I am so mad. First of all I don't like fresh flowers on the cakes that I do, but this one insisted. Her mother said she would prefer the florist put them on the cake. The use him exclusively and trust him explicitly to accomplish the task of the flowers.

So I try two times to contact the florist to speak to him about the flowers on the cake. He is out both times and doesn't return my calls. I am there this morning at 10:00 am to setup the cake. The florist doesn't show while I'm there. I attend the wedding and when I return to the reception this is what I find. He put the flowers in all the wrong places. Although the cake does look nice, in my eyes he screwed it up. It would have looked much better if the flowers were where the drapes met.

I am so mad. We couldn't stay at the reception, because hubby got called into work, but I was just livid all the way home. I don't know why really it wasn't my fault and if she doesn't like the way it looked she should blame the florist, but I worked so hard on that cake and then to have someone else make it look bad just because they are too busy to discuss the details with you really ticks me off.

Sorry I just had to vent.

i think it looks good. im sure noone would have thought it was ugly! I guess if they wanted the florist to do it... then there isnt much you could have done. But i do understand how frustrating that would have been for you!!

Your drapes (and the whole cake) are beautiful! Maybe the florist thought they were too pretty to cover up! I do think the one on the bottom would have been nicer where the drape ends. I wouldn't worry about it too much, the cake still looks wonderful!

Is this something that you could put into your contracts? Just that you either add the flowers or have last say so on where the flowers should be?

I think I would mention it to the bride and her mother at some point, just so they know what happened.

I know what you mean . Although to someone looking at it and not knowing your plan, you would just think you are looking at a very beautiful cake. But I still understand your pain. I wouldn't worry about the bride, since she wanted HIM to do the flowers and he did. She got what she wanted.

If you hadn't said anything about the placment of the flowers, I would have never paid them any attention. I was looking at how wonderful your drapes are and in amazement at all of the dragees on the cake. The cake would have probably been nicer if the flowers were placed where the drapes meet. Overall, I think it is a beautiful cake. Remember, we are our own worst critics!

Oh I would be mad too. The cake is beautiful regardless, but if it wasn't like I planned it.. and *I* didn't make that decision I would be mad. I tell people that I do the flowers.. no exceptions. Florists (bless their hearts ) Have no clue.. Is that a calla on the top peeking out? They are poisonous and shouldn't touch the cake. Most florists will look at you cross eyed when you say that this or that flower is poisonous.. and I understand..they don't deal with food and edibles and wouldn't really know, but this is why it's important to be the one to do it. All flowers really shouldn't touch the actual cake.. they are grown with pesticides and can (in quantity) make people sick. Unless they are organically grown that is, and you bet your bottom that most florists aren't using organic flowers.

((hugs)) Know that your cake looks beautiful even with the misplaced flowers.

I see what you mean about the flowers being placed where the
drapes met, it certainly would've made a huge difference to the appearance of the cake. I think it's such a beautiful cake though, very neat and streamlined. Aren't you glad you have a place you can vent this sort of thing out on, hooray for CC!
Forget about the florist, you did an amazing job with the cake.
Did you take a picture without the flowers? It may be a lot better than the one with the flowers!

I think it looks GORGEOUS!! With the placement of the flower on top, it's off to the right, which balances the hearts very nicely. Then the next flower at the bottom of the next tier (wouldn't look good also on right side imo). Andc then the arrangement around the bottom of last tier looks great to me and nicely balanced.

First, the cake is beautiful and anyone who didn't know where the flowers were suppose to be, didn't think anything looked out of place. It's a beatiful cake that you should be proud to add to your portfolio.

That said, I scrolled down to see the cake before I read your post and I swear to high heaven, what went thru my head was "why didn't he put the flowers where the drapes meet?" But understand that you and I look at these things differently.

I make it pretty clear that *I* put the flowers on the cake. "I don't do flower bouquets and florists are not cake decorators." Did she let the florist do the bridesmaids hair? Just because BM's wear flowers in their hair doesn't mean the florist is qualified to do their hair. If I would ever run into a bride who INSISTED the florist do the cake flowers, I'd make her sign a release taking full responsibility for the look and structure of the cake.

The way I look at it is this: Once I deliver the cake it belongs to the bride. If she wants to have the florist put the flowers on her cake then that is her decision. I don't recommend it because florists are NOT cake decorators but the cake does belong to the bride.

Thanks everyone. My hubby says not to say anything to the mother of the bride unless she says something about it. Apparently this florist can do no wrong in her eyes and I don't need to act like I am being negative toward him. Like you all said noone, but us on CC would notice that anything is wrong. I don't think the staff at the club even knew it was suppose to have flowers.

I just had to vent. I feel like everyone one of my cakes are my babies and sometimes it's hard to just hand them over let alone have someone that knows nothing about cake ruin the whole image for you.

When the bride approached me I didn't know the first thing about those drapes. I worked so many weekends on them and only my hubby knows how much grief they gave me. So to have them done and look pretty good I was so proud and still am, it's just that they could have looked so much better with properly arranged flowers.

Oh well, life continues onward and I must move along with it. Thanks again.

Very pretty cake. Are the hearts done in chocolate?

Mike

I kinda disagree, I like where he placed them. I think the draping is too pretty to cover up. It doesnt 'offset' the cake or anything. It is gorgeous, dont waist your frustration over this cake, its too nice. wait till you have a real blowout and then take it out , lol. Trust me , ive been there!

Actually the hearts are the cake topper they gave me. It is suppose to be a mirror look, but it is made of plastic.

Your drapes are perfect....but I think like you...the flower placement is OK but not where I would have put them. I really don't like anyone adding flowers to my cakes.....it's an extention of your work.

And probably most everyone else didn't notice.. but you know.....Your work is fantastic.....it is still a beautiful cake.

I discourage fresh flowers on cakes.. but if they insist.. my schpeal is much like Laura's.. I am NOT liable if someone croaks and they must sign to that.. shut's 'em up fast.

Again.. the cake is beautious!!

I adding this to my "Lessons Learned" file. Thanks all.

I use a subtly coloured dot of icing or a tiny flower where floral picks are to go. Makes it a no brainer for the florist. Almost Paint by number for them.

Patty May I say that your cake is stunning... WITHOUT the flowers stunning! Your did a flawless job! This is a reason I HATE to do weddings... I have one to do but I am NOT looking forward to it ..

(((((hugs)))))) girl your cake looks great to me and I know it's not where the flowers were supposed to be .. but I erased them before I even looked at them... the cake is what I look at

Just to let you all know (then I am dropping the subject - really). The mother of the bride called this morning to arrange returning the equipment. I asked her how the cake was and she seemed polite and courteous, but didn't rave over it. So as we discussed the reception and the wedding, she all of a sudden blurts out "Were the flowers in the wrong places".

I told her that I wasn't going to say anything, because it was her florist and maybe they told him to put them where he did. I told her I tried to contact him two times last week to discuss the flowers and he didn't return my calls. She said "He never returned any of my calls either."

Apparantly he is very popular and was highly recommended, but I don't get the feeling she was very impressed. I didn't even go into the fact that he stuck the stems in the cake and put a Calla Lily on the top tier. I figured it was done and over with and I am trying to look like the better person in all of this.

Secretly I'm happy that she was ticked at him, because I got the impression that she thought I wouldn't be able to do the cake justice by putting the flowers on and wanted him to do it.

Okay, I'm done now.

Your cake is beautiful! You did a great job! Sorry the florist messed!

That is so great that she brought it up! Your cake was beautiful.


BTW-- My 2 yo DD chewed on a calla stem this past week. I had deadheaded them and had a pile laying there. I snatched it out of her mouth and kinda forgot about it. But about 20 min. later when we got inside she was going "momma hurts" and pointing in her mouth. I gave her milk and she seemed fine. When I looked it up online it says that callas can cause burning in the mouth and throat (plus a host of other problems....). Scary!

This is exactly why I have a clause in my contract that says basically that no one other than me is allowed to place flowers on the cake. They have to initial it to make sure they understand.

I agree that the flowers should have been at the ends of the drapes. BUT, I still think it looks really pretty. The flowers on the top and bottom really look lovely!

Blimey, how can anyone insist that a florist puts the final touches on a cake?! You wouldn't ask the baker to arrange your bouquet!

Anyway what I really want to know about that fab cake is how you got the dragees so perfectly spaced?! How do you measure something like that??

To figure out how big or long I need to make the drape I used cooking string and laid it on the cake the way I wanted the drape to go and then rolled my fondant out to that length.

I had to actually experiment with the fondant/gumpaste mix, because the 50/50 kept drying out to quick and cracking, so I ended up with about a 75/25 fondant to gumpaste. (Our house has AC set at 73 all the time, so there is almost no humidity in here).

I did all the drapes to a 4 inch width and used 4- 1/4 inch dowel rods to make the folds. After I put the dowels under the sheet of fondant I pushed the dowels together and let it set for about 30 seconds before removing the dowels.

The bottom one was a little tough because it took longer to roll it out and therefore got a bit dryer and I had a harder time getting it on the cake right.

I completely understand how you feel about the flower placement... what was the guy thinking??? Thankfully your cake was more than beautiful enough on it's own. I'm glad the MOTB realized the florist wasn't as good as they thought.

Shola - Sorry I misread your post I thought you said drapes so straight. What I did for the dragees was use a 1" impression mat to make the indents and then just glued each pearl in the hole with gum glue (tylose and water). You can just paint it in the holes with a paint brush and then put the pearls in the hole. It dries clear so you never see any squished icing around the pearl.

I would be upset if someone messed up my cake, so I totally understand. That being said, I really think the flowers look nice where they are. I think it's well balanced and quite unique.

Anyway, hopefully, this won't happen to you anymore!!! I'm sure you're very frustrated!

Amber