My first official wedding cake is coming up, and the bride has said she wants to save the 8" square top tier. Is it customary for the bakery to provide a box for this? I don't really mind providing it, but it is one more stack of stuff for me to purchase/store! TIA
We typically provide a box, not necessarily for an anniversary tier, but for the newlyweds to have some cake in their hotel room.
I always leave a box for leftover cake (if there is ever any!), and another box for the top tier if they are bring it home. I always put my box sticker on the box though - that way, the venue won't re-use the boxes for other events if they forget to give the boxes to my brides (don't ask, it's happened!) I also write a little "Congratulations" on the box for a nice little personal touch! 
Yes you score points with venues and planners for providing packaging for leftovers.
Wow, that's a really nice gift from you to her! An 8" square cake serves 30 wedding guests. I start at $3.65 per person, that would be over $100 worth of wedding cake as a gift. The anniversary cake is for the two of them to share a year later, not serve a 20-30 person get together. I do a 2 layer 4" round cake which is in a 6" box. Just enough for the 2 of them to have either when they get back from their honeymoon or save for the 1st year. If you are going to box an 8" square cake, you will need a 10" box, not a size most couples will want in their freezer for a whole year. I have done the 4" cakes for 3-4 years now, not one complaint it's too small, and the halls like not having to box up a top of the wedding cake. A 6x6x4 box fits in the freezer much better than a 10x10x5 if they are going to keep it. Plus I would rather get paid for that 8" cake as part of the servings and give them the 4" for free.
Wow, that's a really nice gift from you to her! An 8" square cake serves 30 wedding guests. I start at $3.65 per person, that would be over $100 worth of wedding cake as a gift. The anniversary cake is for the two of them to share a year later, not serve a 20-30 person get together. I do a 2 layer 4" round cake which is in a 6" box. Just enough for the 2 of them to have either when they get back from their honeymoon or save for the 1st year. If you are going to box an 8" square cake, you will need a 10" box, not a size most couples will want in their freezer for a whole year. I have done the 4" cakes for 3-4 years now, not one complaint it's too small, and the halls like not having to box up a top of the wedding cake. A 6x6x4 box fits in the freezer much better than a 10x10x5 if they are going to keep it. Plus I would rather get paid for that 8" cake as part of the servings and give them the 4" for free.
I don't think she means it's a gift, does she?
I've started offering the 1yr Anniversary cake coupon also. I do a 2 layer 6" white or chocolate with BC, nothing fancy.
8" for a top tier is pretty big though, not because of the serving size, just the overall appearance of the cake. The largest top tier I'll do is a 6". (unless they have a HUGE topper)
If she's giving her a box to keep the 8" top tier, then it's not being counted in the servings needed - hence her "anniversary tier" = so that means she's not paying for those servings that this cake tier could accomodate. If she's not paying for those extra servings because she is keeping that cake, that cake is being provided to her free of charge, just like a gift (or whatever else you would like to call it).
I do a 2 layer 4" round cake which is in a 6" box. Just enough for the 2 of them to have either when they get back from their honeymoon or save for the 1st year. ...
... I have done the 4" cakes for 3-4 years now, not one complaint it's too small, and the halls like not having to box up a top of the wedding cake. A 6x6x4 box fits in the freezer much better than a 10x10x5 if they are going to keep it. Plus I would rather get paid for that 8" cake as part of the servings and give them the 4" for free.
Me too exactly!!
I have enough scraps & extra batter that I do two 4 or 5 " little baby cakes--one for that night for them to have after all the hoopla and one for the freezer, both boxed and ready to go.
If I ever have money trouble with a client, this is my pressure valve too--no gift cakes for you!
Some people want to box up the top tier regardless... it doesn't mean that she is giving it to them for free. Maybe she is, but it could very well be that they paid for it. I don't think we can make that assumption.
I always provide a box for leftovers. One 10" box is usually more than sufficient. If they want to save the top tier I will provide another box, but no one has wanted to do that. They all take the option of a fresh 4" anniversary tier. If they want to save the top tier they still have to pay for it. I won't provide that for free.
No, I'm not giving her the top tier for free. I've toyed with the idea of offering a free anniversary tier but since I'm still quite new at this I was concerned about getting myself into a corner later on--visions of a busy week, and 2-3 anniversary orders coming in. For now I think I'll just provide a box even though, as one poster said, a 10 x 10 box isn't something anyone is going to want in their freezer!
I too charge for the whole wedding cake regardless of whether they wanna keep the top. And I offer the free ann. tier 1 year later too but it is NOT a replica. Just a simple white iced cake with borders and a "Happy Anniversary". They still can pick whatever flavor inside. This does save the worry of them ordering it on a busy weekend... they take about 10 min to do.
No, I'm not giving her the top tier for free. I've toyed with the idea of offering a free anniversary tier but since I'm still quite new at this I was concerned about getting myself into a corner later on--visions of a busy week, and 2-3 anniversary orders coming in. For now I think I'll just provide a box even though, as one poster said, a 10 x 10 box isn't something anyone is going to want in their freezer!
I didn't think you were giving it for free.......if you were I was getting ready for indy to come on here and give you a licking! 
I bet Debi would have come out with her mom finger a wavin'. 
And I'd have been right behind too...
I don't offer replicas for the anniversary cake either. They take minutes to decorate. A plain iced cake with two interlocked hearts on the top and a pearl border. Bing bang boom done. If they wan't it more elaborate they pay for the detail and give me plenty of notice or I say no way Jose. I offer them in vanilla or chocolate cake and they can choose the filling. It makes it pretty fool proof.
However 99% of my brides serve the entire cake and take a gift certificate for a fresh cake on their first anniversary.
This is so neat. I wish I would've found a baker that offered an anniversary cake! I didn't even know it was an option. I got exactly one bite of our wedding cake (the bite hubby fed me for the cameras). We froze the top tier and thawed it out for our first month anniversary, but it was already really dried out and unappetizing.
We leave an 8" board for them to set the 6" cake on, and a box with our shop label and instuctions on how to wrap the cake to preserve it and also instructions for thawing. We get thank-you note from some brides a year later. The cake was still good.
Leave the cake in the box and wrap the box in several layers of plastic wrap, alternatingthe direction of the wrap. Use the 18" long heavy duty foil and tear off a long piece and center the cake on the foil. Bring up the sides and wrap just like you would a present, taping and sealing the full length all the seams.
Freeze. To thaw, set in the refridgerator 24 hours to thaw slowly. Unwrap and leave at room temperature 2 - 3 hours before serving.
Yes, we provide a great little box we order from brpboxshop.com
I get specialty boxes from them that I can't get locally. The one we order specifically for top tiers is an 8x8x6, with a window top. We put our label on it, and place it on or near the cake table, or with the caterer/staff if they are present.
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