A Little Ticked Off... And I Have A Question
Business By thecookieladycc Updated 3 Feb 2010 , 5:14am by erinalicia
So I did a wedding consultation a couple weeks ago with a lady I know. She came with her parents (with whom I had never met) and her boyfriend and best friend... so a total of 5 ppl when I had asked that there only be two. But her parents are paying for the cake so she said that they needed to be there. Fine whatever. The cake tasting went great, had 3 different types of cake and 4 different fillings. They all oohhed and ahhed. Then we started talking about the design of the cake. She is going to have a very vintage lace dress and would like her cake to have the same feel. I have the perfect cake in my brain and explain it to them. 4 tier (to feed 250 ppl) with tiers of roses between each tier. She wants real roses on her cake. I try to explain to her that it is going to take a LOT of roses to do what she wants to do... like 5 or 6 dozen if not more. The wedding will be almost an hour away. Crap I'm rambling.... anyway because I know her and like her and want to help her out I quote her $4.50 per serving not including the roses because she said that she would provide them at the venue , plus I was only going to charge her my regular out of town set of fee without adding the mileage. So her cake will be around $900 give or take. Which I felt was a pretty stinking good deal considering the amount of detail I was going to put into it. Well she just e-mailed me and said that she found another baker who will do the cake I described to her plus the delivery and set up for $400!!! That is less then $2 a serving! She just can't see spending that much money on cake. But she still wants me to do the grooms cake. I did some research and this bakery has gotten some terrible reviews. I'm not going to tell her that because its not up to me and I'm not in the business of bashing other bakers. But I really don't want my cake to be next to a cake that isn't mine that has the potential of being a nightmare.
So I guess my question is, should I do the grooms cake or not? I've never had this happen before. I don't want to seem like I'm being petty because she isn't getting her cake from me, I just really don't want someone to mix my work up with another bakers.
Screw it... I'm going to go eat some cookie dough.
Don't blame you for being ticked off at being way undercut on price. I'd feel the same way!
As for the groom's cake...don't do it if you don't want to. Many bakers have a clause in their contracts for exclusivity due to quality control. You would not be petty or out of line for turning it down, and from the sounds of it you would be better off. If she isn't willing to pay your price for the wedding cake, can you be so sure she'll pay for a groom's cake?
Walk away...she sounds like more trouble than worth.
As long as she's willing to pay what you will charge for the groom's cake, I say make it. Make it so fabulous that it outdoes the wedding cake! 
Oh my... what a situation! I would probably decline, unless she will let you put a sign out beside the cake which says "Grooms cake provided by XXX Bakery". I think people will might be confused and think you did the wedding cake too? I always tell the couple in the consultation that I am "giving them a break" on the grooms cake if they purchase the wedding cake to avoid this situation. Good luck!
Oh my... what a situation! I would probably decline, unless she will let you put a sign out beside the cake which says "Grooms cake provided by XXX Bakery". I think people will might be confused and think you did the wedding cake too? I always tell the couple in the consultation that I am "giving them a break" on the grooms cake if they purchase the wedding cake to avoid this situation. Good luck!
so knee jerk reaction is always going to be "no cake for you!"
Then, normally I like to wait a while before responding so I don't regret what I say.
HOWEVER, in this case, you're right.
I do have this clause in my contract, and especially since you know the rep of this bakery, i would walk away quickly.
But not towards the cookie dough....
Do the groom's cake and charge her $900.
LOL! 
Seriously though, I wouldn't do it. Because I guarantee you that all of the people are going to think the wedding cake and the grooms cake came from the same baker.
In fact, a lot of baker's have a clause in their contract specifically stating that there can not be any other cake there from another baker or the contract is cancelled. So just tell her that's your policy and you appreciate her business, but that she should just go ahead and go with the other baker.
MAYBE IF YOU TELL HER THAT THE GROOM'S CAKE WILL COST MORE, SINCE YOU WERE GOING TO GIVE HER A DISCOUNT FOR ORDERING THE WEDDING CAKE FROM YOU AND GIVE HER A PRICE WAY TO HIGH, SHE WOULD DECLINE THE GROOM'S CAKE TOO, AND YOU WOULD NOT FEEL SO BAD.(THAT IS IF YOU DO NOT WANT TO MAKE THE CAKE).
this is what I wrote her....
You need to do what is best for you. I wish I could help you more, but I just can't go any lower or I will be loosing money. I'm glad that you could find someone who can accommodate your budget. But, and unfortunately there is a but.... I won't be able to do the grooms cake. For the protection of my reputation, (and the reputation of the other baker) I don't feel comfortable having my cake being served with a cake of another baker. I hope you understand and good luck with the rest of your wedding.
I hate to say this, but "Do what you feel." Our advice is just advice, you're the one that has to live your your choice. I just know I would feel a bit "bullied" and that's not a feeling I care to have when I'm working. I'd be loaded with resentment the entire time I baked, filled and decorated the Groom's cake, I personally would opt out.
I think your response to her was fine. I personally wouldn't have put in the part about losing money, but that's me.
I also have a clause in my contract that states all cake must be provided by me.
I told her at the consultation that I couldn't do the cake if they were going to bring cakes from another baker.... they were trying to toss around the idea of a smaller cake and getting sheet cakes from Sam's.
I think that I'm more relieved that mad. She is kind of a PITA to work with. I'm over it!
One thing that we often respond is along the lines of " because we are one of the only bakers in the area to meet health department standards, we have been advised by our attorney to minimize our liability and not to provide food to non-inspected venues, or to events where other providers lack health department certification."
One thing that we often respond is along the lines of " because we are one of the only bakers in the area to meet health department standards, we have been advised by our attorney to minimize our liability and not to provide food to non-inspected venues, or to events where other providers lack health department certification."
Ohhh nice!
I wouldn't do it. A) She wasted your time from the beginning. B) She took YOUR "sketch" to another baker- I would be pretty pissed, by the way.
C) Your reputation is on the line and people will probablt think that the other bakery made the grooms cake.
I would stick with excuse "C" to provide her with.
Keep an eye on cakewrecks for a cake that resembles your original sketch, but has icing sliding off of it with crooked piping.
You made the right decision about the groom's cake. I once delivered an awesome (if I do say so myself) groom's cake and they had a wedding cake done by someone else. It was the butt-ugliest cake I've ever seen. The bridesmaids were there and were asking me if I could fix the wedding cake. I said I couldn't, obviously, but that was the last time I did a groom's cake if I didn't do the wedding cake too. Guilt by association isn't a good thing for word-of-mouth.
This is a very good question. I run into this a lot because I do high end sculpted cakes. A lot of bakeries in my area only do wedding cakes and they come to me to do the grooms cake. Some of the other bakeries I know, and its all cool. But should I ask the bride who is doing her wedding cake and then contact that bakery if I don't know them? Can I turn down a cake when the wedding cake is being done by a bakery I never heard of or even worse Aunt Nellie?
Luckilly, a lot of grooms cakes these days are being done at the rehearsal dinner, but I was still run into this same problem for weddings. Good post! Pass that cookie dough..
I think your response to her was fine. I personally wouldn't have put in the part about losing money, but that's me.
I also have a clause in my contract that states all cake must be provided by me.
How do you inforce this? A lot of brides will NEVER admit they are getting sheet cakes to suppliment their wedding cake. I always ask up front How many guests are you expecting before we even talk cake, so I can at least try to guess if they are ordering cakes from somewhere else, but how do you inforce this? Do you sneak into the kitchen to see if there is a cake from Sams?
Good reply! Made you sound all nice. I think, from a non-business point of view, even with a sign, people won't look to see who made what. It will just all be
cake'. Bad for your reputation. I read on some great decorators blog, maybe IndyDeb?? Not sure...but they had a clause specifying that they were doing all or nuttin! Just because someone elses buttugly cake will make yours look bad.
She'll get what she pays for.
If it were the dress of her dreams, she wouldn't suddenly go 'oh, but I can get one for half price, that'll do...'
It's pretty common in this area for the bride to get her cake one place and the groom's cake to come from another place. so, people don't expect that they came from the same place necessarily. Sso yeah, I would do it but she wouldn't get a price break of any kind, including delivery.
Did you sketch this cake or just describe it? If you sketched it I would tell them they can't use the sketch to go by, that would be your property - though that wouldn't stop them from using the description/ideas. Though, if this is sort of a friend you may choose to let it go for the sake of peace.
Did you sketch this cake or just describe it? If you sketched it I would tell them they can't use the sketch to go by, that would be your property - though that wouldn't stop them from using the description/ideas. Though, if this is sort of a friend you may choose to let it go for the sake of peace.
And in this cake the lesson learned should be - No Money-No sketch!
I think your response to her was fine. I personally wouldn't have put in the part about losing money, but that's me.
I also have a clause in my contract that states all cake must be provided by me.
How do you inforce this? A lot of brides will NEVER admit they are getting sheet cakes to suppliment their wedding cake. I always ask up front How many guests are you expecting before we even talk cake, so I can at least try to guess if they are ordering cakes from somewhere else, but how do you inforce this? Do you sneak into the kitchen to see if there is a cake from Sams?
I think one thing bride's tend to always do is mention how many guest will be at their wedding and they always tend to say if they are going to have sheet cakes from some where else. Also, when you are setting up. you'll be able to see the behind the scenes and see if they have cake there. Neither of these are full proof, but you can find out...and then walk away with your cake. 
Do the groom's cake and charge her $900.
You made the right decision, turning down the groom's cake. I had a situation happen where I provided a really detailed, nice (and tasty) groom's cake to a friends' wedding. The 3-tier wedding cake came from a local grocery store, was dropped off still in the box, and when they (not me!) took it out of the box to set it up, it was leaning and the piping on it looked really bad. The groom's mom contacted me for the groom's cake, the bride handled the wedding cake. Don't ask me why...
So I was there setting up strawberries on a large display stand by MY cake, and when people would come up and admire it, and ask, "oh, did you make the cakes?" I made darn sure I told them that the other cake was NOT mine. I never want to do that again. I went home wondering how many other people would assume both cakes came from the same place.
I agree with everyone else. I wouldn't have done it and I would have probably not said anything about the price (as far losing money but I may have mentioned such and such discounts..etc. so that she could see how much she was getting off of the ACTUAL price.)
With everyone always assuming they both come from the same place, no one can help that you don't want to be associated with the problems that may arise. 
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