Please can i have some advice...... Ok so my nephews mum is coming with my nephew and his little brother (who is still like a nephew to me) and they are both being page boys. I love their mum and happy thats she's coming with them she's family despite her and my brother breaking up years ago and only ever together briefly. Her sister has her own cake company so asked about her doing the cake, yep all excited, she wanted to do it pratically fell over herself about it... so my nephews mum says, whatever the normal cost of what you want minus 20%.Fab! Nephews mum asked if her partner couldnt come can she bring her sister (the one doing the cake) absolutely no problem, great in fact, nice as she's doing the cake and she in my mind although only met her a few times is extended family, she's my nephews other auntie after all so happy to have her there. So we went to see her saturday to discuss what we wanted, all went well got some good ideas together had a nice chat, all excited.
She emailed me a quote today - totalling £327 which is what she'd charge whoever walked in off the street - but said she'd do it for £300 - ok so now i need to know if i'm being a bit out of order here but to my mind firstly i'm thinking ok well thats not the 20% that her sister said about prior to her actually coming to the wedding and now she is now actually a guest coming to our wedding! and we're feeding her and watering her for the day! i thought we'd get at least 20% off and the cake stand hire and set up free as she's going to be there anyway! I get that she still needs to charge for ingredients and hours for doing the cake but she's even charging us to hire the cake stand and the set up for it... and she's coming as a guest!!
Should i just be grateful that she's knocking the £27 off?? or should i bring it up with her? or her sister?
Sorry - PLEASE HELP!! xx
CommentAuthorx~Hails~x
Hmmmm it is a difficult one BUT Just because she is family (or extended) doesnt mean she should give you a discount, it is after all still how she makes her living! And what her sister said holds no grounds I'm afraid unless she is a partner within the company, I personally think it was wrong of her to tell you anything with regards to a discount until she had talked to her first!
sorry!
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CommentAuthorx~Hails~x
Maybe see if you can find someone to do the same for cheaper and then go back to her and see if she can match or even beat it???
UKBride moderator both on here and on facebook
For it was not into my ear you whispered, but into my heart
It was not my lips you kissed, but my soul.
CommentAuthorSally
Thanks, yeah i fully get that, i'm pretty sure her sister wouldve checked with her first before saying about the discount but fair enough not giving it if she didnt actually offer it herself. If she wasnt actually coming to the wedding as a guest then i wouldnt think anything else of it but that fact that she's now coming i duno i just guess if it was me, i'd just charge ingredients and hours not for actual profit perhaps i'd just be a terrible business woman but then i dont know what her mark up is. Yeah i think i'm going to check out some other quotes and see what the difference is. I do think she could knock the stand hire a set up charge off tho as that's not actually costing her anything and she's going to be there anyway. hmmmm. Thanks
CommentAuthorJoanna
I think the problem was her sister saying you'd get a 20% discount. That's not really her decision to make and the woman making the cake might not be aware that this was ever promised to you xx
The greatest thing you'll ever learn
is just to love and be loved in return
Oops just read your reply. Yeah i agree that she could not charge for set up as she will already be there :s but would she have to get there early to do this? I don't know. It depends how much you had in mind you would pay for a cake? xx
The greatest thing you'll ever learn
is just to love and be loved in return
CommentAuthorElle23
I think it is steep and i would be a bit set back too I make cakes and even with mates rates, you still make a profit! Depends what you've chosen though too as decorative work takes the longest time
I think i would be looking elsewhere and getting comparable quotes I would also be asking for stand hire and set up to be knocked off too! I think she has been quite cheeky to be fair!
Good luck x
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CommentAuthorbridalmiss
It really depends on how complicated your cake design etc is, and you should have discussed budget with her on the day. You can't hold her to the 20% discount as it was her sister who told you about it, not her - if this is still pricey, then tell her your max budget is say 275 etc, and would she be able to come up with a similar cake design for that budget - she may even say it's fine and still give you your original design etc. At the end of the day you can still order your cake from somewhere else if you like, or get a plain one from M&S and decorate it if you want to - my mum is making our cake and the hours she's spent on sugar roses already is ridiculous, so I can kind of understand where the cost comes from when you consider the time involved etc.
CommentAuthorBrideInTraining
maybe mention to her sister its a bit out of your price range and it might jog her memory about the 20% off she promised. it is an awkward situation though. can u get it elsewhere cheaper? x
CommentAuthornatalie2614
I agree with lillybaby, just say the price you've been quoted is a little higher than you were expecting, after her talking about 20% discount too you were expecting maybe £270? If she cant lower it then either look to find the cake elsewhere or amend the cake design with her and see if it reduces the cost at all, although thats less than ideal.
Married my best friend 05.04.2013
CommentAuthorbrilly
its an arkward situation u could say as bridalmiss said and say uve had a quote lower then hers elsewhere would she be to match it for you i dont really know what to suggest as h2b's aunty is doing ours all we have to supply is the ingredients xx
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Cant wait to do it all over again in 2018
CommentAuthorAliK
She's running a business. If she was a close relative you'd have grounds to argue the toss for "mates rates" but it is her business adn you could negotiate, but it was not her that said she'd knock 20% off. If it were my business and my sister kept knocking money off orders for me I'd be so seething with her. given the history it sounds like your lucky to get the £27 off without negotiating, however your not obligated to have her make the cake, you could shop around and order with someone else, its business after all and you may find it easer to negotiate with someone your hiring to do the job and don't have to invite to your wedding.
CommentAuthorJEm1905
I do cakes and attending a friends wedding this weekend, not a close friend or anything like that just knew her passing through sea cadets. Im not charging her travel as she invited me to her wedding, im not charging her hire stand as im bringing it back with me so it wont get broken or lost, not am i charging her a set up fee. She in just paying for ingredients and my time but even then ive done it as a reduced rate because i no her :)
Yes okay £27 off is still £27 off but it definately not the amount you was quoted.I'd rather have the £60 you would of got.
Got together - 19th May 2009
Our Civil Partnership - 19th May 2012
Waiting to re-Marry my Princess Legally
CommentAuthorSally
Thanks JEm1905, i thought that too, i am now having it with the 20% discount, she forgot to add it to the quote, but was absolutely fine with me asking. if it was me i'd still personally do it cheaper but everyones different and i'm grateful for the discount. Thats lovely of you
CommentAuthorMrsKisywisy
it's great she's knocked something off the price
one of my friends (not a close friend) started her cake making business at the end of last year and has now started to get requests for wedding cakes, something she was a bit wary of doing. she's making my 6 tier cake (for blessing at home) for £80ish. MAJOR mates rates!! i'm inviting her to the blessing and i think i'll buy her a little something for making it too. i never asked for a discount and chose her because i wanted to give her business (plus her cakes are FAB!!)
I'M MARRIED!!!
I am now Mrs Bananaman!!!!
13/09/2012 in Peyia Town Hall, Cyprus
CommentAuthorluda0510
Just read all the comments. Think thats great that she has taken the 20% off, I would still have a look round and get some quotes on the side. I'm not a cake maker, but to me that sounds a lot of money. Like the others have said she is going to be there anyway, so why charge for the set up and hire for the stand?? Weddings cost enough, so if you can find somewhere else cheaper, then I would think she would understand if you showed her the cheaper one and then she has the option to either match the cost or cheaper, its business and she wont want to lose it, but would understand if you went to someone else xx
CommentAuthorJEm1905
WOW kisywisy.. im surprised she can even buy the ingredients for £80 tbh. You definitely got a bargain there. Most known decorators would of charges at least £400 for a 4 tier shocking really.
I think you should look around, there is definitely better quotes out there its just finding them :)
Got together - 19th May 2009
Our Civil Partnership - 19th May 2012
Waiting to re-Marry my Princess Legally
CommentAuthorMrsKisywisy
i know!! i'm only having flavoured sponge, white icing and a few stylised gerberas. plus...2 of the tiers are going to be dummy cakes
the cost of wedding cakes are horrendous!! BUT, i do understand a lot of work goes into them. sugarcraft is hard and time consuming!!
I'M MARRIED!!!
I am now Mrs Bananaman!!!!
13/09/2012 in Peyia Town Hall, Cyprus
CommentAuthorSally
Well i did get a few quotes for the area we're getting married and they weren't any cheaper else where, i've paid it now and we had budgeted £300 for cake prior to knowing what we wanted so just think at least we got it in under even if it is a lot considering who it is and they are simple cupcake but hey its all done and glad to have it off the list :) with 77 days to go i'm glad to get things ticked off eeeeeek
CommentAuthoralmost a year wife!!
im having a 5 tier cake 6" top tier will be a sponge just for me and h2b...8" 10" and 12" will be dummy and 14" bottom tier will be sponge...i did a course in cake decoration and im gonna do it myself although icing a 14" cake will not be easy!!!! either that or i order from marksy's! im not into frilly bits n that, id like it like these...
