Does anyone else ever get nervous after they set up a wedding cake and leave before the reception starts?
I did a huge wedding this weekend. I set up the cakes and they looked great. I was very pleased and relieved that they turned out so well. This was the biggest wedding that I have ever done. Not to mention one of the only that I have done that I wasn't attending the wedding & reception. The bride was not at the reception site to approve/see the cakes before I left. I also had to leave before the florist was there to put the flowers on the cakes. I left my husband/helper there with the camera to wait for the florist and very strict instructions on what the florist was/was not allowed to do to the cakes. I was very nervous that something would go wrong after I left the cakes all weekend long. I spoke with the bride's mother this morning and she said that the bride (and everyone else) loved the cakes. Big sigh of relief, but I didn't sleep well all weekend because I was so nervous!
I hear you on the nerves thing. I had to set up 4 hours before and they were going to take care of serving--mistake there. The cake was fine, but they ran out--enough for about 300 and only 200 guests? I did not like leaving the cakes out since they were the first to arrive--before the decorating was done--only the cake table had the table cloth on it. When I left there were a few people trickling in to set up and kids running everywhere! It is hard to set up and leave since if anything happens it is your fault! 
Can't wait to see pictures!
I'm with you on being nervous! I get a bad case of nerves before I start decorating and after it is set up... I just want my customer to be happy.
That's smart INDYDEBI------how much extra do you charge to do that???
I sell my cakes in a package form ... cake, plates, forks, mints, nuts, punch, punch fountain, cups, table linens, delivery, set-up, serving and tear-down & clean up (of the food tables). Plus I do catering, so 9 times out of 10, I'm there anyway with the buffet. It's easy to just slide over and cut the cake while my crew is tearing down the buffet table.
Feedback from my brides is that this service is one of the top 5 reasons they go with me. I take care of everything for them and they don't have to worry about little details.
Ack, I can only see a little corner of the cake=( I went to look in your photos and it wasnt there either=( Would love to see it! Jen
quote: It is hard to set up and leave since if anything happens it is your fault! :unquote
IT IS NOT!
Let the bride know up front that you will need to have someone authorized sign off on your cakes BEFORE YOU LEAVE!! Also take a picture of the entire cake table and staple it to the signed document.
It's called - covering your own a$$.
I have something in my short contract that says once the cake is safely delivered that I no longer take any responsibility for what happens to the cake. I also take photos of it set up for my own portfolio but also to prove I brought the cake looking nice and got it set up right. So far so good...if anything has happened, nobody has written me to let me know. I always wish more brides would send feedback but since I don't get alot of weddings and the ones I do get probably go off on their honeymoon and don't figure they need to comment on all their stuff they did for their wedding, I generally do not hear from them.
Amy83: The tablecloth was the brides. It was very pretty.
This was the last wedding cake that I will be doing without a contract. When I originally met with this bride (last summer) I wasn't using a contract (I know stupid, but I learned my lesson the hard way). All other weddings that I have coming up I have a contract for. That was the first time that I had ever set one up without there being someone there to approve the cake. I am just not used to that. My contract now does state that someone must be there in order to approve the cakes and setup. I honestly never thought that there wouldn't be someone there to approve them. I just assumed someone would be there decorating or something.
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