OMG.
I guess luckily this was not my cake, or I would have been way more upset and unable to do anything....
Went with a fellow caker to deliver a wedding cake this afternoon. My friend is in her 60's, and very good. Does more older style, but really really good.
We were delivering a 4 tier stacked (just with dowels) to a small club near the lake. I went along to chat and hold the top tiers for safety. Then I was going home and she was going to a picnic/cookout with her family, to which she was taking a big sheetcake with simple picnic decorations on the top.
We got it there, and were doing the set up, all going well. Family and such begin to show up and these 2 little boys (maybe 3 and 5) are running around like banshees. Screeching, throwing toys etc.
No big deal, so long as they are away from us right?
My friend is doing the borders, and all that last minute stuff, and the kids now are getting close enough and throwing enough stuff/running right past us that I get a person to ask the parents to chill them out. Don't want the cake knocked over right?
Kids are moved, sorta. You could tell the parents were more into getting at the free booze than controlling their brats. Not our problem though, so my friend finishes up, cake looks great. Bride is thrilled, as are the mothers, so she feels good, gets paid and we are heading out.
Stop in the lobby to chat with the MIL who wanted more caking info and we hear a shriek and then kids crying. We think the brats finally hurt themselves running around or the like..no.
The had run into the table with the cake on it.
Top 2 tiers are smashed, they flew off the dowels sideways and hit the floor. 3rd tier is torn and covered in bits from the top. Only the bottom tier is even still looking like cake. They had no sheet cake or extra, as it was a fairly small wedding. My friend did a stable set up (It was very sturdy, but could not handle the whole table almost falling over of course) and was paid and left a satisfied customer. She had no obligation to do anything about it at this point.
Bride and co. knew they were screwed and were SO upset. (Kids' parents still did not care, did not even apologize to the bride) Asked my friend if she knew where in town they could find some quick sheet cakes/pastries/anything and if they could pay her extra to fix the bottom tier.
My friend instead waved off payment, fixed the bottom tier to look good enough to serve as the nice one with the topper to be cut for pics, and brought out the sheet cake from her car, scraped off the picnic decorations, re-iced the top and let them have that for free.
I thought my friend was really classy to do that at all, not to mention very fast and for free. We felt very bad for the bride, who was in tears, but happy with the replacement set-up. When we finally did leave we could still hear the MIL screaming at the kids' parents and demanding they pay for the smashed cake etc. I hope the reception went well for the bride after that, poor girl.
It was a good lesson to always carry lots of extra icing and such for 'just in case', more than you think is necessary. I guess it doesn't hurt to have an extra cake in the car either! :lol
oliveoyle Junior Member
Joined: Mar 15, 2008
Posts: 79
Location: texas
Birthday: Feb 01
Posted:
Sat Jun 28, 2008 1:14 pm
ohhh I don't even know what to say to that.I'm so sorry that happened to your friend, and she certainly went above and beyond the call giving away her cake.
Cricketlegs Newbie
Joined: Jun 08, 2006
Posts: 8
Posted:
Sat Jun 28, 2008 1:43 pm
How awful. I would damand the parents pay for the cake if it was mine. I am glad the MIL let them have it!
The poor bride.
Your friend is indeed a classy lady and a great business woman.
Yeah, I would have freaked out, felt guilty and probably not been able to fix it anywhere near as nicely as she did.
My friend was calm, cool and never batted an eye. Not the first time she has had a disaster!
She said if she had not had the sheet cake, she would have had them grab some grocery store plain cakes and would have decorated them up quickly and only made them pay for her time waiting for them to arrive.
(I just realized how long my post was too...sorry! Seems I type like I talk! )
lepaz Frequent Member
Joined: Mar 10, 2007
Posts: 245
Location: Washington
Birthday: Aug 03
Posted:
Sat Jun 28, 2008 1:57 pm
That was really nice of your friend to go the extra mile for the newlyweds. I hope the MIL got the parents to pay for the cake. I think those kids needed to go to the zoo and not for a visit!
indydebi Forum SuperStar!
Joined: Jul 07, 2006
Posts: 15085
Location: Indianapolis IN
Posted:
Sat Jun 28, 2008 2:14 pm
I am so impressed with your friend on how she handled this! But my favorite part of the story was hearing how the MIL was screaming at the parents!
How sad for the bride, I would have been furious! You really have to look after your kids when you're at events like a wedding. I delivered a birthday cake today, and it was for a baby turning 1. I set up the cake and I here a laughing voice approaching. Not even two seconds after I placed the cake down the birthday boys sister who is around 3-4 years old digs her fingers into the cake. Luckily the mom was right there to see what her daughter had done. She just laughed and said she loves to stick her fingers into cake. They paid me and I left. I'm always cautious about kids around when I have cake in my hands, even my own. I guess kids will be kids, but adults should be adults and control their kids.
christeena Forum Addict
Joined: Jun 19, 2006
Posts: 861
Location: IN
Birthday: Jun 08
Posted:
Sat Jun 28, 2008 8:34 pm
I realize that weddings are "family" affairs and kids are a part of the equation but I really struggle with small kids at very important events, especially if the parents are AWOL!! I made a wedding cake and kids were running around the cake and I didn't have any qualms about squashing their behavior when no parent is in site! Like Indy, I stay and cut the cakes, guarding them like a pit bull!! It was lucky for the bride that your friend was so well prepared and generous!!
Mike1394 Forum Fanatic
Joined: Feb 20, 2008
Posts: 1288
Location: Michigan
Posted:
Sun Jun 29, 2008 4:48 am
Wow, your friend is a very nice lady. That's why parents should always learn how to tie knots.
I don't understand why people even have children. They don't take the time to teach manners at all and they certainly can't be bothered to actually WATCH their children. If you want something cuddly and cute, get a pet. This is a huge pet peeve of mine.
Your friend is definitely a classy lady. She handled the situation like a true pro. I hope that MIL kicked those people out of the reception. No free booze for them!
4Gifts4Lisa Forum Addict
Joined: Apr 11, 2006
Posts: 716
Location: CA
Birthday: May 26
Posted:
Sun Jun 29, 2008 11:40 am
That poor, poor bride!
Your friend is one classy lady. What goes around comes around, and I am sure she has many blessings in her life!
playingwithsugar Forum SuperStar!
Joined: Aug 31, 2005
Posts: 4918
Location: Happy Birthday, Scorpions!
Birthday: Nov 20
Posted:
Sun Jun 29, 2008 11:56 am
Yes, what goes around definitely comes around, and she will be well rewarded for her caring and concern for this family.
Theresa
newmansmom2004 Regular Member
Joined: Jan 22, 2007
Posts: 138
Posted:
Sun Jun 29, 2008 11:57 am
All I can say is your friend is a SAINT! Thankfully her part had been completed and she was in the clear, but sad just the same. All that work just to have it destroyed because the parents weren't being parents.
I was at a cake show earlier this year and there were two little kids picking each other up and swinging each other right next to the tables and the moms of the kids were standing there just yakking away paying no attention. Their gabfest was far more important than all the work these exhibitors put into their cakes. Grrrrrrrrrrrr....
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You really have to look after your kids when you're at events like a wedding. I delivered a birthday cake today, and it was for a baby turning 1. I set up the cake and I here a laughing voice approaching. Not even two seconds after I placed the cake down the birthday boys sister who is around 3-4 years old digs her fingers into the cake. 
Luckily the mom was right there to see what her daughter had done. She just laughed and said she loves to stick her fingers into cake. They paid me and I left. I'm always cautious about kids around when I have cake in my hands, even my own. 
