The short answer
Offer a small, fixed set of flavors, collect the couple’s details before they arrive, have them score each flavor as they taste, sketch the design together, and leave with a written quote and a book-by date. Many bakers charge a tasting fee and credit it to the cake if the couple books.
Before the tasting
- Collect the basics first: date, venue, guest count, budget range, style ideas and any allergies. A quick form or questionnaire saves half the meeting.
- Check your calendar. Make sure the date is still free before anyone falls in love with a design.
- Pick the flavors. Four to six cake and filling combinations is plenty. Too many choices make it harder to decide.
- Decide on a tasting fee. Tastings cost ingredients and hours. A fee credited toward the order filters out casual browsing and is fair to you.
- Prepare a portfolio. Photos of your own past cakes in different styles, plus a sample serving chart.
During the tasting
Score each flavor
Give the couple a simple sheet with one row per flavor and a 1 to 5 rating. Ask them to write a word or two next to each one. It turns “they were all good!” into a clear favorite, and it gives you a record if they come back weeks later.
Talk design and structure
- Number of tiers and shape (round, square, mixed)
- Finish: buttercream, fondant, semi-naked, textured
- Colors, flowers (fresh or sugar), toppers and who supplies them
- How many servings are needed. Use a cake serving chart to match tiers to the guest count
- Delivery, setup time, the cake table and the venue’s rules
Write it all down
Fill in one sheet as you go: the chosen flavors for each tier, the design notes and a rough sketch. Couples often forget details between the tasting and the booking, and so do bakers.
The quote
Try to give a quote the same day, or within a day or two, while the couple is excited. A clear quote lists:
- Servings, tiers and flavors
- The design, including flowers and toppers
- Delivery and setup
- The deposit to book, when the balance is due, and what happens on cancellation
- A book-by date, after which the quote and the date are no longer held
Price the cake from your real costs and hours, not guesswork. The cake pricing calculator gives a price per serving to quote from.
After the tasting
- Send a short thank-you with the written quote
- Follow up once before the book-by date
- When they book, confirm the deposit, the date and the final design in writing
- Keep the tasting sheet with the order so the details are in one place
Planning tastings in bulk, for example a wedding season open house? Use the same scoring sheet for every couple, and you will soon see which flavors people actually pick, which helps you trim your menu.