished the top layer at the reception area with the mother and aunts looking on. I was so nervous. My husband said he had never seen my hands shake so much before. But, it all came out alright. The mother added $30 at the end. I guess it was either a tip, or she knew I had undercharged for the cake.
Good luck with yours!!
Kitti |
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cakefairy18
Forum Addict
Joined: Sep 24, 2005
Posts: 923
Location: T.O. CANADA
Birthday: Aug 18
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Wed Feb 08, 2006 5:58 am |
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That cake is stunning!!! Why isnt in your photos!!??
It's beautiful...
are those buttercream roses?? |
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KittisKakes
Forum Fanatic
Joined: Aug 08, 2005
Posts: 1146
Location: Virginia
Birthday: Mar 10
Gallery Supporter Member
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Wed Feb 08, 2006 6:05 am |
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| cakefairy18 wrote: | That cake is stunning!!! Why isnt in your photos!!??
It's beautiful...
are those buttercream roses?? |
Thanks! I've been a member since last August, but have just recently started posting images. This site is addictive!!
And yes, the roses are buttercream.
I was quite pleased with my first try at a wedding cake, (my first try that I was paid for).
Kitti |
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laneysmom
Regular Member
Joined: Oct 30, 2005
Posts: 161
Location: Southern NJ
Birthday: Feb 03
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Wed Feb 08, 2006 6:07 am |
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My first wedding cake was for my sister-in-law, who was the most laid-back bride I have ever seen. Thank heavens! I was brand new to decorating and she wanted a fondant covered cake incorporating daisies. I had never worked with rolled fondant before, but I managed to get all 3 layers covered and piped with polka dots (The 14" layer kept me up to the wee hours of the morning.)
She was having a garden wedding and wouldn't you know it was the rainiest, most humid day of the year. The cake, of course, began to sweat like crazy under the plastic tent rented for the reception. I have never felt so nervous at a wedding in all my life.
But all ended well, the sun came out by the time the ceremony took place and well-meaning guests raved about the cake and even asked how I got the cake so "shiny!" Too funny!!
I'll have to look around for that photo...
Good luck on your first one!!
Diane |
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shannas
Junior Member
Joined: Jan 23, 2006
Posts: 49
Location: Kettering, Ohio
Birthday: Jun 11
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Wed Feb 08, 2006 6:09 am |
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Was for our Pastor's daughter. I was good friends with her and she asked me to do it. It was 4 tiers with vanilla or chocolate fudge cake with raspberry buttercream filling. Covered in buttercream icing. The wedding was at the church (outside) so I was able to make the cake at the church and then just have it assembled the next day. It was covered in buttercream icing (white) and then had pale blue scroll work on the side that matched the brides maid's dresses. There were fresh flowers that we arranged on top of each layer.
Shanna |
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kgunn
Newbie
Joined: Jul 25, 2005
Posts: 15
Location: Upstate New York
Birthday: Jun 01
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Wed Feb 08, 2006 6:42 am |
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I had started making cake for not yet a year, it will be a year in April. Well the cakes that I was making were three-d type cakes, when people started buying them from me, I did one to take to work, I work for a newspaper, I am a graphic artist. One of the editors emailed me about the cake (my basket of leaves cake) and wanted to do a story on me, So just before Christmas I had a full story on the front page of a section and some in the inside of the paper, I was happy with it and it was in full color! We'll the same day my story broke I had a lady call me and said she liked my beach cake that was in the story as well, and wanted to know if I would do a beach theme wedding cake for her in April, I told I had never done a wedding cake before and she just laughed. I am nervous for my first cake, but she seems real laid back and that makes it even easier. sorry for rambling, but I am so pleased in how everything has gone for me.
Thanks
kgunn |
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luv2cake
Forum Addict
Joined: Jul 21, 2005
Posts: 791
Location: Kansas City, MO
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Wed Feb 08, 2006 6:56 am |
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Well, I have been decorating cakes for about 15 months now and I was blessed to be able to do 5 wedding cakes last summer.
These were all for friends of some sort...some close friends, some distant friends. My first one was a rushed wedding, the bride and groom decided to elope and needed a cake in a week. I totally undercharged for that one!
The 2nd cake I did, I asked my friend, the bride if I could do it, and of course she said yes. I only charged her $150, that was mainly to cover my supplies and gas to drive 2 1/2 hours to the reception site. It was my gift to her, that's why I deeply discounted it.
Also, as far as pricing goes, I am just now getting to the point where I feel comfortable charging full price for wedding cakes. I was always so scared that I would mess something up or that it wouldn't be as professional as a bakery, and truthfully I wasn't all too happy with 2 of the cakes that I did. I was also interested in building my portfolio so I wasn't too interested in getting rich off these cakes. I looked at as an investment into my portfolio. I wanted to show other people that I have done a variety of cakes, including wedding cakes.
Just make sure that you don't lose any money on the deal. If you decide to deeply discount the cake, at least recover the cost for the ingredients. If you want to charge more, then go for it! Wedding cakes are time comsuming and stressful, but they are fun!
Good luck! 
(I believe that I only have two wedding cakes shown in my photos) |
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m0use
Moderator
Joined: Feb 04, 2005
Posts: 3913
Location: Hartland, WI
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Wed Feb 08, 2006 7:11 am |
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My first wedding cake for someone else was a gift to the couple because my husband and I knew they were a very tight budget.
This July I will be making the cake for my husband's best friend wedding. My husband wants the cake to be gift (so no charge) but they want to pay me for at least the ingredients. Since it's a small cake I have no problem not charging them since they have done soo much for us when we did not have money I just don't feel right making them pay (even though they could afford to pay for the cake). For example, my husband's best friend payed for my engine head to get machined down when we were having car troubles because the place that did the machining only takes cash and we could only put it on a charge card. We paid him back for it a little later, but the hoser never cashed the check, he refused to cash it and told us to use that money to buy tires for the car instead. <Sniff> He is such an good friend to us that is why I cannot charge him for this cake...sorry for the ramble. When I get that cake done I will definetly post pics. It's supposed to be the Glow Endures cake on page 101 from the Wilton Wedding Cakes Romantic Portfolio book. I am just borrowing the design on the cake since we are not using the fountain or anything else. It's going to have a 12", 8", and 6" round tiers, and the icing decoration is going to be lavendar and the base icing is going to be white. I'm anxious on how this one is going to turn out- time to start practicing on this one.
The attached pic is the cake that I made for the couple on the tight budget that were our friends. |
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Tuggy
Frequent Member
Joined: Dec 21, 2004
Posts: 369
Location: Hamburg/Germany
Birthday: May 14
Gallery Supporter Member
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Wed Feb 08, 2006 7:38 am |
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I did my first wedding cake 12 1/2 years ago. Iīm a trained confectionary but only did the normal german wedding cakes (marzipan roses and cake covered with marzipan  ) during the apprenticeship. After the final examination I went back to school, as I know that this sort of cakes wasnīt the kind I would like to do. In December 1992 on of my best friends got engaged and ask me to the wedding cake, but, as she is from England, please in the english style. I had never heard of anything fondant or gumpaste, so she had to buy books and I knew I found "my" kind of decorating. I had 6 months to figure out how to do all those pastes, modelling, piping etc. and for sure I didnīt made it until her wedding. I only took the cakes over to the UK and bought fondant there in a cake- shop. So she only got a fondant covered cake with fresh flowers from me, but it was the beginning of my passion for this craft. Unfortunatly I havenīt got a picture of that cake, not even off all the funny situations while trying to mix fondant (3 handmixers break down and 1 started burning ...). |
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kaecakes
Frequent Member
Joined: Jul 08, 2005
Posts: 386
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Wed Feb 08, 2006 7:59 am |
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My 1st actual wedding cake was for my daughter. It was supose to have 5 satilites (ms) at 3:00 am the morning of the wedding I said she is only getting 4. That was before I knew to do dummies. We had a cake for 400 and only 150 guests. The big problem was that I had my parents from CA and the grooms mother decided not to do the rehearsal dinner and I had to do that also. I haven't posted the pic of this cake yet but I will |
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edencakes
Forum Addict
Joined: Jul 14, 2005
Posts: 615
Location: Horn Lake, MS
Birthday: Jan 28
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Wed Feb 08, 2006 8:15 am |
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The first wedding cake I made was for my sister, it was my gift to her so I didn't get paid. It was a great learning experience, and led me to my first paid job later that year. I charged $1 a serving for that one (oh how times have changed!). I had no idea I would lose money on that sucker, but I still had a great time doing it. I don't have pictures (worth posting) of my first paid cake, but I do have one of that first wedding cake for my sister. |
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TERRYHORTON
Frequent Member
Joined: Sep 03, 2005
Posts: 264
Location: East Texas
Birthday: Dec 25
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Wed Feb 08, 2006 8:23 am |
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My first was actually for my parents 40th wedding anniversary, so it was totally a gift. It is posted in my photos. I did it in November 05
after doing cakes for about 8 months. It turned out great for no lessons!!! LOL |
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jennifer293
Regular Member
Joined: Sep 06, 2005
Posts: 166
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Wed Feb 08, 2006 9:14 am |
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I got my first wedding cake order TODAY!!!!  It is not until Sept. 16th so it will give me plenty of time to brush up on some things. But I know it is gonna make me SOOOOO sick to my stomach until I get it done.
I did a smaller cake for my husband's grandparents and it turned out pretty good but it took forever for no reason other than I am just SLOW!!!!
I have to transport this one too..  luckily my husband will be off that day so he can drive and I can hold it still...
I will post a pic when I do it!! WISH ME LUCK!!!! I have only been doing this since June 05'..
****My first paid job were cupcakes in the shape of a soccer ball for my daughters Kindergarten teacher. I had made cakes for a halloween auction and she saw them asn asked me to do the CC's after that!!! |
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