Yes. Always, on anything custom or dated.
A deposit is not you being suspicious of the customer. It is what turns a conversation into a booking. Without one you are holding a date, buying ingredients, and carrying all the risk on a promise.
How much. Commonly 50% for custom work, or a smaller booking fee on larger events with the balance staged. Whatever you choose, apply it to every customer, every time. Inconsistency is what makes it awkward.
How to ask. Do not apologise, and do not explain at length. State it as process, because it is:
"Lovely — to lock in the 22nd I take a 50% deposit of $125, and the balance is
due on pickup. I'll send the details now. Once that's in, the date is yours."
That is the whole script. Warm, clear, and it sounds like a business rather than a favour.
Put three things in writing:
- What the deposit secures.
- That it is non-refundable if they cancel.
- When the balance is due.
One short paragraph is enough. Most disagreements are not dishonesty — they are two people remembering a conversation differently.
And take it before you start. Not after you have shopped, not after you have sketched the design. The deposit comes first, then the work.