Venting here, just move on if you don't want to deal with me!   LOL

I'm a cake snob.  I'll be the first to admit it.  I am setting up a cake this afternoon at a reception hall in our little local town.  The bride to be texted me a picture of the cake table, so that I would know where to set up the cake.  This table is covered in other desserts, cupcakes, brownies, cookies, etc.  I know that lots of people do dessert tables, it's not that.  It's that she didn't tell me there were going to be other desserts.  Why is this bothering me so much???  When the guests are milling around at the reception, the question is inevitable....who made the cake?  Most people will assume the cake maker also made the desserts.  What if the other desserts are yucky, or sub par?  AND the bride to be sent the pictures to me at 7:30 this morning.  The reception is at 5 pm.  Those desserts are sitting out ALL DAY uncovered!!!!!

Do any of you feel the same way?  Do you ask brides if yours is the only dessert?  I have a fairly good reputation as a caker in this little town.  I hate the idea of being linked to this sort of thing.  I really need to revamp my sit down discussion with the bride/groom.  How do you tell someone, I don't want my cake mingling with other peoples desserts????  I know, I'm a cake snob!

a "good" reputation....

in a "little" town...

means that no one will mistake your cake for the other stuff.  You are already established.

Next time be sure to leave some business cards next to the cake that say "Wedding Cake by Christina." Hopefully people will conclude you made only the wedding cake. Hopefully... people is hard to understand sometimes!

also I would tell the bride to get the food coveted up

not coveted! covered— ha!

I don’t think of it as being a cake snob — being plenty particular about your work makes one a better and better caker — how the client displays things is out of our control — actually though I hope the bride made the cake the center of attention on the dessert table — 

My thinking is the same as MBalasla's.  Since you are well know as a quality wedding cake artist, it is doubtful that people will associate the other desserts with you.

So funny how things have changed. Big weddings like Italian, Polish…etc have had dessert tables for as long as I can remember. The difference is, the dessert table and wedding cake table were always separate. The last wedding I attended, 5 or so years ago, this was still the case. And the business card is a good idea. And I too don’t think you’re a cake snob!!! If the other desserts weren’t that great, I wouldn’t want to be associated with them either. Although the bride may want separate tables for both cake/other desserts, sometimes it’s not always in the brides control. Some venues are gonna do what they want to do!! 

I agree. The cake should stand alone. It looks much more elegant that way. I kind of think these dessert tables with all these other dessert bars,etc look kind of busy and tacky. We work so hard and put our hearts into it that it's natural to be jealous and protective of our work. 

I agree. The cake should stand alone. It looks much more elegant that way. I kind of think these dessert tables with all these other dessert bars,etc look kind of busy and tacky. We work so hard and put our hearts into it that it's natural to be jealous and protective of our work. 

I agree it should stand alone.  People have mentioned the concern of the other deserts being subpar. Not only that, but go a bit further and worry about if someone would have gotten sick from one of the other desserts.

I agree it should stand alone.  People have mentioned the concern of the other deserts being subpar. Not only that, but go a bit further and worry about if someone would have gotten sick from one of the other desserts.

Ladies,

Thank you so much for your advice.  My dilemma now is, HOW do I broach the subject with a bride?  I don't have any problem asking her if there will be other desserts served at the event, what I don't know is how to respond to her telling me yes.   I admit I'm a snob, but I don't want to sound like one!  LOL  I feel really strongly about this.  I remember reading a story on here a long time ago where a baker was so mad that the bride ordered sheet cakes from a grocery store that the baker almost left the reception hall with the wedding cake!  The baker didn't know there was "someone else's cake" there until she arrived for delivery.  

I think you should as her if there will be a special display table for the cake to stand alone.  You should insist.  If your cake is displayed along, it is unlikely you will be associated with the other desserts.

I would have it separate from the other desserts. I have a friend that states on her website that if any other desserts are brought in from other bakeries, her contract is void. Seems heavy duty, but I understand not wanting the assumption that some bad looking desserts came from the same place.

Oh rychevamp that idea sounds like perfect solution for the subject! My mom used to say words fly, texts endure! Putting stuff in the contract will do the trick... sure, sounds heavy, but having your lovely cake near to really ugly or nearly rotten desserts... is heavier!