I am working on a cake for this Sat and have been trying to set a delivery time with the wedding planner. Originally the first time I suggested was fine with her and now she wants the cake earlier. It seems the florist wants to arrange the delicate and expensive flowers and will be there at 2:00. The guests are arriving at 6:00.

My problem is I have another delivery, plus this is a two person delivery and my DH will be helping but we cannot possibly get there any earlier than 3:30 because of our sitter/child situation.

She knows I have another delivery and has suggested now that I deliver as early as 9:00 that morning, before I deliver the other person's cake
Am I crazy or is that really too early for the cake? It will have a pastry cream filling and I'm worried about it being at room temp for so long.

Am I selfish to suggest that the florist can work around me a little too... I am an hour from the venue and the florist is 15 minutes away?

I'm such a pushover and this is getting to me, I simply cannot be there when she wants me too.

no can do, unless the coordinator signs a waiver and gets the bride there to do the same, at 9 AM!!!!!

The florist should adjust the timing, not you, you already have an approved time, the coordinator will just have to work around that

Not unless the venue can put the cake in the walk in AND sign a waiver that they accept all responsibility..

Otherwise I'd just tell her when you can deliver it...the florist should be able to work with you too...you can only do what you can do. I totally would not leave pastry cream out all day long.

Why does the florist have to be the one to arrange the flowers on the cake? I suggest telling the coordinator that since the florist cannot work around or accommodate your delivery schedule, then you will have to be the one to put the flowers on the cake. She can kindly leave them on the cake table for you.

Do you have any sort of clause in your contract regarding flowers? My contract states that no one other than my cake business is permitted to put flowers on the cake.

Did you sign a contract? My delivery time is in my contract, and you don't have to technically change that if its been signed and agreed upon.

Cake is food...food should not sit out all day especially if it has a perishable filling... You are the boss of your business and cake. Tell the planner when you can deliver the cake.

You have already agreed on a delivery time...sorry, can't bring it any earlier...the florist will have to, heaven forbid, be flexible. And no I'm not going to do a job the florist has been paid to do...the bride bought the flowers form the florist and paid her/him to put them on...don't expect me to do your job.

I'm trying hard not to go off on a rant...let's just say florists and planners are not my favorite. I know what's best for my cakes and I don't let other people dictate my delivery schedule.

Minette

The professional planners are great, but too many planners are not professional and then they are very difficult to work with.

Your contract is between you and your customer - not the coordinator or the florist. I tell the coordinator when I will deliver the cake based upon my contract and what's best for the cake.

It's your reputation on the line if something goes wrong even if you've had waivers signed off by anyone and everyone. They'll just remember that the cake wasn't good, or was melting or etc., etc... and you provided it.

I offered to arrange the flowers myself... apparently they are just too delicate for me to do it myself
I don't mind that the florist wants to do it, I don't even know what the flowers are, only how the bride wants them... which I passed that info along already.

I booked this bride nearly a year ago, we never specified a certain time then in the contract... in fact she has even changed her wedding date once so her contract has been a little flexible with details like this.

I have worked with this planner before and she is difficult. It seems each time she wants to schedule something, a meeting with a bride, for instance, its always on her timeline and if I can't work with her schedule then I'm out of luck. Unfortunatly she is the only planner that I have worked with and I hate to lose the business relationship, Im new to the wedding business. At the same time, I'm tired of jumping through hoops for her.

Thanks for understanding, I am going to let her know that it will be there when I can get it there and the florist will have to work around that. Something tells me that she'll have another "suggestion" in her reply email.

I agree with the above(s) who offer the opinion that YOU determine when the cake will get there. As stated, it's FOOD. Flowers can sti out all day in a container of water.....food is perishable.

Had a bride who wanted me to be at the reception site with the buffet catering at 2:00 ..... for a 7:00 serve time!!! Because that's when all the other vendors were going to be there so she'd only have to have a friend be there once to open the doors. I told her (a) I wouldnt' be done cooking her food by 2:00 (b) food can NOT sit out for 5 hours! (c) she would have to have someone there at my designated time or she'd have no food for the reception.

Period.

I also had it in my contract that *I* put the flowers on the cake. leave 'em on the table and I'll take care of it.

I agree with Debi...my contract states that I will place the flowers on the cake nobody else. Nobody else will care about the safety of the cake like you will.

I sent an email... who knows if I'll hear back tonight.
I made sure to mention that I am no stranger to delicate flowers, really. She doesnt seemed concerned with my delicate and expensive cake!

You guys are great! I appreciate all of the encouragement

I'll be changing my contract from now on too. I've always thought "if the florist wants to do it then let them" but seriously rethinking that right now

Plus last time the florist did it for me the bride complained that it wasnt like she wanted it anyway. She wasnt mad at me of course but I felt bad for her cause she loved the cake otherwise.

put your foot down. tell her.. THIS is what time I will be there. FINAL say on matter. The florist will just have to make a second trip if needed, if she doesnt trust you to do the flowers. With some wed cors. you give them an inch and they will take mile after mile.

just to be devil's advocate.... the florist may not have a very flexible schedule on the day of the wedding if they are responsible for getting the flowers to the bridal party and/or church.

Stick to your time. I'm a coordinator as well and we always hope we can persuade one vendor to bend around the other but the immovable object always wins. Let her know that this is an edible product thus much more perishable than flowers that can be set into water and placed in the walk-in or fridge and wait for you to arrive with the cake. Chances are the coordinator will just call the florist and reorganize her delivery time OR they will simply leave the flowers for you. Her product is going to be seen but YOUR product is going to be EATEN...and that wins every time.

Cat

How delicate are these flowers? So delicate that they can sit on the cake and not be in water ALL DAY? I'm calling BS.

You should also check what kind of flower that would be. Is it toxic or not? Is it pesticide free?

Put your foot down. Tell the planner that you will be at the time originally scheduled and if that doesn't work then the florist will just have to leave them for you to put them on the cake. If she doesn't like it then too darn bad.

BTW I also have a clause that no one is allowed to put flowers on the cake except me.

I did let her know I'd be there but not at 2:00. I know she's gotten my email but chosen not to respond directly to me about it. Instead she sent her usual email to all of the vendors to let them know what the schedule is like for the day.

I am checking with the florist to make sure she has relayed my message and to also see what those special flowers are...

I cannot wait for this one to be done with!

Exactly why I don't even allow real flowers on the cake.........I have yet to find a florist who can even find or provide pesticide free flowers, and they just look at you like your nutts. And if anything would happen from the cake, then it's your a$$.

I work often with a coordinator. Is this just a florist dropping off flowers and leaving? Most of the time the florist is there atleast and hour arraging flowers for the centerpieces, ceremony site etc. Very seldom is it a drop and run. So if the florist is there doing her other work you have some time.

Also, not sure what you told her initially about your schedule, but when working with people about schedules, less is more.
"the cake will be delivered at 2pm."

"we need it earlier."

"Oh, but, I have 2 other deliveries, and my kids' sitter won't be there until.... and the dog walker is coming over at ... and my grandmother's party is at..."

Its none of her business why you can't make it before then, unless it has to do with the quality of the cake. The quality of the cake should be the number one indicator for when you deliver it.

If you give her too many reasons, she will be able to push you over.

Again, not sure how much you shared with her, but with strong personalities, less info is better!

I tend to use the less is more idea too...

I did tell her about the other delivery and that I was a little flexible initially but she wanted me to move from 5:00 to 2:00, big difference if you ask me. Then suggested I deliver this one before the other as early as 9 or 10 that morning. I felt it wasn't her business as to exactly why I couldnt be there at 9:00!

As it turned out we dropped off the cakes when I said I would at 3 and no florist was there or flowers waiting for me. If figures! I only hope that someone found time to put them on cause it was a plain looking ivory cake with ivory ribbon, it needed something

I still havent heard from her again and honestly I don't expect to. I'm pretty sure she's "done" with me!

I delivered a cake 5 hours away once...a former student. So I put it together on site. There was a lady standing around-the coordinator finally came and told me that the florist was waiting for me to finish so she could put the roses on the cake. I told her no problem, leave them on a table, I was responsible for placing them on the cake. I do not allow anyone to touch the cake...
I hope you took pictures of the plain cake and save all the emails about the florist being responsible for placing the flowers.

[quote="sarah5008]
I'm curious to know how this has turned out.[/quote]

I let the coordinator know that I could not bring the cake in at 9 or 10 in the morning for a 6:30 pm reception no matter what. She never responded back.
I ended up dropping it off at 3:30 which was what I explained was the earliest my schedule would allow...
the florist had not left flowers for me to arrange nor was she there to do it. I assume they came back later to do this.
The cake was perfect and just needed the flowers, I'll be getting pics from the photographer next week to see the final outcome.
The planner has yet to contact to me and I doubt she will... this is about the 3rd or 4th time that we have had some sort of time conflict when working together and I refuse to let her push me around and tell me how to run my business. I am a little relieved that she probably will not be referring anyone else to me in the future.