Ok so here is the deal...I have booked a client for a sweet 16 cake for July. She originally told me that the event was going to be approx. 100 people. I get an email from her today, saying that the venue is going to provide a cake in addition to mine, and how many servings do I suggest her getting from me...WHAT? I am not really comfortable with this whole "deal". My question is who gets what cake? Mine is also going to be very custom/detailed and her cake/filling choices are very custom as well.. Don't you think people will question why one person at their table has one flavor with an awesome filling and they have another....I understand she is probably trying to save some money, or what her daughter wants the hall cannot do (or doesn't want to do).....I just have a weird feeling about this...any suggestions on this or how I should go about dealing with this....I just don't want people to label me with a potential "crappy" cake...LOL...thanks all!

If I had a business, or when I have a business, I don't think i would ever want to have my cake served at something where it wasn't the only cake being served. If the other cake sucks then that will reflect on you because noone will truly know who got what and you are the Cake company. Also, I wouldn't want to be at a party where I got the crappy cake when I could have had an awesome cake.

1. Ask her the same questions you asked here and proceed however appropriately after she answers.
or
2. Make the cake she originally ordered.
or
3. If you really feel uncomfortable, you could suddenly have a "time conflict" which will keep you from making her cake at all and tell her you are so glad she has another cake which will be available to serve. Oh so sorry

I have seen most professionals on here have a clause in the contract that does not allow any other cake to be served at the occasion. You do not want people potentially thinking your cake was horrible if they get the grocery store cake or something. I would not do it.

thanks guys...I am going to contact her Monday and tell her that as much as I would love to do the cake for her, I am honestly NOT comfortable with the other cake being there...we will see how far I get...

I have an all or nothing clause in my contract. Either I provide all of the cake or none of it.
I would bet she's trying to save money by ordering a smaller cake from you. I would definitely explain the whole different flavors, different styles thing.

I am actually going to revise my contract to include this clause...the only problem now is that she already has and signed the contract...my other worry is that what happens if something is wrong with the other cake...or someone gets sick...don't want that coming back to bite me in the a$$....I am a nervous nelly and just don't want any added stress about this...I would bet that she is trying to save $$ where she can...her friends have used me quite a bit in the past so they know what I am about and how much I charge. I really am not at all looking forward to this...I also want to find out what venue/hall she is using..since some of them in my area I have been to, or have customers that have been to...and know the horrible reps they have for food/cake...also my thought is are they keeping the "free" cake next to mine, or keeping it in the back? Like I said people are going to see this 3 tiered fondant work of art and want to eat that...then come to find out they will have a crappy piece of plain sheet cake...LOL

I often have customers who want a showpiece cake and order other desserts to save money I have no issue with it since people are not stupid if one is beautiful and one is not folks will figure it out that it didn't come from the same place. As a supplier to a private event how can you expect to dictate what they should do, she could have not even told you about it she isn't under any obligation to share her party details with you.

I wouldn't worry if it is in your contract currently (bet it will be in the future). Just tell her that your policy is to be the only dessert represented at an event. The venue may be charging her, but she can take that cake home.

I got burned by this, too. I had a HUGE cake that a bride picked from Pink Cake Box. Three days before the wedding, she called and wanted her money back. Her sisters were using their FOOD STAMPS to buy her a wedding cake from WALMART! Needless to say, I wouldn't give her the money back. But I had never encountered this problem before so I wasn't sure what to do. My cake became the groom's cake and the people at the country club called me on Monday to get some business cards. They had a good laugh because all of the wedding guests kept staring at the two different cakes and trying to figure them out!

Don't put your quality side by side with anything inferior. You don't want or need the business bad enough to risk poor word of mouth advertising!