That is my question....

What is the best and the most tasteful way for me to leave my business card when I drop a wedding cake off? Or should I?

I normally don't unless they ask... however you can always give it to the Coordinator or someone in charge as a contact incase anyone has any questions/needs you may be able to answer over-the-phone? Of course they may call you.... =)

I would leave it with the caterer, wedding planner or hall coordinator... and tell them you are leaving it "just in case" they need to get hold of you.

Ooooh, difficult one! Personally, I would always consult with the bride about it first. I'm doing a wedding on Wednesday and my bride has actually asked me to leave cards with the cake so she can give people my details - I won't leave them at the front of the cake table though (think that's a bit tacky!), I shall leave them at the back of the table along with the wedding card I have for them.

I don't leave my business card. I wouldn't want that done if I were the bride. However I have been asked by the caterer, photographer, etc and I will give them one. I even got an email from the DJ from this past weekend and I didn't leave my card but they must have gotten my info from someone associated with the wedding.

I usually leave at least one cake box for them to package up any leftover cake, and you could always tape a business card to each of those boxes. So far they've usually been stashed under the cake table until they're needed, so they would be handy if anyone was asking for your info.

I'd put one on the box of the top cake if they are keeping it

I don't leave them on the table as part of the display, but I always leave them. I drop off a cake info sheet and extra boxes anyway, so I leave a small stack with that. Usually goes under the table or with a coordinator for the venue, sometimes on the corner of the table if I can't find anyone.

Thanks, that helps

I always leave a few behind the cake. I don't think it is tacky as long as you are discreet.

I always ask the bride if I can leave some on the bar. Nobody has ever told me no.

The only time I didn't leave them was the time, as I was finishing, I saw the father of the bride leading 3 others in with sheet cakes from the grocery store. I wanted nobody to mistake my cake for those cakes.....of course now I have something in my contract about no other cakes allowed to be brought in.

What would you do if it was in your contract and you saw them bringing in sheet cake?

if they bring in sheet cakes I walk with THEIR cake! I explain this to them at the signing of the contract. I also tell them, this may seem a little mean or uncalled for but it's MY reputation everytime I put a cake out there. Here is what my contract says about it



"Tinaâs Sugar Shack retains the right to be the sole provider of confections, unless another baker/bakery has been preapproved by Tinaâs Sugar Shack, and this information must be disclosed upon initial deposit for said confections. Failure to comply may result in a full forfeiture of confections and no reimbursement will be given to purchaser. We can not have our reputation resting on another bakers talents. "

Jenn, great question, I was wondering the same thing. I've been to a few weddings where that was actually done. The "main cake" was never that big and then we always found out later that the weddng party, parents, etc. got that cake and the rest of us got the others. Not that it really mattered I guess, it just seemed odd and pretty rude. However, if I had done the cake and that happened I would be very upset. I sure wouldn't want someone dissing my cake and then finding out the cake they ate came from some place else.

I have the same clause in my contracts... and I even post this on my website:

Will you be serving other cake at this event? Some customers want to buy an intricately decorated cake as a showpiece and then also buy less expensive sheet cakes from another purveyor (or even a friend or relative) to increase the number of servings. Please understand that while we respect your thriftiness, our reputation and liability are on the line. We do not wish our cakes to be compared with cakes from another bakery or your Aunt Marge⦠and there may be no way for a guest to know which cake he sampled. Because of these reasons, we will not accept orders where any other cake will be served at the same time. We reserve the right to cancel an order (without reimbursement) if there is any other cake at the event site. Our reputation means that much to us.

__________

In other words, if I see you bringing sheetcakes in the back, I take my cake and leave and you get no refund.

I'm totally hard-@$$ about that.

Thank you guys so much for advising about that sheet cake issue. I've never had that happen that I know of, and I do offer back-up sheets with every consultation, so hopefully it won't be an issue, but I am going to use your clause KHalstead
if you don't mind.

About leaving my business card... after the wedding last night (I stayed to cut this one), I was saying goodbye to the Bride & her older brother(he is a good friend, but I don't know her very well)... Her brother told me I had needed to display my business cards, and I replied that I don't ever do that unless I'm asked to in advance. The Bride said that everyone was asking where they got the cake & that she would not have minded if I had left mine out, and she couldn't see why anyone would ever mind... and big brother again spoke-up because he's a Marketing Exec. & he told me to spend some money on a nice crystal business card holder & just put my cards out every time. They were so insistant about it (too bad it was after-the-fact), so that felt really nice, and I think I will feel a little more comfortable leaving business cards in the future - but discretely, not right in front of the cake or anything!

Someone's wedding isn't the place to promote your business. It's a wedding, not a NASCAR race.

I never leave cards unless someone specifically walks up to me and says, "Do you have a card?"

My name, phone, and website are on labels on the cake box, but that's about it.

Otherwise, I'm in and out and gone. If someone wants my name, they can ask the bride.

If I meet a new event planner, hall manager, etc, that I haven't met before, I will give them my card "just in case" they need me to come back or fix anything or have questions. I have had many of them ask me for several cards to keep in the office. But I would NEVER NEVER NEVER leave cards for guests to see! That is OMG tacky!! If your cake is delicious, the guests will ask the bride who made their cake!

If your cake is worthy of praise and raves and the guests at any event the guest knows how to pick up a phone call the person who purchased the cake and say "Can I have the number to the baker".

Everyone will take a card and 95% of them will be thrown away.

That 5% would be the same who are intent on calling up the host/hostess and asking where it was from.

There's a time/place to advertise and during someone's event isn't it unless it's pre-planned and/or all the other vendors are doing it.

I've been setting up at places and usually being the last one done and have seen the wedding/event coordinator come through for a final walk through and toss stacks of cards into the garbage that were left out to advertise. DJ's, florists, caterer's etc. What a waste of money for that vendor to invest in cards only to have them end up under a pile of garbage.

A 'full service bakery' in my area has doilies with their name and address and phone number printed on them...ok for a sheet cake I guess, but they use them on the bottom layer of their wedding cakes! Now THAT is tacky!

I just want to add that I agree with everyone since my previous post in this forum - I never do leave mine unless I'm specifically asked to. The only time that I've ever actually had my cards out, was at a friends wedding where I only charged her 50% because it was only my 2nd wedding cake (the 1st was my sisters & I was not in business yet), and as a 'thank you' for that discount, they 'demanded' that I put my cards out.

I do want to add that I do get orders from all my weddings and I never leave cards. People do know how to ask for information, and word-of-mouth has always been my best form of advertisement!

I always just think of the cake itself as the biggest business card of all..........people will always find a way to get your number! It also helps if you have a easy to remember website addy too, then the host can just say oh sure....go to fantasticcakes.com or whatever!