Has this ever happened to anyone else???

Yesterday, I set up a cake in which I intentionally made over 100 extra servings. I added a 16" round so they could have extra cake the next day for out of town family members staying at their house.

I also happened to be attending the wedding, so when it was time to cut the cake, the banquet manager was having trouble disassembling my stand so I went over to help. I told her I did the cake and explained that there would be over a hundred extra servings, so not to cut it all up right away. She said fine. The hotel servers took it apart, took it to the back, cut it up and brought out plates to serve. ( I had also told her to feel free to slice them a little larger since there was so much). The slices were so thin and nobody seemed to be offered seconds. I told some family members sitting at the table that there would be a ton of cake left over especially since they were so thin.

When the reception was near over, I went to the kitchen to find the banquet manager but they said she already left for the night. I asked the hotel server to bring me the leftover cake so I could give it to the family ( I was started to feel suspicious...) and she brings me two small clear plastic containers with cake. That was it!! I just looked at her and said there must be a mistake....The bottom cake was a 16" round...that's a hundred servings in itself! She said, "I didn't take it. We served seconds, so that's why there aren't so many servings left." I know for a fact that wasn't true because I deliberately watched to see if they were going to!

I got the hotel manager and explained what happened and he was no help whatsoever. This has only happened once before when I did the cake and attended it at a Country Club and the servers took it apart and took the cake to the back and served it themselves. About 25% of the guests never even got ONE slice and there were no leftovers.

When I have brides have their friends or family cut the cake, they always tell me that they had a good amount of leftovers....however when the reception is at a hotel or country club it appears that the servers help themselves to the leftovers!!

The other thing I was noticing....they seemed to only serve the outer edge of the cake. I'm sure because they have nice edges and look nicer to serve. What did they do with all the inner pieces???? Is this what they divided up among themselves??

I know this is long, but I am SO mad! This has happened twice that I know of. Has this ever happened to anyone else????

Sorry, I tried to attach pic of cake but it didn't work!

Wow- that is just plain rude and bad business practice! Make sure the bride complains!!!!!
I made a cake for a wedding in July and the restaurant where the reception was at served everyone a piece of cake that wanted it and made sure we got the leftovers!
I even gave a piece to the bartender because he did such a good job bartending!

I think that I would have the bride call them and charge them for the 16" that disappeared!
LouAnn

Put me in the "Me too!" column! That would absolutely tick me off, because it looks like you didn't make enough cake. That's why my price includes me staying to cut my cakes. I know it's cut properly. When I'm finished and I box all the remaining, I then let the bride or one of the moms know exactly what's left, that it's boxed up for them and where I've left it. On another thread, I mentioned that in my 50 years, I've never attended a wedding where the cake was taken out of sight to be cut. Maybe this is a good example of why it shouldn't.

This facility is shooting themselves in the foot because word of mouth like this travels fast! It's plus that you were there and actually saw what was going on. If it was me, I'd warn future brides who are booking their reception at this facility. What a shame that brides will feel they have to designate someone to babysit their cake.

OMG! I would be so pissed! That's outrageous behaviour! I have a feeling a similar thing may have happened at the wedding I did last week (the brownie wedding in my photos). The catering staff were literally salivating over my cake/brownies and lots of them said ' I hope they don't eat it all so we can have what's leftover!'. I didn't know what to say, but if I were that bride and groom I'd have made sure that I took the leftovers home - after all they paid for it!

It really does beggar belief!

Edited to say: I was actually sat in the kitchen waiting to wheel the cake into the reception and they were preparing the supper buffet for it (a dinner had already been served earlier). I watched piece after piece of cheese, cold meats, bread etc going into the mouths of the people preparing it and the waiting staff. I'd bet my last dollar that wasn't 'extra' food, but what the bride & groom had paid for for their buffet that was disappearing into their stomachs!!!

At my sister's wedding 2 years ago, I made a cake and 4 different cheesecakes. When I went back into the kitchen to get something, people from the catering company were sitting down eating a piece of cheesecake!!! I didn't even know what to say!

I think it happens more than we know...

Well, I might say that here we're lucky. Every hall that you can rent for a wedding don't have kitchens. So the catherers work right in front you, or just in the shadow of the decorations (so always in sight of other people) and the cake always cut in front of the guests. Maybe it's because the catherer here always put on a show, and he's always fun to watch.... I don't know how it works now since he retired last year, but what I heard is that the one that bought the cathering stuff, does the same thing.

I never done a wedding cake other than for practice, so I can't tell for now. But at my wedding it was cut in front of us.

I am glad I am not there when the cake is served. It would irritate me to no belief if I found out this was happening. I never knew this would happen until reading this post. IT MAKES ME SOOOOO MAD that people can be that inconsiderate of other people!

If the bride doesn't complain and demand a partial refund, I believe that you should since you are the person that made the cake. Essentially what they did is considered theft and I would let the management know that not only is it illegal, it's immoral and demand that a partial refund be given to the bride. Sorry this happened.

I have worked in banquets a ton. It is not common practice for a server to eat the cake but it has happened. If we are given instructions to keep cake we do as said. If all the cake was served and the cake came back already cut and plated it was eaten. If there is no specific request the cake is not packed up for the bride to take home. If they want the topper it would be saved---Funny thing I cannot even count how many times a bride has left the top never to return to get it.
I did a cake for a my ten year reunion and cut the cake. I went back in and yes the servers were eating the cake!

Well I just had to put my 2 cents in on this one. Since the banquet mgr had left the scene of the crime, I would have demanded that the next person in charge get in contact with him or her immediately. I would have then told him what had happened(as if he didn't already know.) Demand that they reimburse you for the cake that your client did not get, as the bride was expecting it for her out of town guests. I would also tell him that what happened is not acceptable in the catering business and if he was any kind of professional he would meet your demands. Of course now is after the fact, however the bride could file a complaint with the BBB and it would go on their record, unless of course he resolves it. She could also speak to the General Manager. I am sure the Banquet mgr has a boss. I am sure to save face, they might reimburse you.

My BF is in a band - they band's meal is written in the contract that they can eat the meal. Kev was sitting in a hallway (waiting for the speechs to be over) at a big foo-foo hotel in Ft Worth and kept seeing these workers taking plates into a linen closet. It was the "stash" for the workers. They even told him how good the prime rib was. When the band got to eat (after all the guests) all the 'good stuff' was gone. The workers took the plates from the kitchen BEFORE even the guests!

I am not agreeing or disagreeing with this topic---I do know that in the hotels that I worked for they make extra food for over flow and staff meal. We waited until it was our break to eat though.

That is HORRIBLE! I'm with the people that said the hotel should be charged for the extra 16" cake. Professionals should know better. Surely they wouldn't help themselves to leftover booze? Why should the cake be any different. I would pitch a fit!

I just spoke with the Banquet Manager this morning and she said that she and another worker sliced the cake themselves. She said she was even afraid at one point if they were going to have enough for the guests!!! WHAT??!!? The cake was supposed to serve about 274 and there were only about 160 guests according to the BM herself!

The cake was 5 tiers: 8" (topper), 10", 12", 14" and 16" and she was afraid of running out??? (You can see the pic in my photos...it's Bounteous Love).

Something doesn't seem right to me. One worker that night told me they served seconds, but the BM told me this morning that they didn't serve seconds! the piece I got was SO thin...less than 1 inch. She said she would "talk" to the staff and see what happened after she left. Yeah, right....I'm sure they will fess right up!

As far as feeding the staff, I can see where they might be entitled to the meal after everyone has been served...but when the bride and groom decide on a cake I highly doubt they figure in feeding the hotel staff as well!

I believe this is outrageous...If I were the bride I would be demanding a refund....I don't think it is written anywhere in the catering contract that the event staff get any food or even the leftovers.I am stunned!! I wouldn't expect to if I worked there. I would be pursuing what happened to your 16 inch cake..That is alot to disappear. I know that in catering facilities it is not allowed for the bride and groom to take any leftovers home..by this I mean food..not cake.It is a health issue.This I understand but I certainly wouldn't want to see the kitchen staff hiding and taking food before the dinners etc are done being served.This is just Bad Business!!!

I was not referrring about cake but rather the food itself. Certainly if there was error if there was a request to have the cake packed up and saved. I was just giving another view of banquets. If there is no request made then the cake is tossed or eaten in the banquets I have worked. Hope you get to the bottom of this.

I remember at my own wedding I was so upset b/c although we did get out top tier - (which wasn't even supposed to be an anniversary tier but whatever) - and I KNOW there was cake leftover. I also KNOW there was food leftover that we didn't get. Unfortunately, we chose a place that had done VERY FEW weddings before and things weren't "all together". In fact, we started an hour later b/c the place we were having the wedding at changed the location for which guests could come into the area and it took an extra 30 minutes for each guest to arrive b/c they had to drive around the facility.....etc..... anyway..... I wouldn't recommend the place again, but I don't think too many people get married there anyway. It was a big shebang b/c all of our guests were from out o town and my parents wanted to do something very special - but we did let them know how unpleased we were w/ some of the things that happened.... not that they did anything. If I had been wiser, I would have worked harder on getting some kind of reimbursement - but I didn't find out until a while later all of the things that went on..........

anyway, if the bride isn't upset about it then there isn't anything you can do except tell future brides not to book their reception there. The bride is the one who really needs to take up on this and tell them how unhappy she was, how she ordered a cake that served ____ and that is what you made and how they EXPECTED extra servings for guests the next day and were very disappointed...... but as the cake decorator, there's nothing you can really do. You didn't pay for the venue and it wasn't YOUR wedding - so it's upt to the bride to make a fuss if she feels they cheated her on this..... good luck!

I was lucky with my wedding. My sister was my coordinator and boy, did she coordinate! She decorated the church, the hall, and cooked the food (I would highly reccommend her to anyone, she is awesome!). She even got all of the dresses made.
Anyway, the only thing she didn't make was the cake. We ordered for 150 but less than 75 showed up to the reception (which made the reception a super party!!!). Anyway, the cake that was not cut was taken to a soup kitchen in the area and they were happy to have it. The cake that was cut up and not served went home with guests, so we had no left overs what so ever.

But as to the situation here, honestly, I can understand your ire, but once the cake was paid for, it no longer was your responsability. If you want to make sure it doesn't happen again, then perhaps you should cut and serve your cakes from now on. You can do it either as a service or work it into your contract.

What is the bride's response to all of this?

The mother of the bride and the bride are NOT the type of people to get in a confrontation...they are super sweet and I know would not make a big fuss about it. I guess that's part of the reason I am even more upset. I don't want the hotel thinking that they "got away" with this. How many other brides have they done this too??

This is at least the second time I know of that this has happened. It is so hard for me to stand by and do or say nothing. If I hadn't been there, the family probably would have believed that all the cake was served and that was that. However, I know otherwise. Especially when we are talking over 100 servings missing!!!

Thanks for all your input! I will continue to warn my brides about letting the cakes out of their sight and letting non-friends and non-family cut the cake!

In my former life I was a conference coordinator and worked with hotels/convention centers on a daily basis. I have found that you do have to be very specific as to your expectations when you work with caterers. If you have an expectation that any food you have ordered that is not eaten by your guests be boxed up for you to take home, I would get it in writing. Same with the expectation on how many servings you should get from the cake if they are cutting it.

Most of the good large caterers (including hotels) do make an overrun of food in the event that you have additional guests arrive. They do not charge you for these servings unless they are eaten by your guests. These servings I would consider fair-game following your dinner service for the banquet staff to eat and would not be included in the food that should be boxed up if you have given that as instruction.

In this scenario, the banquet staff shouldn't have been let anywhere near the cake other than to serve it. It seems very possible that this venue took advantage of the fact that brides typically aren't keeping track of things on their wedding day and it takes about a week for them to go "hey that wasn't right!"

However, I do agree that the contract was between the bride and the venue and the only recourse can be take between those two, you have no way to take any action. If the bride is ok with it, all you can do is warn future brides that this can happen to them if they aren't specific in their contracts.

Don't worry...I'm not planning on suing or anything! I know technically there is nothing more I can do other than still be ticked off, but I just wanted to know if this had ever happened to any one else.

The Same thing happened to our wedding cake in Hawaii. We had cake enough for 120 people and only had 21 people at our wedding. When we called down that evening to have the remaining cake brought up to our room, they said they threw it out, which we knew was a lie. At least they saved the top tier for us. We were so looking forward to having more of the cake. I was heart broken about it. The hotel refunded us $250. Which helped with the cost of the cake, but I think I would have preferred to have the cake instead.

all of this discussion has me thinking about my wedding - 17 years ago. I remember we didnt' even thnk to ask if there was left over cake and I'm sure there was. The thing I was ticked about was that we had to pay to tap a new keg and then we left 20 minutes later. I'm sure that the keg we paid for, was used on the next wedding party and they were charged a full amount also. If I knew then, what I know now.....

I agree with cupcake - you should file a complaint with the BBB. And the city/town's board of tourism. And any website you can find to post a review of the place where the event was held. You could also write a letter to the editor of the local paper. I would have been SUPER PISSED if I had been that bride! My husband and I feasted for WEEKS on the leftovers from his grooms cake and our wedding cake.