Terms & conditions
Full terms and conditions for Vanilla and Sprinkles by Cecilia are detailed below. By making an initial payment it will be deemed that the terms are understood and accepted as applying to your order.
Payment conditions
Prices
Following your consultation or enquiry, your quote is valid for 7 days. Paying your initial payment (see below) secures this price and prevents any further price increases, except in exceptional circumstances beyond our control, for example exceptional fuel price increases.
Initial payments
A non-refundable 50% payment (of the total cake and delivery price) is required in order to secure the commission of your cake and chosen date with Vanilla and Sprinkles by Cecilia. For orders under £60, full payment is required to secure the date, and no later than 3 weeks before the event, unless otherwise agreed by Vanilla and Sprinkles by Cecilia.
Save the date
If you wish to secure the date without yet having a cake design and final price, a £50 payment can be made. The design and final price will be agreed at least 3 months before the wedding date. Once a full quotation has been received and agreed on, the remainder of the 50% non-refundable deposit is then due. Full payment will then be due no later than 3 weeks before the wedding date.
Payment
Payment should be made by bank transfer. Our account details are provided with your quote and invoice.
Please email cecilia@vanillasprinkles.co.uk with confirmation of your transfer so we can acknowledge the payment promptly and send you a receipt. Always check payment details directly with us before transferring — we will never ask you to send money to different details by email alone.
Final payment for your cake is required no later than 3 weeks before the collection or delivery.
Late payments
If your deposit is not paid within 5 days of quoting then we reserve the right to cancel any previous arrangements. If full payment is not received and cleared in our account before the event then the order will not be released.
Cancellation
If cancellation of the event takes place we reserve the right to retain your 50% deposit. If cancellation takes place 3 weeks before the event then we reserve the right to keep 75% of the total price, or if cancellation occurs 7 days prior then 100% of the value will be retained to cover the costs of production of the cake. Cancellation must be made in writing (by email) to Vanilla and Sprinkles by Cecilia and will only be deemed to take effect from the date your email is received at our premises. If you postpone the event we will endeavour to transfer your order providing the date is suitable for ourselves, otherwise it shall be treated 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 conditions
Alterations & changes
It is your responsibility to read and check the quote thoroughly; any amendments should be made in writing. 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. Vanilla and Sprinkles by Cecilia reserves the right to charge 75% of the initial quoted price should any changes or alterations reduce the final cost to less than 75% of the original price.
Any cake ordered from a picture or photo of a cake produced by any other cake maker can only be reproduced as our interpretation of that cake, and will not be an exact reproduction of the cake in the picture or photo.
Chocolate
We recommend extreme caution if you are considering a cake decorated with chocolate for a summer wedding (May–September). We cannot accept responsibility for any melting of the cake once it has left our possession, as we have no control over the environmental or venue temperature. We can however advise you of designs that are less susceptible to melting and do everything within our control to reduce the impact on the cake.
Allergies & special dietary requirements
Special diets
Please discuss with us if any of your guests have special dietary requirements. Cakes can be made gluten free, egg free, alcohol free or without nuts by request. Please be aware that although these ingredients can be removed from the cakes, they are still used in our kitchens so we cannot guarantee that any of our cakes are completely free of all traces for people who are highly sensitive.
Non-edible items
Most cakes contain small proportions of inedible items. It is the client’s responsibility to ensure these are removed by your caterer or guests before consumption, for example support dowels in tiered cakes, ribbon, and wires in sugar flowers.
Delivery conditions
Delivery charge
Delivery charge is 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 reception. However we ask for patience with factors that may be beyond our control (for example traffic conditions) as we cannot be held liable for any such delays. In some circumstances, we may recommend the cake is delivered 1 day in advance. It is your responsibility to ensure you inform us of your correct ceremony and reception 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 choose 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, so please seek our advice on how to transport it, and we highly recommend you check your wedding insurance covers cake damage. To ensure your cake is as fresh as possible, we recommend it is 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 set up
It is the client’s responsibility to ensure arrangements are made for the cake table, linen, cake stand and knife, which should all be set up prior to our arrival, unless there is an agreement that we will liaise with the venue on your behalf. If any delay is incurred due to these not being set up, we reserve the right to charge for any delay incurred (labour costs at £15 per hour, plus any compensation required to pay to other brides whose wedding cake delivery has been delayed as a result) or leave the cake with the event manager to assemble or move into position as appropriate. Please take extra care to ensure a stable cake table 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 left our possession. If any damage is rendered to the cake after it has left our possession, then you can advise us and request a repair, which will be costed accordingly, including transport costs if appropriate.
Best before date
Your cake is baked to ensure it is fresh for the date of your event. After this date, we advise sponge cakes are frozen as soon as possible to ensure its condition is maintained, otherwise we cannot guarantee its quality if it is consumed more than 48 hours after the event. Our cakes are made entirely of natural ingredients, so we’d like to remind you that because of this they will not have the extended shelf life of most supermarket cakes, which contain additives and preservatives to ensure their prolonged life.
Freezing the cake preserves the taste of the sponge and icing as much as feasibly possible, but please bear in mind that it will affect the visual appearance of the icing, as condensation will form upon defrosting. Food hygiene recommendations advise that food should only be frozen for a maximum of 3 months. Once home, the cake should be wrapped in clingfilm to remove as much air as possible, then stored in an airtight container before freezing for a maximum of 3 months. The cake should not be refrozen if defrosted, therefore it may be appropriate for you to cut it into convenient portion sizes before freezing, so that it can be defrosted on a per portion basis. Sugar paste 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, so should only be used with extreme caution, for example if hot weather is compromising the quality of a chocolate decorated cake.
Complaints
If you have concerns about your cake, please notify us upon delivery or inspection so that we have the opportunity to rectify it in time for your event. We highly recommend a member of the family or the event manager as the designated point of contact for the day, to help ensure all runs smoothly. All other concerns should be made in writing, and evidence of the fault should be included.
A refund is only given if the uneaten cakes are returned and are unsuitable for consumption or not as described in the written quote. No refunds are given due to change of mind. In the unlikely event of late delivery (defined as delivery after the start of the wedding breakfast), the maximum compensation will be a refund of the delivery price. We ask for patience with factors that may be beyond our control (for example traffic conditions) as we cannot be held liable for any such delays. We pride ourselves on our personal yet professional service.
Thank you for using our services.