1. There is a $50, Save the Date, retainer (non-refundable) fee. required. When the order is placed. Your deposit will be applied to the final balance of your order. Your order & date is not secured until the retainer is received and confirmed at least days prior to the delivery or pickup date. The balance of any of the orders is due 24 hours prior to the due date. There will be no refund of monies paid or credit for the request to "downsize" the order once the final payment is paid. If there is a request to increase the order, payment of the difference is due immediately or the request will not be honored. 2. Payments can be made in cash, Zelle, Venmo, and/or cashapp. Arrangements or installments can be made, as long as the balance is paid weeks prior to your order date. 3. Cancellations can be made up to 1 week prior to your event with a refund minus the “save the date” retainer & any items purchased or made specifically for your order. All retainers are NONREFUNDABLE for any reason. No refunds on orders canceled after 48 hours of the scheduled delivery date. There will be NO REFUNDS available after product delivery, only credit towards a future product(s) or services. 3a. If you must change your date, full payment is required before the new date is accepted. It is non-refundable and non-transferable to another person for any reason. We are not obligated to accept a date change if we are booked for the new date or unavailable. You are still responsible for the total set in the original contract. **Credit is not transferrable to another party/person. Communication is key. If you are up-front about any issues with your date, we will work hard to accommodate you. We understand things can come up that are out of your control. In the event of cancellation, please contact us to discuss options such as applying the balance to future orders. In the event of postponement, please notify us as soon as possible to determine if the new date is available.

6. Flavor and texture are subjective. Refund requests based on the flavor or the texture will not be honored. We do not provide refunds or credits based on either. Every order is sent through quality testing before completion to ensure we bring you a satisfactory product. 7. Once a product leaves our possession and/or set up is complete, we are no longer responsible for damages, care, or handling that may incur. 8. All sales are final. In the case of an emergency or an error in your cake delivery, please contact us immediately so we can fix the issue right away! If you are unhappy with your cake for any reason, please call us on the day of your event and explain the situation. In the rare case that you are unhappy with your cake, you must call the day of your event, so your cake can be returned and retested based on the complaint. Without proof that you are indeed unhappy with the product and will not be using it for your event, we will be unable to credit any portion of your payment. 8a. DO NOT smash cakes or other treats into anyone's face due to the stiffness of the buttercream and possible supports within the items. We are NOT responsible for bodily damages caused by such acts. 9. Orders requesting a refund after orders are delivered must return all uneaten portions of the product purchased for evaluation, with credit towards future purchases to be used within 60 days of the order due date. 10. No cash refunds after the delivery date. Flavor and texture are subjective. Refund requests based on the flavor or the texture will not be honored. We do not provide refunds or credits based on either. Every order is sent through quality testing before completion to ensure we bring you a satisfactory product.

4. Delivery may be suggested and highly recommended for large order items to ensure safe & guaranteed delivery. 4a. Repair of treats damages required due to no fault of or representative after setup is complete and we have departed, is subject to availability & will incur a $ service fee to be paid prior to us fixing any issues. We will be unable to return to venues greater than 2 miles to repair damages. Although the treats will be structurally sound, you or your designated party will need to ensure no one leans or plays around the table. 4b. If you are having an outside event, please note if your treats are placed outside longer than 30 minutes during warmer months, An Astute Life Parties & Events is not responsible for damages such as melting, bug infestation, or other damaging things preventing safe consumption.

5. Although we strive to deliver orders in a timely, professional manner and as agreed upon, at times there may be incidents beyond our control that could delay delivery. If such an event occurs, we will contact you immediately and waive the delivery fee. This also includes you or your representative having to pick up your order.

Products may contain or come into contact with milk, eggs, wheat, nuts, soy, cocoa, or other allergens. is not responsible for any allergic reactions or medical conditions resulting from our products. It is the sole responsibility of the customer to advise us of any allergies and to inform their guests if the issue arises. We will not be held responsible physically or financially for medical issues or emergencies including death. If you or any of your guests follow vegetarian or vegan lifestyles, please be aware that uses a brand of shortening that contains meat fat. We are not a vegan or gluten-free friendly bakery. If fresh flowers will be used on the cake from a florist (of your choosing), it is the responsibility of the florist to determine the safety of the flowers used. Not all fresh flowers are food products and should not be treated as such. Fresh flowers will not be provided by Sweet & Elegant Delights unless discussed during the consultation. By initialing, you waiver the rights to compensation if illness or other occur from floral products. An Astute Life Parties & Events will do their best to wrap and protect the florals from direct contact with the treats itself.

Please ensure that an area is designated and ready for the treats/sweets set-up. An Astute Life Parties & Events is responsible for providing or setting up table coverings, decorations, or utensils. We will however arrange stands for the purchased treats that were made and being delivered by An Astute Life Parties & Events.

Payment will only be accepted in the form of cash, Venmo, Zelle, or Cashapp. SORRY NO CHECKS.

In the event of a "natural disaster", “Act of God”, or an emergency preventing the customer from receiving the order be it delivery or pick-up, a 20% credit will be transferred to a future order occurring within days of order due date. In the event of a nation-wide or "state of emergency," that causes events to be canceled or postponed by you or the event coordinator, we will allow rescheduling of the date within months of the event date and based on our calendar availability. No refunds are allowed; however, you will not have to pay a new retainer. There is no penalty or extra fees unless there is a desire to upgrade or increase the original products paid for. In the event of the death of the customer/client, all monies will be refunded minus the “Save- the- Date,” item purchase fee, or other retainer fees within 7 business days. In case of death of the owner of An Astute Life Parties & Events, all monies will be refunded within 14 business days of her or his death by the authorized representative. In the event that you become sick within days of your event, please notify us IMMEDIATELY to reschedule your event. We can not refund in most cases as production has already begun. However, we will allow the rescheduling of your event to a later date within 6 months of the original date based on calendar availability. In the event that the owner of An Astute Life Parties & Events or anyone located within the immediate area becomes sick within 7 days, we will attempt to locate an alternative treat designer and forward all payments to them. If we are unable to locate a new designer then we will refund 50% of the payments accrued.

You understand by booking your event post-pandemic but with the potential of illness to occur, you agree that no refunds will be considered unless requirements are met, “In the event of the death of the customer/client, all monies will be refunded minus the “Save- the- Date,” item purchase fee, or other retainer fees within 7 business days. In case of death of the owner of anAstuteLife parties and events, all monies will be refunded within 14 business days of her or his death by the authorized representative.

We will attempt to match the colors chosen but when dealing with food there may be a slight color variance. It will be our best effort to complete the color palette you have chosen. We are not responsible for color changes that may occur after the preparation of the food item which is part of the natural age progression of flavors and dyes. We will not copy another artist’s work exactly but will use it as inspiration to give you your own unique item(s). Under no circumstance will DISCO DUST, LUSTRE DUST, OR GLITTER is used on treat items to be consumed unless it is labeled EDIBLE or FDA approved. These items are otherwise NONTOXIC but are not meant for human consumption. They may only be used on decorations that are to be removed prior to consumption. Sanding sugar, edible pearls, and ONLY hybrid or sparkle dust that are labeled EDIBLE can be used. This is NON-NEGOTIABLE. We take your health and safety very seriously. An Astute Life parties and events , retains the rights to share photographs of orders for advertising purposes and networking purposes. *Photos will not be posted until AFTER the order has been picked up or delivered. If the items ordered are a surprise, please make us aware and we will delay posting until after the event time. If you do not wish to be tagged or have your name mentioned in the items, please notify us at the time of pick-up or delivery. We do not provide sketches or previews after your order is in progress, as it is time- consuming and delays the work process. Unfortunately, we do not sketch which is the reason we use inspirational pictures to base your treats on. We strive to bring you the best possible product(s) as discussed in your consultation. We will not copy another artist’s work but will use it for inspiration to give you your own unique item(s). No design or flavor changes can be made after the final payment has been received. Requesting a sketch prior to submitting the Save-the-Date retainer, will require a $80 service fee to be paid along with the save-the-date retainer, which is non-refundable.

Here at Astute Life Parties and events, we abide by the Texas cottage food law, current as of 2023. 1. As of September 1, 2019 (the last update of the Texas Cottage Food Law) you may sell the following homemade food items: Any food, excluding meat, that does not require time or temperature control to prevent spoilage Baked goods that do not require refrigeration, such as cakes, cookies, breads, and pastries Candy Coated and uncoated nuts Unroasted nut butters Fruit butters Canned jams and jellies Fruit pies Dehydrated fruits and vegetables including dried beans Popcorn and popcorn snacks Cereal, including granola Dry mixes Vinegar Mustard Roasted coffee or dry tea Dried herbs or herb mixes Whole (uncut) frozen fruits or vegetables Canned acidified plant-based foods with a pH of 4.6 or less Fermented vegetables with a pH of 4.6 or less Pickled fruits or vegetables with a pH of 4.6 or less 2. Your gross annual income from the sales of these foods must be $50,000 or less. 3. No health department or local government authority can regulate your production of these items. There are no licenses, registration, or permits required by state law. 4. If DSHS or your local health department has reason to believe your operation poses an immediate and serious threat to human life or health, they may take action, including getting a warrant to enter your home, and shutting down your operation. 5. You may sell the food directly to consumers anywhere in Texas. Local ordinances apply. 6. Your food must be packaged in your home kitchen in a way that prevents the product from becoming contaminated. Items that are too large or bulky for conventional packaging, like wedding cakes or cupcake bouquets, are not required to be packaged. 7. Your food must be labeled according to the labeling requirements. The label must be affixed to the package, except for items that are too large or bulky for packaging; in that case the label may be incorporated into the invoice. 8. You may sell your food on the internet, in Texas, as long as you personally deliver the food to your customer. All the information on your labels, except your home address, must be provided to the customer BEFORE the customer pays for the food. 9. You may not sell wholesale: in other words, you must sell your product directly to the end consumer. You may not sell your food to a reseller such as a grocery store, restaurant, or coffee shop. 10. You must complete a basic course in safe food handling prior to selling your food. If you have anyone assisting you in the preparation of your product, such as an employee, they must also complete the training if at any time they will be unsupervised by you. Members of your household are exempt from this requirement. 11. You may not sell any food which requires time and temperature control to prevent spoilage, except whole uncut frozen fruits and vegetables. However, you may use potentially hazardous products as ingredients in your food (like milk, eggs, and cream) as long as your FINAL PRODUCT does not require refrigeration (cakes, cookies, candy, etc). 12. No municipal zoning ordinance can prevent you from having a cottage food operation in your home. However, your neighbors can still take action against you if your business becomes a nuisance to them. 13. Sales of homemade acidified canned plant-based foods, fermented vegetables, or pickled fruits and vegetables are subject to certain other requirements. 14. If you sell frozen fruits and vegetables, the following additional requirements apply: The fruit or vegetable must be whole and uncut. You must store and deliver the item to your customer at an air temperature of not more than 32 degrees Fahrenheit; You must include on the label of the item, or on an invoice or receipt provided to the customer the following statement in at least 12-point font: “SAFE HANDLING INSTRUCTIONS: To prevent illness from bacteria, keep this food frozen until preparing for consumption.”