I am supposed to do a groom's cake for a wedding on May 5. This is the first cake for a wedding I've done. I bake from my home. I was just looking on the website for the reception site and saw this, "Caterers must provide a certificate of liability insurance name <venue> as an additional insured for $1 million for each occurance. This certificate is required at least 30 days before the scheduled event. Caterers will not be allowed on the premises until a certificate of liability is received by the sales department."

I'm not catering the event, only supplying the groom's cake, but I'm thinking this probably applies to me as well?? My stomach is in knots over this -- what should I do? Call the venue for clarification before I call the bride?

Wow! I would call the venue before I called the bride.

I would call the venue before I called the bride. You might be able to say the cake is a "gift" to the groom.

That was what I was thinking. I'm going to call them now.

yeah some places require that all food products be brought in
only by fully lisenced bakers and caterers...which leaves us
home-bakers out...my cousin has already changed her venue
because of something like that....your bride may not know...

I just called and the person I need to speak to won't be in the office until Wednesday! AHHH! I have a bad feeling about this.

I would make sure you remain annonymous when you call. If they do require a certificate from you and you can't provide one, play dumb. They are not going to upset the bride on the day of her wedding by not letting you bring in the cake. If worst comes to worst arrange to have a family member bring it in. I don't think you will need to provide one though. Good luck!

I bet you will be fine, if you just waltz in with a cake the day of the wedding no one will send you away and tell the bride they did that!

I agree with NewMom - don't say who you are when you call until you know the deal....

Call the venue, it may only apply to those who cater hot food, or food cooked at on site kitchen for regulation reasons.
I never heard of a place requiring a license for a cake. What about people who get cakes from a bakery?? I doubt they need a copy of the bakery's license. Don't worry about it though, I'm pretty sure it doesn't apply to you though.

is this for a "friend" i have done two cakes for friends and they asked ahead- one caterer simply put it in the contract that the sister of the bride was providing the cake- but the liability was for sure on me then ( took the risk for sisi)

I won't say who I am, but I'm concerned about just showing up that day with the cake and being turned away, etc. That makes me very nervous!

does the couple know your status ?? I would hate for them to be disapointed in the off chance-

A lot of reception halls here say you are only allowed to provide food from their pre-approved list of caterers, but cakes can come from anywhere.

I called back and the person who answered the phone said he didn't think anything needed to be provided, but I'm going to double check with the event person on Wednesday. I feel a bit more better about it now, after having spoken to him. I did definitely have a mini-heart attack from it! Thanks for all of the support!

ahhh what a pain. I hope everything goes over smoothly!

YEA! I don't have a big problem! PHEW! I just got off the phone with the person who handles events for this venue, and she said that cake providers do not need a certificate of liability, etc., etc. THANK GOD!!! Good to know in the future too, so I don't cause myself another attack!

just read your first post. You're not the caterer. You don't need to do a thing.