Deposits for wedding and celebration cakes

In short: Cake makers usually take a fixed deposit, such as £50 or £100, to secure the date, and the balance a week or two before the event. Set a fixed-amount deposit and set each order's balance date to a week before the event, or mark the order ready when the design is finalised.

The usual plan

Use a fixed-amount deposit rather than a percentage: it secures the date whatever size the cake ends up. For the balance, either mark the order ready once the final design is agreed, or reschedule the balance on each order to a week before the event; the customer gets a reminder three days before the charge.

Capturing the event date

Ask for the event date on the product page with a line item property or a date picker app, so it appears on the order. Use it to set the balance date on the order, and to plan your baking calendar.

Collection and delivery

The fulfilment hold works for local pickup and local delivery too. Once the balance has cleared the order is released, and the morning digest shows which cakes are paid in full.

Cancellations

In the UK, the 14-day right to cancel online purchases generally does not apply to perishable goods or goods made to the customer's specification, so a clearly stated deposit policy usually holds. Put it on the product page. This is general information, not legal advice.