Please take a few minutes to read through the terms and conditions, as these form the basis of our wedding cake contract. Further information can be provided on request. These terms and conditions do not in any way affect your statutory rights as a consumer. By paying your booking fee it will be deemed that the terms are understood and accepted.
‘You’ means the ‘clients’ and can refer to either or both parties in the couple, or the party responsible for purchasing the cake when not one of the couple
‘I’, ‘my‘ and ‘me’ means Alexandra Hughes Cake Design (formerly Alexandra’s Fine Cakes)
The term ‘clients’ applies to both of the clients jointly and individually. Each client is solely and jointly responsible for all the obligations set out in this agreement.
These terms and conditions form part of your contract, alongside your Order Form for the following wedding:
Names of clients:
Phone number / Email address:
Wedding Date:
Venue:
**Payment of your booking fee constitutes acceptance of the following:**
1.1 All orders are subject to acceptance and availability.
1.2 It is your responsibility to provide me with a valid email address and telephone number so that I can contact you if necessary.
1.3 You shall be responsible for ensuring the accuracy of the details provided by you during the order process. An Order Form will be sent to you once design details have been confirmed, and this will be resent with your final invoice eight weeks prior to your wedding, for you to confirm that details remain the same.
1.4 Once your booking fee has been paid, I will provide you a receipt to confirm this, as well as an Order Form once details have been confirmed.
2.1 My preferred method of payment is by bank transfer. I do not accept cheques or debit/credit cards, although from time to time I may accept card payments using Stripe on my website.
2.2 Upon placing an order, you agree to secure your order with a non-refundable and non-transferable booking fee of £100, unless agreed otherwise. Orders are not deemed confirmed, and dates are not reserved until this payment is received. For orders booked with more than 18 months notice (or other period at my discretion), I reserve the right to split this payment into two non-refundable and non-transferable £50 booking fee payments. The first £50 to be paid on booking to confirm the order and reserve the date, the second £50 to be paid in advance of the design consultation.
2.3 Quotes are valid for 14 days, unless your date is filled with another order before this time. Please do check that your date is still available if some time has passed between obtaining a quote and making payment.
2.4 The booking fee is taken to cover for initial work undertaken on the design of your cake and administration. It also holds your date and will mean that I will restrict other orders for the same day/week. By turning down or not advertising for further work, a cancellation by you will mean a likely loss in my income from alternative orders.
2.5 Payment of the final balance is due a minimum of eight weeks prior to the wedding date to allow for preparatory work to take place and supplies to be ordered. I will produce your cakes to the specification as per the Order Form which I will resend with your final invoice approximately ten weeks before your wedding date. Please double check that it is detailed as you require. By paying your final invoice, you are confirming that what is detailed on the Order Form is correct
2.6 Failure to complete payment of the final balance by the due date on the invoice will result in the cancellation of your order and the booking fee will not be refunded or transferred.
3.1 Kindly provide details of your wedding planner or the wedding coordinator at your venue and I will happily liaise directly with them regarding time to set up and other arrangements.
3.2 Delivery will take place in the morning, between 9am-12noon, unless agreed in advance. An additional fee of between £20-£30 may be chargeable if later delivery is required.
3.3 The Order Form will stipulate the address and time for delivery. Amendments to the delivery address or time may be permitted at my sole discretion and may incur additional delivery charges to cover for time and fuel, but in the case that I cannot deliver to the new venue, due to distance or other reason, section 4.4 and 5.3 below applies.
3.4 You will become the owner of the goods you ordered and responsible for the risk of loss or damage to them once they have been delivered to the delivery address or collected from Alexandra Hughes Cake Design.
3.5 When setting up the cake and attaching externally purchased flowers or other decoration, I reserve the right to leave any of these items off, or arrange them in a different way, if there is any doubt about safety or security of said items.
4.1 Your cake is very important to me. Please take the time to check your copy of the order form and invoice carefully and let me know if corrections or changes are needed, any amendments should be made in writing. I understand that sometimes situations occur which can result in you wanting to change your order. Please contact me as early as possible before the order is due to ensure any changes can be implemented, at least twelve weeks’ notice is required for any changes – and please note agreement to any such changes are at my sole discretion. Please be aware new changes may incur additional costs, in line with additional work required for administration as well as additional materials and time required for the design change. A full quote will be given for proposed amendments before they are agreed upon. Last minute changes cannot always be accommodated.
4.2 If you wish to reduce the value of your order, a fee may be applicable depending how much notice is given, and how much work has already been carried out. Please refer to 4.3 below for further detail.
4.3 A reduction in the value of the order of 25% or more will be considered a cancellation by you, unless otherwise expressly agreed in writing by Alexandra Hughes Cake Design. Workload is considered when other orders are taken and turned away and therefore large reductions in the order will impact on the income of Alexandra Hughes Cake Design.
4.4 Changes to delivery arrangements – This contract is based upon the agreed place of delivery (the ‘venue’) of your wedding cake as per the heading on the top of this document. If this changes, you are to contact Alexandra Hughes Cake Design immediately to discuss whether I can accommodate the change. If not, this will be deemed a cancellation by you, please refer to the cancellation section 5.3.
4.5 Changes to date -This contract is based upon the agreed date of delivery of your wedding cake as per the heading on the top of this document (‘Wedding Date’). A change to the date will be treated as a cancellation by you as per the cancellation section 5.3 below, unless otherwise expressly agreed in writing by Alexandra Hughes Cake Design. The booking fee is non-transferable to new dates or events.
5.1 You have the right to cancel the contract at any time up to eight weeks before the date your order is due for delivery – the ‘Wedding Date’.
5.2 To exercise your right of cancellation you must give written notice to the alexandrasfinecakes@yahoo.com email address giving details of the goods ordered.
5.3 Cancellation by the client – If the order is cancelled, your booking fee is non-refundable and non-transferable. There will be no refund or transfer of the booking fee, and all expenses already incurred on behalf of the finished product above this value will be invoiced. If the order is cancelled within eight weeks of the ‘Wedding Date’, the remaining full balance will be due to be paid to Alexandra Hughes Cake Design. This is because at such short notice, and especially due to the nature of weddings, it is unlikely that I would be able to secure another order for the same day. This would result in a significant loss of profit for Alexandra Hughes Cake Design through no fault of my own. If a new order is received for the cancelled date, I will refund the balance.
5.3.1 If ingredients / supplies specific to this order have not yet been purchased, or they can be used for another order, the cost of these would be deducted from the final balance and refunded to the client in the event of a cancellation which occurs once said final balance has been paid.
5.3.2 If a delivery charge has been paid as part of the final balance, or in addition to your non-refundable booking fee, this will be refunded to you. However, if further funds are due this payment will be offset against what is owed to Alexandra Hughes Cake Design.
5.4 Cancellation by Alexandra Hughes Cake Design – In the event of exceptional circumstances where I am unable to fulfil your order, for example for reasons of sickness or the need to quarantine or a personal emergency, I will notify you in writing of my intention to terminate this contract as soon as possible and refund you any payment you have made to me in full, including the booking fee. I will endeavour to find an alternative supplier whom you may discuss alternative arrangements with to supply your cake, although no guarantees can be made that a suitable alternative supplier may be found. Any agreement you may reach with an alternative supplier will be separate from this contract. Alexandra Hughes Cake Design’s liability will be limited to the full cost of purchase, and I will not accept responsibility for any consequential loss.
5.5 You are strongly advised to take out adequate wedding insurance to cover you in the event of cancellations.
6.1 For the avoidance of all doubt, if your wedding is postponed this will be treated as a cancellation. I will be happy to discuss the possibility of rebooking for a new date should this be possible, and if so, a new contract would be issued.
7.1 Should you have any swatches of ribbon or material, this can be helpful to me in creating the colour theme of your choice. However, please note that due to the fact that I am working with many different materials, and the limitations of edible media, an exact match cannot be guaranteed. This also applies to food colourings, icing and edible prints. Please also note that images sent digitally are seen differently on different screens, so if a specific colour is vital, this must be communicated to me at the time of ordering. I can only do my best to get it as close as possible.
7.2 I can only create your finished order from what I interpret from the wording of your order; therefore, it is vital you check everything is correct. It may not be possible to create exact specifications when modelling food; however, I will work with you, often using sketches to ensure you are happy with the design. I do not undertake to copy another designer’s work exactly, although inspiration can be taken.
8.1 Any non-edible elements of the cake will be identified on the cake information sheet. Non-edible items must be removed before the cake is eaten. These may include cake dowels; wired sugar flowers; silk or fresh flowers; flower picks; decorative non-edible items (such as diamante trim) and internal structures in cakes and models for example. As the client, it is your responsibility to ensure this information is passed on to those cutting your cake and to your guests. Where you have agreed that I shall deliver a cake to a third party at a venue, I shall provide the cake information sheet to both you and the venue and I may require a signature from an appointed person at the venue.
8.2 Sugar flowers, card cake toppers and acrylic cake toppers are fragile and should be handled with care. I suggest they should be removed from the cake by holding the supports.
9.1 Should fresh flowers to be provided by your florist, to decorate the cake, the responsibility of the flowers’ safety, quality, freshness, and colour will rest with the florist and not with Alexandra Hughes Cake Design. It is your responsibility to communicate with your florist to ensure they are not providing toxic flowers to use on your cake. If the florist or any other supplier adds anything to the cake after I have left it set up, responsibility for any resulting damage or harm will not rest with Alexandra Hughes Cake Design.
9.2 Where I have sourced fresh flowers from a florist for your cake, I will do my best to ensure I obtain your choice of flower variety and colour. Due to these being natural and seasonal items however, please be aware that I cannot guarantee their availability or exact colour.
9.3 The flower stems will be cut (and may be wired/wrapped in tape) before inserting into your cake with plastic protectors. They will be without water from this time so I cannot make any guarantees how long they will live and look in good condition after they have been arranged on the cake.
9.4 Fresh flowers must not be considered edible as they may have been treated with insecticides and could contain insects or other non-edible items. In agreeing to use fresh flowers on your cake, you understand that Alexandra Hughes Cake Design cannot be held responsible for any harm that will come to anyone from their use.
10.1 Alexandra Hughes Cake Design is NOT an allergen-free kitchen. I cannot give an absolute guarantee that my products are free from ingredients that may affect those with food allergies, but all efforts are made to minimise this risk where requested. I recognise the seriousness of food allergies and you must inform me before you place an order if you or your guests have any food allergies. Alexandra Hughes Cake Design will not assume any liability for adverse reactions to my products.
10.2 The following 14 allergens recognised by the Food Standards Agency are used in my kitchen:
• Celery (including celeriac);
• Wheat and other cereals that contain gluten such as rye, barley and oats;
• crustaceans;
• eggs;
• fish;
• lupin;
• milk (including lactose);
• molluscs;
• mustard;
• tree nuts – including almonds, hazelnuts, walnuts, brazil nuts, cashews, pecans, pistachios and macadamia nuts;
• peanuts;
• sesame seeds;
• soybeans;
• Sulphur dioxide/sulphites
10.3 Please note that some food colourings may have an effect on behaviour in children.
10.4 I will discuss any dietary requirements, allergies and intolerances with you at the time you place your order. It is your obligation to inform me of any such special requirements.
10.5 I will advise you if your cake contains any of the above 14 allergens and I will confirm this to you on the cake information sheet. For the avoidance of doubt, it is your responsibility to make sure the allergen information is passed on to those who will be served the cake.
11.1 Alexandra Hughes Cake Design requires a refundable deposit (“the hire deposit”) for the hire of cakes stands and equipment. The hire deposit is typically £75, and this is in addition to the agreed hire fee which is typically £15. This will depend on the type of equipment being hired and if I require a different amount this will be discussed with you at the time you confirm your order.
11.2 The hire deposit will be held for a period discussed with you when placing your order.
11.3 All information regarding the hire deposit will be stated on the order form including the return date.
11.4 The hire deposit will be refunded in full when the item(s) / equipment is returned in the condition it was hired out, and within the stipulated time period. If the item(s) / equipment hired out is lost, returned damaged, or returned late by you Alexandra Hughes Cake Design will retain your full deposit for the item/items to cover the cost of replacing it/them.
11.5 For the avoidance of doubt, you will become responsible for any hired equipment once that equipment has been delivered to the required address.
12.1 My bespoke cakes are all freshly handmade and are not baked with artificial preservatives, unlike store-bought cakes. Your cake is best consumed on the wedding date. It will be transported to your venue in an air-conditioned vehicle and set up with every care, usually moving cakes to different positions to ensure the sun is not on it. Cupcakes should be eaten on the day of delivery.
12.2 Weddings are often in summer months and hot weather which means that even though there may be cake left over, I cannot guarantee the condition/shelf life of a cake if it has sat in a hot room/marquee/in front of a window/radiator/hot kitchen/travelled in a hot car home after the wedding etc as this will affect the shelf life. Cake that has been cut into portions will become dry when left exposed for any length of time.
12.3 If you have any cake left over after the wedding, I recommend double wrapping the cake and placing in a freezer for up to a month, then eating within 2 days of defrosting. However, I still cannot guarantee as mentioned in 12.1 and 12.2 above. Please do not store cakes in plastic containers after the wedding, as they trap moisture which can speed up the deterioration of the cake.
12.4 Chocolate cakes and buttercream cakes are extremely fragile. I do not recommend these types of cakes being placed in a conservatory or marquee, if you do so it is with the understanding that I have no responsibility for the resulting condition of the cake. I will provide information sheets for all collections.
12.5 Sugar models and flower decorations on the cake may be removed and kept as mementoes but these may eventually deteriorate over time. Keep these in dry conditions out of direct sunlight, ideally covered in a cardboard/breathable box or container with silica gel sachets to absorb moisture. If you ask me to, I will leave instructions for the venue to remove these from the cake and I will provide them with a suitable box if required. It is your responsibility to liaise with the venue to remove these safely from the cake to take them home.
13.1 I want everything to be perfect with your cake so please ensure that you have checked that the details on your Order Form are correct when you receive it so there are no misunderstandings.
13.2 If for any reason you are unhappy with your cake, you must return the tier(s) for inspection within 24 hours of your event. The cake needs to be stored hygienically and correctly, as described in section 12 above, at all times. I cannot accept responsibility for any loss or damage to the cake once the cake has been delivered and set up at a venue.
13.3 If a refund is deemed appropriate this will be to the value of the affected tier(s). In any event Alexandra Hughes Cake Design liability will be limited to the full cost of purchase, and I will not accept responsibility for any consequential loss.
14.1 The design copyright of your bespoke cake is the property of Alexandra Hughes Cake Design. The client does not have any claim on the design.
14.2 Similarly, I am not happy to exactly reproduce the designs produced by others. While I am happy to receive photos of another cake designer’s work as a form of inspiration for a bespoke cake order (in order to help explain the type of styles/design details you like) please understand that I will not directly copy their work and ask that you do not ask me to do so. Cakes will be made strictly in my own style only.
14.3 I reserve the right to use images of any cake design for promotional purposes following the event.
15.1 I will take photographs of your cake and used for social media / marketing purposes. These images remain the property of Alexandra Hughes Cake Design.
15.2 Should you kindly share any photos of your cake with me, I will of course ask your permission (and the permission of the photographer who took the images, if applicable) before sharing these further.
Last Updated 14 July 2023
