Check THIS out-- an email I received today:

Hello!

I was wondering if you would be willing to sponsor a small wedding cake for my wedding? We will be getting married on the third Saturday in September 2009 and I am wondering if you would provide a small wedding cake at no cost and in return I will put your business name and services on my wedding program.

Please let me know,
Thanks so much in advance,

I am already booked for that weekend, but just for funsies, would anyone actually do this?

I really can't say anything else, but yeah, give her some credit for having the nerve to ask.

Wow, that's a first for me!!!! People are actually putting advertising in their wedding bulletins now? Is nothing sacred?!!

Oh geez....I'm surprised she didn't try to say something like "all of the exposure your business will get!" (sung to the tune of "The Freaks Come Out at Night) "The cheapskates come out at night....the cheapskates come out....."

I say you agree to this on the condition the cake is a replica of your business card, with your business name and phone number prominently displayed front and center! Frosting or fondant will be of your choosing. If she wants to have advertising on her wedding program, you can advertise on the cake itself. Seems fair to me.

yeah, all those "all the exposure peeps"...the exposure is getting more cheapos looking for handouts.

i think they love to target new businesses.

they never help you.....the first year i was open dillards called...i made them like 25 small cakes for wedding season....

i think i got 1 order....ONE!

Heck no! But I'm curiuos do you know this person? Or was this a random email, a friend of a friend of a friend, type of thing.
And I can only imagine what a small cake is in her eyes???

WOW!!!!!!!!! I am wondering if this is a real person or is this a hoax? I have never heard of any thing like this but truly love the idea of the cake being a replica of your business card!

I posted a poll and thread like this last week. A local yokel did this, and the newspaper here had the nerve to do a story on it.

The concensus from the membership that replied was "Heck No!"

But they just keep trying, don't they?

Theresa

From the article I just linked to:

While Carrie admits that some people say it's a little tacky, she doesn't think it is.

"I don't think it is because I think that most of the costs associated with a wedding have little to nothing to do with the commitment you're making to one another. Our commitment to one another is strong. That's what we're celebrating," she says.

Hmm! Inneresting....thoughts?????

I might do it on the condtion that i could do whatever i wanted and that she would pay for all of my materials. Just a chance to try out something i've always wanted to do but didn't feel like i should spend the money doing. Actually i'm quite sure i've heard Duff does cakes for friends on that basis.

I made a commitment to my mortgage company. Anyone want to sponsor me?

Theresa

I absolutely would NOT do it. She's going to print the program with or without your name in it, so adding your name costs her nothing. The value of the "exposure" is very questionable. Seems to me that you would just get a bunch more people who want to do the same thing.

Advertising your business is something that should be done thoughtfully based on a plan that will reach your target audience, and that maximizes what you spend. Throwing money willy-nilly at random ideas like this will probably not get you the return you want.

When you think about it, when you provide a beautiful, delicious cake for a wedding, everyone wants to know who made the cake. That advertising is free to you, and it's very effective. You don't need your name in her program to do that.

That was one of the questions I asked with the thread - if someone sponsored a wedding cake, did it bring any business their way. I didn't get any responses that said they did.

Theresa

AND, I might add (now I'm fired up) that NO she should not get credit for asking. I think this kind of request is presumptuous and offensive. Why on God's green earth does she think it's appropriate to approach a business owner and ask them to give her their product for nothing? And printing your name in her program really is nothing. Honestly.

lmao!

Dear X,

Thankyou for your letter, Weddings can be a very exciting and expensive time in your time. So is raising 3 children and running a business from home. So unfortunately I will have to decline your offer.

Perhaps you could ask one of the larger bakeries that have a charity budget as I have no room in my life to offer charity to a non-essential cause.

Thankyou and good luck ya tightass.

resessionista baker.

Laughing my ass off..hee hee.

Oh, shoot. I knew that one. I thought the first letter was an "I". I could not figure out what the I would stand for. Silly me!

This is not a new one ..... I'd actually prefer to put it in the "scam" column because the vendors are getting scammed if they fall for it ....... This was a big, but short lived fad more than 10 years ago. Just goes to show that dumb ideas WILL get recycled.

I've had brides print my name in their program and they've paid full price for their cake, so the fact that she's going to print it in the program generates a "Yeah.....so?" from me.

Hmmmm..... you pay me for a cake and 100 people will see my cake. OR .... you DON'T pay me for a cake and 100 people will see my cake.

I'm sorry .... I missed the advantage to me somewhere in this!

To answer a few questions-

No, I don't know here, so this is a random email.

I was definitely NOT going to do it, but just thought it would provide a laugh. I am genuinely booked for that weekend, so that was an easy response.

OMG i got an email just like that!

I didnt reply to it thought i kinda figured it was some kind of scam