Ok your on your way to deliver the wedding cake and for some un godly reason the cake falls on the floor and it un fixable. do you have someway out, in your contracts? i now when i did dj work. we had a little thing in our contract that states: if we dont show up to the wedding due to sickness death ect ect we were not held liable. what do you guys do in that case? besides pray it never happens to you.............Jimmy

It has not happened to me (thank God), but it did happen at a wedding where I was catering. A bratty child was running around, (after the decorater left) I ran to the grocery store and we faked it pretty good.
The bride took it all in stride. (which was amazing as she was a Bridezilla with everything before that!!

I've damaged cakes before, but not wedding cakes (THANK GOODNESS) i think i may just shoot myself if it happened rather than face the bride.
I had my nephew's baptism cake slide off the board half onto the carpet of my car when a car stopped in front of me without signaling or showing that he was going to slow down. I was in tears but somehow we managed to save it, we just didnt eat the bottom of it
Another thing i killed was some gumpaste jewellery, i had made all this make up and jewellery for the very first time, and i was sooo happy with it i took it to show my mum, when i got out of the car a gust of wind blew the box out of my hands and it landed on the floor, breaking the little ring i'd made into pieces. Luckily everything else was fine. phew!!

Nati

This is why I have only done 2 wedding cakes that I had to transport and my clients pick their cakes up, I DO NOT deliver! I'm PARANOID! LOLL

I really don't know how it could be covered in a contract since you would still have "custody" and supposed "control" of the cake. I think you would probably still be responsible in the case of your stopping too quickly and the cake falling. Now, in the case of a car accident where YOU are technically not in control of the situation...that might be put in a contract like your DJ Days. Just my opinion though!

Beth in KY

This is what I have in my contract:

Queenies Cakes shall not be liable for any delay in delivery due to circumstances beyond their control. For example: sickness, death, transportation problems, delays in supply and product delivery, inclement weather, acts of God, or other causes beyond Queenies Cakes control that make it impossible or impractical for Queenies Cakes to perform the services agreed.

I don't know if that would really cover me dropping the cake - but in those circumstances, I would make good where I could and probably refund some/all money, how much would depend on what damage I'd done!

LOL! I don't even know what an act of God would be classed as, but seeing as it's in my housing insurance it must be important hahahahaha!

[/quote]

God made my arms short and fat and made my "feet" clumsy! Think I would be covered under acts of God? LOLL Sorry, couldn't resist!

Beth in KY[/quote]

Beth, you're funny

Beth in KY[/quote]Not sure if an act of God piece in a contract would hold up with an atheist? [/quote]

Aha! You've solved my confusion, it must be the fact that I'M an atheist that I don't know what an act of God is lol lol lol!

Maybe I should edited that bit out and just put 'for any other reason' tehe!

I've never dropped a cake, although I have had some close calls. One cake got smashed in transit with a car stopping short in front of me. I can't believe I fixed it (had to cut out the smashed section and redo the basketweave in the FRONT). Couldn't even tell.

My friend however had her cake all stacked, we took pictures and on the drive back home got a call from the place that the whole thing had fallen over... beyond repair! Ended up having to get some non matching cakes from a bakery........ the bride was really gracious about it. She even let my friend keep the deposit!

Hi bethola!!! I'm here louisville wondering where all our ky cake decorators are hiding!
I cannot imagine getting a call my cake fell over. Was it do to stacking or structural issues or something beyond that? I knew of a reception hall that moved a cake after the cake person left and they shifted it and it collasped. They called the decorator and said it was her fault for not telling them to not move it! Well duh! Why would you move a 4 tiered cake after it was all set up? They decided they wanted to move it closer to the lighter section of the room and swoosh, right off the table it went! Needless to say the bride didn't hold her responsible and was trying to get the reception hall to reimburse her the cake costs and they were trying to not pay it! The nerve of some people!

I have in my contract as well that I am not responsible for what happens to the cake after I leave. I take a photo of the cake, and I have someone there sign that the cake was complete. If something happen to a cake after I left, and I got a call, I would run and try to help out, but I wouldn't give the money back. Have heard too many horror stories of caterers messing up the cake or kids running around, etc. etc.

btw, those who have people pick up your cakes..how do you package it and such? I would love to offer a "discount" if someone would pick up their cake, but I don't know how to package a three tier cake that won't fall apart on the ride home. Do you put like a million dowels in it?

2sdae - that happened to me. I had a giant stacked cake (there're a photo in my gallery - with the lighthouse on top) that was three tiers high - each tier made up from two stacked cakes so it was, in effect, six tiers. I stacked it and got it all set up on the cake table that the caterer's had left for me. Actualy the caterers were there while I was setting up, it took me about two hours to set it all up. Just after I left they decided to drag the table across the room - even after I'd explicitly said not to move it. The cake cracked and started to lean. I was a guest at the wedding and spent the whole reception just wanting the cake to be cut so I could stop thinking about how dreadful it looked. I was furious but felt very churlish saying 'the caterer's moved it, it wasn't my fault.' Horrible episode. I don't think I've ever sweat so much.

I'm new to this business and I'm having a hard time finding a contract that will work for the cake world. If anyone would be willing to send me a copy/example of what you use it would be a great help!!!! Thanks.
[email protected]

Earlene Moore has a sample cake contract on her web site at www.earlenescakes.com. She has tons of info there and with her experience and knowledge, she has probably had it all happen to her!!
Also, I believe if you have a question you can't find an answer to, you could email her and she will help. I didi that once when I first started and she got back to me right away!!!

Ok I read this post this morning and I just want you all to know I was TERRIFIED of dropping the cake I was delivering! It was a birthday, but 2 tiers and I just kept thinking "well that would just figure".

Michelle

Hey 2sdae I am close to Beth over in Fredonia, not far from KY lake. Good to see others from the bluegrass.

Quote:

Originally Posted by 2sdae

Hi bethola!!! I'm here louisville wondering where all our ky cake decorators are hiding!
I cannot imagine getting a call my cake fell over. Was it do to stacking or structural issues or something beyond that? I knew of a reception hall that moved a cake after the cake person left and they shifted it and it collasped. They called the decorator and said it was her fault for not telling them to not move it! Well duh! Why would you move a 4 tiered cake after it was all set up? They decided they wanted to move it closer to the lighter section of the room and swoosh, right off the table it went! Needless to say the bride didn't hold her responsible and was trying to get the reception hall to reimburse her the cake costs and they were trying to not pay it! The nerve of some people!

I'm telling you guys, bluegrass decorators are in hiding or something...so hi!

Here are the clauses I have in my contract in the CY categories...

5.The decorator is not responsible for damage done to the cake and/or confections by sun, temperature, rain, reception staff, caterers, florists, guests, attendees, walk-through traffic, etc. or those due to improper conditions or unsuitable tables. Decorator is not responsible for stains or discolorations made by cake/confection on any surface, fabric, or item nor damage to merchandise or items directly caused by cake/confection. Decorator is not responsible for injury or illness due to allergy, improper condition(s), and/or storage of cake/confections upon delivery.

----
and...

1.Cakes are made specifically for your event alone. The decorator shall not be held responsible for product replacement in the event of an accident in transport or process of delivery of purchasers cake/confection to venue. Delay in transit shall not constitute grounds for discount, refund or other compensation to purchaser.

I also just added in the "Acts of God" in there so if the tent colapses, the building burns down, a hail storm starts as I'm carrying the cake from the car to the door of the site, etc... I'm covered

I personally have never had this happen, but I know it does happen. I have a friend that is a caterer and she told me of this gal that made a cake that fell at one of her caterings. The decorator had left, and while my friend was setting up her part she noticed that the cake was leaning a good bit. She went to find the mother of the bride to let her know so that perhaps she could contact the decorator. By the time she got back the cake was on the floor. Come to find out this decorator must have either forgotton or didn't know to dowel rod her cake. In my contracts I ask that there be a responsible person there to accept delivery of the cake. I also let them know that I take pictures once the cake is set up and that once I leave I am no longer responsible. I always let them know that I will not set up a cake any sooner then 2 hours before the wedding. So far it has worked well.

I once took a cake to a reception which was supposed to be outside but it got too cold. The wedding cake was already inside on the display table on a stand (that wilton stand with the styrofoam bottom and plastic fluted poles and styrofoam plates, I will never use it again). The guests got the bright idea to move the tables around to create more room so they had to move the cake table also. When I came back into the reception area everything had been moved, I looked over and saw the cake and one tier was almost teetering! I quickly went over and righted it. It was very close.

I've never dropped one, but I did have a problem. While loading the van (for a cake and catering event), someone had placed my container of silverware just on top of another container, without really securing it. I rounded the first corner and heard this big crash. Pulled over, threw open the back door of the van and saw that this very heavy container of silverware had slid and fallen on the bottom cake tier (always transported unassembled and the big tier was too big for a box, so it was just covered in saran). I just about died!!!! But it looked salvagable. I think what saved it was that I already had the dowel rods in the bottom tier and the silverware contianer landed on those rods, which stopped it from totally smashing the cake! Once at the site, I was able to add some icing and cover the damage with florals. From the front, you couldnt' even tell there was damage.

But now I'm sure to personally inspect the pack job of my van!

Back when I did my first wedding cake... I had a "Leaning Tower of Cake"... It was 4, 9" hearts at the base, then a 4-tier stacked on top of that with flowers cascading down. The table was one of those "fold in the middle" folding tables... Of course, now I know better about using dowel rods (aka use PVC in a cake like that one) and HOW to get it to be supported, but back then I was a wedding cake newbie, 6mo pregnant, idiot just making the cake so Dh's 2nd cousin's cousin could have A wedding cake... Got paid a whole $85!!! WHOOOHOO!

Anyways, set the 4 hearts down, doweled the heck out of them, then proceeded to stack the rest of the cakes, and place on top. Fine right... well, I was there talking and all of a sudden we looked over at the cake and caught it JUST in time before it was going to topple over. We make-shift decorated the hearts that now became satellite cakes (no way they would support the upper cake anymore), and the main center tower actually looked o.k. once it got all the flowers adjusted.

Ugh... Learned my lesson about basic physics being more important to know than the baking aspect... Alas, thankfully it was just a backyard reception, no frills and the only thing they told me was "blue" for the color and design...