A wedding cake is one of the many elements you need for a perfect wedding. And, like much else in the wedding industry, it can cost a pretty penny. The Knot writes that the average cost of a wedding cake in 2023 was $540. So that alone can give home bakers and professional wedding cake designers a baseline on the price.
But what if a customer is asking for a ridiculously low price and an elaborate design? This baker had to deal with one such entitled bride-to-be. The woman gave her a long list of demands and expected to pay only $50. To illustrate what ridiculous things wedding cake bakers go through, the author decided to share this absurd story with people online.
The author of this story, u/RainbowSprinkles4, was kind enough to answer a few questions for Bored Panda. Check out what she had to say about the whole ordeal below!
Making a wedding cake takes time, skill, and artistry, so the bakers should receive adequate pay
Image credits: Anna Shvets (not the actual photo)
This woman didn't think so when she tried ordering an intricate wedding cake for a mere $50
Image credits: kakebydarci (not the actual photo)
Image credits: Karolina Kaboompics (not the actual photo)
Image source: RainbowSprinkles4
The Redditor tells Bored Panda that this was the first time she encountered such an entitled customer
u/RainbowSprinkles4 tells Bored Panda that she started her home bakery about a year and a half ago. "I've been a hobby baker for about 10 years, but I've only recently started branding and taking commissions," she told us.
This type of situation where a customer is demanding a ridiculously low price was a first for the home baker. In fact, her experiences before were quite the opposite. "I've only ever had a couple [of] issues with pricing in the past, but it's always been the customer thinking I'm not charging them enough. I try to stay fair!"
We asked u/RainbowSprinkles4 how she determines the price of her cakes. "There's a pretty huge equation," she explains. "You have to factor in ingredients, time, labor, overhead, packaging, delivery (if requested), expertise, decorations (in this case, fresh flowers), etc."
"I usually work my pricing out to account for about $15 an hour. I work full-time in addition to my home bakery, so it has to be worth my time," the Redditor adds. "Know your worth!" u/RainbowSprinkles4 advises other aspiring or current bakers.
"I think it's super easy to let someone take advantage of you because you're new or unsure, but at the end of the day, they're coming to you for a service you're more than qualified for, especially if you have training and reviews to back you up. And at the end of the day, no check is worth being mistreated or abused," the Redditor explains her stance.
A wedding cake can vary from $250 to $1200
Image credits: Rene Terp (not the actual photo)
A wedding can be a pretty expensive ordeal. With prices for everything rising, weddings are no exception. The cost for an average wedding went up three percent in 2023 from 2022. The Wedding Report claims that in 2023, an average wedding cost a little over 30k.
It's hard to determine what an 'average' cake is, as they tend to come with many different tiers, types, and decorations. Wedding cake designers and bakeries usually determine the price of a wedding cake based on its size, how intricate the design is, and how many guests it should feed.
Manchester-based Palms Bakery writes that a three-tier wedding cake for 100 people should cost about $750 at the least. However, bakeries can offer low-budget options as well. A simple two-tier cake with minimal decorations can be around $250.
People who want something more fancy, like the lady in this particular story, should be prepared to spend more. A four-tier cake, say, where each is a different flavor and the overall design is quite intricate, can cost anywhere from $800 to $1200.
Stands, hand-crafted decorations, and fancy flavors will result in a more expensive cake
Image source: Sude Akpınar (not the actual photo
How do bakeries and bakers determine what's an 'intricate design?' Palms Bakery claims that adding floral elements or hand-crafted edible decorations like fondant flowers will automatically increase the cake's cost. Ingredients and flavors also play a role. A basic sponge cake will be cheaper than a triple chocolate or an alcohol-soaked fruit cake.
Let's also not forget the artistry and skill that goes into crafting a beautiful wedding cake. The Commonwealth Cake Company writes that it's not just about compensating the bakers and designers for their labor. The price of a wedding cake, they claim, "encompasses the value of craftsmanship and artistry that make it an iconic centerpiece of any wedding celebration."
In this story, the bride-to-be requested a "sparkly acrylic stand." Sometimes, bakers and smaller bakeries can even have trouble finding stands, especially if they're not simple. Lastly, the cake also has to be delivered. Sometimes, people opt to pick up the cake themselves, and that can save a pretty penny.
But in the cases where the design and setup are more intricate, the bakery or the cake artist would do that. Depending on how far away the venue is and how complicated it might be to transport the cake, the delivery fee can range from anywhere between $25 to $400.
The bottom line is that asking for a $50 wedding cake is just plain disrespectful. Celebrity Pastry Chef Kaysie Lackey writes that newlyweds should understand that they get what they pay for. If a cake costs $200, it will be worth it. A $50 wedding cake, as some commenters pointed out, would only buy you a Walmart-grade cake.
Professional bakers have educated themselves and worked hard for their reputations," Lackey claims. "We use the best ingredients, have the skill set to produce any design, and get it to the venue in one piece. While it might be more expensive to get your cake from us, it is worth it because you can rest easy knowing you will get the actual confection that you ordered."
Despite the absurdity, the baker was in good spirits about the whole debacle and joked around with people in the comments
Many people were appalled at the woman's ridiculous demands
