Do You Always Offer An "anniversary" Tier??
Decorating By MCook Updated 15 Aug 2007 , 12:37pm by mommicakes
I'm doing a wedding cake that will be a stack of books. With this design there will not be that top "anniversary" tier for the couple to keep.
So, do all of you CC'ers go ahead and make a 6" for them to keep or just forfeit that do to the cake design?
Do Bride's always expect this tier? Do I offer it at a discounted price if they want one if the design they have chosen does not include it?
Help. I don't want to look cheap but I don't want to give anything away that I don't need to.
Thanks.
For first Birthday's I offer a free 6 inch frosted round. If they want it decorated to match the "big people" cake I charge an extra fee. (enough for supplies since it's not much more for me to do what I'm already doing for the larger cake.
I haven't done any wedding cakes up here yet but back in California I would offer a fresh 6 inch cake on their anniversary as their anniversary present to them. I know... extra work but it is easier than trying to explain to them how to wrap and properly store it AND getting them to actually do it right for a good cake a year later and not getting the snide call saying "it tasted horrible after sitting a year in the freezer!"
I did my first wedding cake in 1991 when I was 20 years old. The couple contacted me saying they thought it was packaged right for freezing and it wasn't they tried it and it tasted horrible. They wanted to know if they could buy a fresh cake for their anniversary dinner. I told her yes and hung up and got to baking since it was literally a last minute order. I cried a bit though because I knew this special memory was for them and it was ruined.
When I showed up with a mini replica of their cake and told them it was my anniversary gift to them and they wouldn't be paying I won them as a customer.
The couple had a baby girl a year later and I got to do their baby shower cake. I did their birthday cakes every year until I moved out of state, and my good friend who inherited all my supplies inherited them as a customer. I was just sent an e-mail that their daughter just turned 16 and they insisted I be sent pictures (yes I cried!) so I could see her.
We have stayed in touch over the years and I can't tell you how many referrals they gave me because of that extra touch.
I learned that they may never remember the cake on the wedding day but they will remember the frozen cake a year later if it tasted bad from them not wrapping it right before freezing it.
I give a 6 inch cake free on their anniversary..............they have to contact me,I don't search them out............so i would say 70% remember or are still in town when the time comes around.
Thanks for all the replies.
I guess I should have thought it through a little more before posting--a 6" cake for potentially more business is a great trade off!
For this cake, since the anniversary tier will be a whole separate cake should I go ahead and wrap it for freezing and leave it at the reception with a note---"...as my gift to you, blah, blah, blah..." ????
i usually juist ask if they are going to save the top tier, if they say no, i just leave it at that. i don't automatically offer a free anniversary cake
I offer a free 6" ,1 layer cake for their 1st anniversary as I personally think year old cake tastes yucky no matter how well it's wrapped. I give them a card stating that it is my gift to them but that THEY need to contact me a minimum of two weeks before their anniversary to claim their cake as I cannot be expected to track them down!!!
Since I just started doing wedding cakes, it remains to be seen if anyone contacts me. My first wedding was May 19th, 2007 so we'll see if I hear from them!!
I include a free anniversary cake. If it fits with the cake design, I'll include it with the cake and directions on how to wrap it. If it doesn't fit, then I make a 6" cake, wrap it myself, and leave it with the wait staff, but make sure the bride and the mob knows about it, to not forget to grab it.
But I really like the idea of offering to make the anniversary cake on the anniversary. With the couple having to contact me. I'm going to have to think about that one some more!!
I usually make their wedding cake, and ask them if they are planning on saving their top tier. Most of them say they don't know. I give them a gift certificate for a free 1 year anniversary cake and ask that they contact me at least 2 weeks prior to their anniversary, also in this envelope, I put a business card magnet that they can keep on their fridge. This works very well.
At baby showers, I enclose in an envelope a magnet as well as a gift certificate for the baby's 1st year birthday for a free 6" cake when they order the party cake from me. It is designed like the party cake.
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