When a bride wants fresh flowers on her cake, do you have HER order and pay for what she wants and then you pick them up and use them on the cake?

Or do you as the cake decorator, do the ordering of flowers and just add to your invoice?

I offer to order them and get themn but I upgrarge by 20%, so most brides choose to get them from thier florist or get them themselves. I always tell them that if they are providing the flowers that they must be at the delivery site 30 min before the contracted delivery time if they want me to place them on the cake.

I tell them they have to order and have them there when I deliver. I make it clear that nobody but me is to touch the cake, too, so the florist doesn't have license to do it. Nobody has ever batted an eye about my policy...so far so good.

ok I've seen some cake contracts that refuse to use fresh flowers on a cake because of the liability involved should the flowers be carrying bugs, pesticides dirt etc. Do any of you ever run into this problem??

My favorite wedding cakes used fresh flowers to complement the bride's theme. Since flowers were already being ordered from a florist, I told the bride to have them sent to my bakery 24 hours in advance. This time frame gave me enough leeway to call the florist if the flowers didn't arrive before we left on deliveries.

I will provide the flowers and add the charge to her invoice or have her give me her florist's name. I then call the florist to talk about what is needed for the cake and I go pick them up (or have them delivered) the day before the cake is due. In this scenario, the bride is paying the florist. Unless it is just a few stems, I usually charge about $.50 per serving for floral arrangement.

I have the bride provide the flowers, since she has already ordered getting a few more isn't a problem. I have them at the venue when I arrive and place the flowers on site. I have used flowers on three cakes to date, just make sure that they are safe.

I asked a florist the exact question yesterday - she said that a lot of the time the bride will come to her shop complete with photograph or image of intended cake and order the fresh flowers. The florist then deliver to the venue on the day, along with the table centres etc. The florist then like to add the fresh flowers to the cake and if any are required for the stand - they will add these too. She suggested that the bride orders the flowers (and therefore responsible for paying) but the cake decorator then keeps in touch with the florist to ensure that the cake creation will fit with the flower order, plus the flowers suit the cake(s). The florist assured me that only flowers suitable for adding to cakes are used also. Hope that helps.

First, I do not provide flowers. I am not a florist and fresh flower arranging is not my medium. If a bride wants fresh flowers she needs to order them from her florist and have them there for me when I deliver. And only I am allowed to put them on the cake.

BUT: I am seriously considering prohibiting fresh flowers on my cakes very soon. I actually could care less about bugs and dirt or whatever, but the notion that the bride gets to "save money" is starting to really make me mad. I mean, they go with fresh flowers because they don't want to pay me to make anything, then they get un-arranged stems of flowers from the florist because they don't want to pay THEM to make anything, so then what? I get to spend a extra hour arranging flowers on the cake... for free? It's a big freakin loop hole!

I had one bride that I had done a sketch for in the beginning estimating cake with sugar flowers at $850. She asks for no sugar flowers, brings the cost down to $700 because she decides on fresh flowers. 3 days before the wedding I find out that bride expected me to still make MY design with her fresh flowers at the venue... for free! I tell all my brides from the beginning - "if you opt to get fresh flowers on your cake that is where MY design services end, so it is your responsibility to order the flowers, determine the quantity, and tell me how you want them". I even changed my contract to say that they have to provide ME a sketch of what they want their cake to look like. Well, I put my foot down told her my design cost an additional $150 and since they were providing the flowers they can expect an additional invoice for $100 to pay for my time and services at the venue. Sorry kids, my time is money and now you either pay ME or pay the florist. I don't work for free!

+1

I had one bride that I had done a sketch for in the beginning estimating cake with sugar flowers at $850. She asks for no sugar flowers, brings the cost down to $700 because she decides on fresh flowers. 3 days before the wedding I find out that bride expected me to still make MY design with her fresh flowers at the venue... for free! I tell all my brides from the beginning - "if you opt to get fresh flowers on your cake that is where MY design services end, so it is your responsibility to order the flowers, determine the quantity, and tell me how you want them". I even changed my contract to say that they have to provide ME a sketch of what they want their cake to look like. Well, I put my foot down told her my design cost an additional $150 and since they were providing the flowers they can expect an additional invoice for $100 to pay for my time and services at the venue. Sorry kids, my time is money and now you either pay ME or pay the florist. I don't work for free![/quote]

Never really thought of it that way but you make great point! Will keep that in mind on my next order.

Scp, I don't see it the same way. Yes, it takes the same amount of time and eye for design to place the sugar flowers on the cake as well as the fresh ones, but FAR less time to go pick up (or even have delivered) the fresh flowers than it does the sugar ones. When I charge for sugar flowers, the high cost is for the time it takes to make them. As I said before, I may charge around $.50 per serving to arrange them (so I'm not working for free) but I've never had flowers take more than 20 minutes to put on the cake, and that's for a lot of them.

One of the most useful evening classes I did along side cake decorating was a whole year of floristry - which taught me how to wire up a bridal bouquet and how to arrange stuff into a variety of different shapes. I think anyone who is not confident around this skill of arranging - could save a lot of worry for themselves by making sure that the cake was delivered to the venue prior to the florist arriving - and leave it to the flower artists! Then there is no worry about having to cost in for flower arranging time - because it has been delegated to others.

LOl - yes I meant to respond to you, FromScratchSF, that's what I get for posting right before I go to bed! Good lord, I just scrolled up and saw scp didn't even post in this thread! :sigh:

I will buy the flowers, but only if I have the money upfront. I have been NOT reimbursed once and that will never happen again. If I stick, say a single daisy, in each tier and call it a day, there is no charge. If I am doing and arrangement, or there are a bunch of flowers, I charge a minimum of $15, but have charged as much as $60. I tell them that it is not what I do, it takes a long time, and I don't like doing it. I prefer the florist do it, I just wish I could see the cake after they go on

I also have a clause in my contract that states that I will not put the flowers on a cake if they are "suspect" in any way (bugs, dirt, poisonous) and I will not be held liable for any flower stuck on there, or for not putting the flowers on there.

And as much as i would prefer to put the flowers on at the shop, heavy roses have fallen in transit, and I would rather not now. I still want them there to cut the stems and put in straws and such, so I don't have to worry about scissors, trash cans, foil, straws, and standing at the venue for 2 hours.

I love fresh flowers on my cakes.
I email the florist a sketch of the cake (just like the bride got) and tell them I prefer loose flowers. If they are just providing flowers for the top, then I don't care if it's in a dish and I usually just tell them the topper size instead of emailing a sketch.
We work out a delivery time to the venue. I arrive and set up the cake and then can add the flowers. I prefer them loose so I can arrange them how I feel they best suit the cake. There have been many times they come pre-arranged in a plastic dish that won't fit between the pillars. Or, they sit up in the plastic water dish so you can see the dish. If they are loose, I can place them where I want them. Putting the prettiest flowers in a good prominent spot and sometimes even "covering" a spot on the cake that I don't want seen. It does take some extra time but...I have built some "cushion" into my cake prices that cover that bit of time.
For me, there is huge benefits for doing this...1. I get constant positive contact with vendors (the florists) who then refer me out when a bride is looking for a good cake. 2. The bride feels comfortable with me knowing that I work with the florists all of the time. 3. The bride has one thing taken off of her plate...which leaves her feeling very happy with her choice in booking me for her cake. 4. I end up with great pictures for my portfolio. 5. Sometimes it takes awhile to complete...so that just means I'm there when the decorators, hall workers and owners and DJ's are there. We usually chit chat while we work and then that is even more good vendor contact. Sometimes that good vendor contact is the best advertising! Not to mention, lots of times I'm working at the venue on the cake and perspective couples come in to check out the hall. And guess who is more than happy to chat with them while they walk by the cake
I guess everyone looks at it from their perspective...and whatever works for you...is the way you should do it. Just my perspective...

I have worked at a florist before and we always preferred to have the "order" from the Bride along with all the other flowers but then contacted the person making the cake to be sure we were on the same page. Now, as the baker, I still have the Bride take care of the flowers and I put them on the cake when I get there.

I have the price of basic gumpste flowers workedinto my pricing, so if they want those that's no extra charge. If someone insists on fresh sflowers they have to order them and hav them there, then I put them onthe cake.

I try to steer brides away form fresh flowers for a few reasons:
1. A lot of flowers now come from South America, where they're allowed to use different fertilizers and pesticides on them, including human sewage.
2. there are too many flowers that are toxic that are commonly used on cakes, and I don't want to deal with that.
3. Too much handling along the way with fresh flowers. Fifty people could have handled them and sneezed all over them, not to mention the times that I've come in and had a florist with them all strewn around on the floor before they give me the ones that are left over for that cake.
4. Wilting flowers don't look good in photos