Terms and Conditions
Ensure that you have read and agree to the terms and conditions detailed below.
PAYMENT CONDITIONS
PRICES
All prices are non-negotiable and priced according to your exact design and the size of your cake. Following your consultation / enquiry, your quote is valid for up to 1 month (Wedding Cakes) or 14 Days (Celebration Cakes). Paying your deposit will secure this price & the slot in the diary.
DEPOSITS
A non-refundable 50% deposit (total of the cake & delivery price) will be required when you make an order. Failure to pay the deposit a week to your event may result in your order being cancelled.
PAYMENT
You will receive details of how to make payment when you make your order.
Please confirm once a payment has been made.
Final payment for your wedding cake is required no later than one calendar month before the collection/ delivery. It is your responsibility to remember to send this payment, as a reminder invoice is not issued.
Unfortunately, we do not accept cheques or card payments.
CANCELLATION
If cancellation of an order takes place less than 7 days before the event, we reserve the right to retain your non-refundable 50% deposit. If you postpone the event, we will try to accommodate your new date, however if this isn’t feasible, your order will be considered as a cancellation
We retain the right to cancel the booking in very unusual circumstances beyond our control, such as fire or ill health, during which we will refund any money taken in full.
DESIGN CONDITION
ALTERATION & CHANGES
It is your responsibility to read & check the quote thoroughly; any amendments to design should be made at least 14 days in advance.
If requested, we will endeavour to adjust the design where possible, but sometimes this is not possible according to the nature of the request or amount of notice given. If the alteration affects the cost, or preparation work for the original design has already been undertaken, then your balance will be adjusted accordingly. Please warn us when you pay your deposit if you are undecided on the design.
We reserve the right to change the design at any point if circumstances beyond our control, may compromise the quality of the finished cake, e.g. Melting due to weather.
Each cake is made individually by hand, so although every effort is made to ensure consistency, it may vary from the design requested / picture supplied.
CREAM CHEESE
Cream cheese cakes should be refrigerated, hence we will not advise covering with fondant. We will be happy to substitute cream cheese filling in cakes such as red velvet and carrot cakes with Swiss meringue buttercream which has a creamy texture and will not require refrigeration.
FLOWERS
If your cake requires fresh flowers, then these are not included in the price. We can work with your florist but expect you to make all the necessary arrangements with the florists.
We cannot take responsibility for any damage rendered to the cake caused by a floral arrangement that was implemented by your florist.
If fresh flowers are used, the cake will be set-up as late as feasibly possible to ensure their freshness throughout the day, but depending on the varieties used & the weather conditions at the time, it may be necessary to cut the cake early during your event to ensure their freshness for photographs.
ALLERGIES & SPECIAL DIETARY REQUIREMENTS
SPECIAL DIETS
Please discuss with us if you or any of your guests have special dietary requirements. Cakes can be made gluten free / egg free and alcohol free.
NON-EDIBLE ITEMS
Most cakes contain small proportions of inedible items; it is your responsibility to ensure these are removed by your caterer/guests before consumption e.g. Support dowels in tiered cakes, ribbon, wires in sugar flowers, Swarovski crystals, flower picks & flower tape etc.
DELIVERY CONDITIONS
Delivery charges are calculated on a mileage and time basis. Alternatively, cakes can be collected from our premises.
If you choose delivery, it is our intention that your cake will be delivered in perfect condition prior to the start of your event. However we ask for patience with factors that may be beyond our control (e.g. traffic conditions) as we cannot be held liable for any such delays. In some circumstances, we may recommend the cake be delivered 1 day in advance. It is your responsibility to ensure you inform us of your correct ceremony and event time plus the postcode of the venue. In the unlikely event of late delivery, the maximum compensation will be a refund of the delivery price.
We cannot be held liable for any damage that is rendered to the cake at the venue once we have left the premises. It is with this in mind that we require somebody responsible, to check that they are happy with the cake before we leave.
If you chose to collect the cake, we will not be held liable for any damage to the cake once it has left our premises. Tiered cakes are most at risk during transport; we highly recommend you check your wedding insurance covers cake damage. To ensure your cake is as fresh as possible, we recommend it be collected the day before the wedding.
Late requests for delivery (after securing the booking based on collection) will be accommodated where possible, but cannot be guaranteed, as earlier delivery commitments must take priority.
CAKE SETUP
It is the client’s responsibility to ensure arrangements are made for the cake table, linen, cake stand & knife, which should all be set- up prior to our arrival. If any delay is incurred due to these not being set-up, we reserve the right to charge for any delay incurred (labour / time costs at £20 per hour). Alternatively please arrange for the cake to be left with the event manager to assemble / move into position as appropriate. Please take extra care to ensure a stable cake table is available if you are having a marquee wedding, as surrounding floorboards can easily rock the cake once stood on.
STORAGE & CONSUMPTION
DAMAGE
Please remember that cake decorations are very delicate items, and we cannot accept responsibility for damage that is done to the cake after it has been handed over to the client.
In the event of damage to the cake, you can advise us and request a repair, which will be costed accordingly, including transport costs if appropriate.
PORTION GUIDE
The cake portions listed in the FAQs are only a guide. Number of portions per cake will depend on how the cake is cut.
BEST BEFORE DATE / STORAGE CONDITIONS
Your cake is baked to ensure it is fresh for the date of your event, and while there is no guarantee of its quality after more than 48 hours after your event, Sophianna’s bakery cakes have been tested to still taste fresh after a week of being kept in its box. Cakes are made entirely of natural ingredients and so they will not have the extended shelf life of most supermarket cakes, which contain additives and preservatives to ensure their prolonged life. However, you can freeze the cake in order to preserve it; bearing in mind that this may affect the state of the icing. Defrost in the fridge with the cake in the box, condensation will form on the cake as it defrosts, this is normal. It is recommended that food should only be frozen for a maximum of 3 months
If you plan to keep some of your wedding cake, please let us know what cake tier you would like to keep so that boxes can be provided. Otherwise all cake boxes will be removed to avoid cluttering the venue.
Sugar paste/ fondant cakes should not be refrigerated, as it will cause condensation to form on the surface of the icing. Refrigeration also accelerates the staling of the flour in the cake.
HIRE OF CAKE STANDS / ACCESSORIES
If you would like to hire a cake stand or decorations, then a cash deposit is required prior to release. Deposit amount will depend on the value of the item.
Please make arrangements to ensure items hired are safely returned to us within 7 days of hire. If there is no damage to the item, the deposit amount will be released in full, however, in the event of damage, the deposit refund will be at Sophianna’s Bakery’s discretion.
COMPLAINTS
If you have concerns about your cake, please let us know as soon as possible to so that we can rectify it in time for your event. All other concerns should be made in writing, and evidence of the fault should be included. No refunds are given due to change of mind.
In the event of a late delivery, the maximum compensation will be a refund of the delivery price. Please be patient with factors that may be beyond our control (e.g. traffic conditions) as we cannot be held liable for any such delays.
Refunds are at the discretion of Sophianna’s Bakery.
Thank you for your patronage.