I recently contacted a local wedding cake maker about an estimate and for design discussion. I have long been admiring her work through her shop window, but have never been able to get a hold of her personally and was always told to 'come back when she was in' by other staff.

I finally found a Facebook account and got in touch through there, shared my phone number and waited. She told me she'd give me a call the following morning. Never got a call.

A few days later I found a message via Facebook saying that she hadn't forgotten me, it's just that she was super busy and that she would call me in the morning just after 10AM. Guess what? No call until 6 PM when I was in the middle of cooking!

Burned leeks aside, we had a really nice chat about what I wanted. I told her I had seem a cake on her site that would be PERFECT and I'd only need a few changes. My theme is steampunk/victorian with an ivory, gold and duck egg blue colour scheme. She ooed and ahhed and said that she had done a steampunk cake before for a birthday and that it shouldn't be too difficult at all. I mentioned that I wanted the same kind of cake only with an extra tier and alternating colours to match the them. She said it would be super easy to do and I should get back to her with the colours as a design. (I'm an illustrator you see, so I told her I'd sketch it and show her what I meant.)

She quoted me £150 - £200 for what I had told her and explained that if I wanted extras like pearls or diamantes that it would cost a little bit more and that if I had foam or silk flowers (Which I do!) that it would bring the cost down, as sugarpaste can be expensive and tricky.

I spent a while on my design last night making sure the colour tones were just right and posted it, only to get a message back saying "Would work with the other aspects we spoke about interweaved into the flowers BUT not within the budget you quoted Im afraid Rachel. Start saving your pennies now x"

I'm confused. I already discussed the changes BEFORE she quoted me and the changes are only really an extra tier and colour changes. (Oh and a tiny amount of gold chain, but I only added that to fill in space and I can take it or leave it.) But, she was already OK with that. We even discussed deposit prices and so on. I haven't added any pearls, diamantes, or shimmer powders and such to it, so I don't get it.

Cake is for 30 to 37 people.



Is it normal to bump up the price for colour changes, even though you discussed it before you agreed the price quote?

Thank you for the advice.

I have contacted her to ask what she would quote me for the design. When she gets back to me I intend to quiz her just why it would be extra, especially with her already OKing such changes beforehand.

It's not even until 2016 haha!

i agree with the other ladies...she seems to scatty for my liking...

it sounds like warning bells are already ringing.

That was a silly and flippant comment to make, 'start saving'.

The professional thing to do would be to give you the quote and explain why the extra charges (ie the additional teir) which would be fair enough.

I'd see what she comes back with, but start looking elsewhere, just in case.

xx

I agree, look elsewhere. You want someone you can rely on. You don't need added stress on the run up to the big day.

I think you should look for other cake makers and get other quotes hun. She sounds rather disorganised to me and unreliable, I couldn't trust her personally from what you describe. There are lotsnof great cake makers out there.
xxx

Does it have to be the local area? We found that companies within about a 20 mile radius would not charge extra for delivery and set-up, so, unless you live somewhere very remote, I'd probably widen your search.

Since I have no transport I've been focusing on local (IE: This and surrounding towns) cake makers. The ones I haven't contacted are just, in all honesty, because I'm not fond of their work. (Eee, that sounded harsh. D: ) If you or anyone has suggestions, I'm all ears!

I have looked at a few in the city (Derby), but only a couple have stood out. I'm waiting to hear back from them.


And yes, Sarah. If my co-ordinator hadn't asked me to bring quotes on saturday to her I wouldn't be doing this.

Melty: but most will include delivery and set-up in their fee ie you won't need transport. Ours is costing £420 and that includes delivery and set-up at the venue, which is about a 25 minute drive from where the lady lives. So, have you considered expanding your search to, say, a 15-20 mile radius, rather than focusing on local towns? Or have you done this already?

Do you not know anyone who could make a cake? Maybe that would be better if you are struggling to find a local person - those people sound very difficult to deal with! xxx

My cake lady came out to me. Your second cake lsdy would hate me, we are not having any flowrs and the only added detail are icing hearts lol the topper is wire eith something on the end.

omg hun your not having a good time of it at all are you, maybe visit some wedding fayres hun you may find a good cake maker there or ask family and friends if they know of anyone who makes them x

OMG where are you finding all these amateurs?

Really hope you find a good one soon. Does your reception venue have a list of preferred suppliers? They normally can suggest a few decent ones to check out.
xx

Read through this thread with interest, where on earth have you been finding these people?!

''I'm having trouble with ANOTHER cake maker now. They outright REFUSED to make me a red velvet tier and gave me a huge lecture via email about how it's unhealthy and so on and so fourth. I explained that I prefer it traditional and made using beetroot and NOT with food colouring. They THEN started picking on my design by saying how out of proportion it is!''

If anyone spoke to me like that I swear to god, Id end up arrested. was that supposed to be a professional?!

Since when was cake supposed to be healthy. Good grief!

Hopefully your newest place comes out good for you!

Did you ever hear anything back from the fist one?

fingers crossed this girl comes up trumps for you hun she has 3 year to practice the flavours so im sure she wont have any trouble with them xx