Does anyone have a disclaimer they use in their contracts regarding the safety and use of fresh flowers on a cake? If you do and would like to share it, I'd really love to see some examples so I can make one of my own.

The other thing I wonder about is the issue of customers having someone other than me put flowers on their cake. This comes up a lot. I tell them I should be the only one doing any placement of decoration on the cake for obvious reasons, but I have had a couple angry clients that took offense at me telling them what I would allow them to do with their cake and one mother of the bride even told me that she would just wait until I left and set up the cake and then put the flowers on herself because it was her cake and she paid for it and could do what she wants with it. I do see her point and also see the side of it from the baker's point of view. It is their cake, and I guess if they promised aunt so and so that she could put flowers on the wedding cake as her part of the wedding, I can't completely prevent them from doing that unless I stay there all night and guard the cake. It is their cake to do what they want with, so I figured a good compromise to this is to have some sort of a disclaimer they sign in my contract stating somethign to the effect of whatever they do wiht the cake after I leave I am not liable for. Is that a good idea? If so, how would some of you word it? I just honestly get some very irritated people so often when this comes up that I am tired of fighting for the flower placing rights. I figure if I drop the cake off as ordered, that's where my job ends. Just looking for some advice on this and to see how some of you other business owners deal with this issue.

My contract (when I had one lolol) had a paragraph stating that the product had been received and inspected and found to be what was ordered and the liability at this point shifted to whoever was receiving it. They had to initial that paragraph and sign with all the other siggies at the end of the contract. I would also ask the customer who had the authority to accept the product...included at least 3 people with one being a contact at the venue. I guess you can make it as easy or difficult as needed (oh joy...the PITAs).

Our goes like this

We here at XXX strive to have your wedding cake delivery a stress free process. We include placement of fresh flowers in our design quotes. We have developed relationships with organic florists and local providers of food safe flowers to adorn our sweet masterpieces and can get you a quote if you choose. Many flowers are inherently poisonous, and many others, especially roses, are sprayed with very large quantities of things you probably wouldnt want to eat.
More than one ambitious florist has taken to decorating a cake and tipped it over draping it with floral swags, and we hate it when we get that phone call. We highly encourage every bride to take advantage of this unique service. In the event you choose to use your own florist for cake decorations, please be aware that XXX will not be responsible for structural failure of the cake or any illness resulting from tainted food.

Here is what mine says:




5.  _________ Flowers: All arrangements for flowers must be made with florist and flowers must be ready for placement on cakes as close to cake delivery as possible, we will not be responsible if flowers are late, and we cannot place them on the cakes. If someone other than Tinas Sugar Shack places the flowers onto the cakes we cannot be held responsible for the final outcome of said cakes. We will charge an extra $25 fee plus the cost of flowers if you would like us to be responsible for obtaining flowers, we will arrange up to 25 stems free; $1 for each additional stem. By signing this document, you acknowledge that fresh flowers are not a food product, and may contain pesticides, insects, dirt, or other contaminants.

Awesome suggestions here.

And I would definitely put in a clause that you are not responsible for the cake once it is deliveredand signed for. Did you see the video on Youtube of the aunts and Mom "decorating" the cake after it was delivered? It's enough to make you cringe.

I don't know how you professionals do this and not turn your hair white. You do an awesome job.

Thank you so much for sharing how you address this issue. This is very helpful! I never understand why someone wants to pay $400-$500 plus for a wedding cake and then leave such a major part of the final look such as flowers to Aunt Jane or Cousin Mary who wants to feel "a part" of the wedding by being able to slap flowers all over this beautiful cake. I kinda wish I could say it bluntly to people to give them a reality check. Once you shove a big flower stem into the side of a cake and decide "eh, I don't like it there, I'll move it," do they think that hole they just put in will magically heal itself? This issue really is one of my pet peeves, so I do appreciate how you've worded your contracts to address this. Thanks again!

I have allowed florists to arrange flowers (first time last weekend), and I was happy with the way she did the flowers........however, in the past as soon as I mention I'll do them for FREE............the people always opted to have me do them (much to the florists dismay), because the florists charge extra to place them on the cake!!

I don't allow them.........period....silk only. I have yet to find a bride who can find a florist who can find pesticide free flowers around here.......and nothing else is going on my cakes. I was angry at this one florist a few weeks ago at a reception, and I should have known something was up......she was acting very "cool" with me while I was finishing up the top two tiers of the cake, and finishing decorating it with my silk gerber daisies. I found out later that she was very upset with me because I wouldn't let her put real ones on my cake, and she lost $100 just from putting a few stems of Gerbers on my cake. And then later in a picture I saw that after I left, she had put flower petals arranged tightly around the base of my cake on the cake board right next to the bottom tier. I was so pissed off. But, the bride was still happy, so I didn't say anything. Most of the time, my cakes don't even get a flower detail, and if they do, I just insist that they be silk. That way I dont' have to worry about the whole pesticide thing, or worry about flowers going bad on the cake, or worrying about having to meet with someone else and work with their schedule and all that.