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Was this a process foul?

post #1 of 57
4/29/12 at 4:41pm
Thread Starter 
Late last week my cousin asked me to make a groom's cake for their wedding that occurred on Saturday (green bay packers themed). I'm a hobby baker and occasionally make cakes for free for family members. While at the wedding venue I just so happen to be setting up the groom's cake when the "real" cake company showed up with the wedding cake. I suddenly felt very uncomfortable and guilty. I dawned on me that I could be taking away from someone that has a business doing this. I have no idea why they asked me and not the baker. The baker seemed rather pissed that I was there, and I apologized for making a free cake from them. Another friend told me it is not uncommon from the groom's cake to be done by another person from the center piece wedding cake.

Did I do something wrong? What is the proper etiquette? By the way the cake was a wedding gift, I did not receive or request payment.

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post #2 of 57
4/29/12 at 4:54pm
No ma'am! You did nothing wrong. It is very, very common for the groom's cake to come from someone other than whomever makes the wedding cake. Groom's cakes are quite often campy and fun, even at the most formal of occasions, and are often made by moms, sisters and friends. Heavens, if everyone was as considerate of others as you are, what a better world we would have!
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post #3 of 57
4/29/12 at 5:08pm
Agreed, your conscience should be in the clear!
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post #4 of 57
4/29/12 at 5:10pm
You worry too much. Gifting someone with one of your fabulous cakes is a very sweet thing!
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website www.BakingFix.com
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Facebook http://www.facebook.com/MimiFix
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post #5 of 57
4/29/12 at 5:14pm
Why would you feel bad about that? If your cousin asked you to make it you did nothing wrong, it has nothing to do with the other baker. They prob thought you were competition or something.
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post #6 of 57
4/29/12 at 5:15pm
I would not worry about it at all. It's a gift. But I will say this, as a baker, I don't allow other cakes at the same event.
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post #7 of 57
4/29/12 at 5:24pm
QT cakes,
May I ask why?
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post #8 of 57
4/29/12 at 5:33pm
QT cakes,
May I ask why?
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post #9 of 57
4/29/12 at 5:43pm
I am a hobby baker like yourself and I did the groom's cake for a friend's son's wedding this weekend (Astros Baseball Cake). The groom had asked me specifically to make it for him and offered to pay for it. I said no way. It was my gift to the bride and groom. Since I'm not a professional, I didn't feel in anyway bad about it. But I can understand how a baker would feel if presented with a situation like that. This wasn't the case here because the bride's mother made the wedding cake. It was a beautiful cake as well and she wasn't a professional either. However we were sizing each other's cakes up to see whose looked the best. I think mine was better...LOL!
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post #10 of 57
4/29/12 at 5:44pm
Thread Starter 
Thanks for your insights! I will definitely sleep better tonight and stop worrying about it.

http://www.facebook.com/OutOfTheBubbleBakery

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post #11 of 57
4/29/12 at 7:03pm
That maybe why she looked pissed. That baker might have a sole provider clause, and wasn't expecting to see another cake there, and it may have every well been something the bride signed off, and didn't think the other baker would see it.
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post #12 of 57
4/29/12 at 7:12pm
But as stated by the others, not your problem!
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post #13 of 57
4/29/12 at 7:22pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by AZCouture

That maybe why she looked pissed. That baker might have a sole provider clause, and wasn't expecting to see another cake there, and it may have every well been something the bride signed off, and didn't think the other baker would see it.



This was my first thought.

I was recently approached to do groom's cakes for 2 different weddings. I explained in each case that I wouldn't do it unless I also provided the wedding cake--as a protection for myself AND for the other baker (liability, product confusion, etc.).
In neither case will there be an actual wedding cake: one is having 300 cake pops (some other masochist's problem NOT mine!) and the other is having a destination wedding in Key West and my cake will be served here in OH at a pre-wedding reception for family that can't attend the actual wedding.

Prior to knowing the above details, I told each bride that I'd be happy to provide the groom's cake for the rehearsal dinner (if there wouldn't be any other cake there, either).

I stand behind this as a sensible practice. I would have been livid if I'd been the wedding cake baker and had discussed my sole provider clause--and it's rationale--with the bride, only to come upon another cake being set up at the venue. Bride's have the right to want what they want, but I have the right to CMA, too...................

Rae
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They say that a little knowledge is a dangerous thing, but it is not one half so bad as a lot of ignorance.--Terry Pratchett (b.194
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I love you, but your emergency is not my crisis!

They say that a little knowledge is a dangerous thing, but it is not one half so bad as a lot of ignorance.--Terry Pratchett (b.194
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post #14 of 57
4/29/12 at 7:43pm
The thing about the sole provider clause is that you have to be willing to walk away from the venue and take your cake with you (unless you are just using it as a bluff). If the bride violates this clause you would be within your rights to do so, but your reputation would be pretty much trashed with everyone at the event and their networks.
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post #15 of 57
4/29/12 at 7:48pm
I'm with Rae. As a professional, I would NOT expect to see a cake that wasn't mine at the reception. I, too, have a sole provider clause that brides initial separately in addition to signing the contract.

Then there's the whole issue of duplicating the Packers logo, if that's what was on the cake. You got permission from the team, I assume.
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