I started my story of this cake here...
http://forum.cakecentral.com/cake-decorating-ftopict-592997.html

It iced well, came out smooth. Had the topper issue - I opted to NOT break into the UPS and I painted some of my white orchids to match her flowers on site. (I always keep some white gumpaste flowers in stock for emergencies). I chose to travel the hour and a half to the reception site with the cake in 3 pieces and set up on site. I have a box constructed for this kind of traveling that individually stabilizes each cake base. I had to slam on my breaks for a cop car that stopped very unexpectedly and heard a plop in the back. My parents were watching the kids and DH came with me, so he climbed to the back and the top cake (which was almost 8 inches high) toppled right off the board. thank goodness for the size of the box it was in flopped into the box, scraped off the top and mashed in the side.

I showed up to the site knowing I had a good amount of work to do. The event planner pulls out this cake stand for me. Okay, the mother of the bride called me on Wednesday and said she made a cake stand for the cake. She said it was a strong foamcore, wrapped in fabric and had a ribbon around it. I envisioned a 4" high dummy kind of thing, wrapped in ivory fabric with a simple ribbon wrap, maybe a bow. I've seen these often and fgured she was going on that route. I was WRONG. I was presented with a 16" sq, 1/2 inch thick, wrapped in FOIL and had this crazy polka dot ribbon poofed out. So tacky. But the MOB made it and what was I supposed to do?!

I started setting up the cake on the crazy board, scraped off the back of the top cake, re-iced, put on fresh pearls, stacked, added the ribbon, added my flowers.

Here it is on the board that the MOB made.


I couldn't stand looking at it, so I ended up tucking up the linens around it.



No phone calls, and I thought the end result was very lovely. Thanks for keeping up with me!

beautiful cake! (and I liked the green ribbon thing! When I saw the pic ... before reading the whole post .... I was gonna ask you how you did that! )

the cake is beautiful (i love the flowers) and I kinda like the stand the mob made too, just would have liked it to be thicker/taller stand. i think the green ribbon gave just a nice little pop of color that actually coordinated well with the greenish/yellow of your flowers.

Am I crazy? I didn't think the cake stand was that bad...

Nah....I'm one vote against: Tee-acky!!! I'd have "accidentally" covered it as well!!!!

I personally like mono-chromatic, and think the green ribbon was tasteless too. It's so funny how each person's tastes are so different. I bet the MOB thought it was the cat's a$$. I think that the cake overall is stunning. Would love to be a bride with that cake! Job well done!

This may not be a popular answer, but if the MOB made something special for her daughter's wedding, I ... as "just the cake lady" .... would never cover it up and basically tell her "wow, that's ugly!" If it's not really feasible or workable (like heavy candles sitting on the corners of the cake, for example, or putting toxic flowers on the cake) that's one thing.

But to cover up what a mother made for her daughter's wedding ... to me, THAT is what is tacky. It may not be my taste .... but it's not my daughter's wedding.

So what happend to the original topper? Did it ever come? Did the bride like the flowers?

IndyDebi-well said.

I think it's ugly too. And I would have covered the ribbon thing up as well while I took my pictures (how would a potential customer know that the MOB made it and that it wasn't something I came up with?). I wouldn't want anyone thinking that was my taste - just as if a customer brought in some plastic staircases and a fountain to "dress up the cake". NO WAY! I don't do those! And I want my pictures to reflect my tastes and what I will (and can) do. Ugly (in my opinion) cake stands, plastic stairs, color flo fountains, plastic bridesmaids, etc... ICK!

I would have uncovered after the pics were taken and left. I get the impression that is what aligotmatt did... let's not jump on her please?

Not to get too much off the topic-but how many of you refuse to do those fountains, staircases, etc.? I'm just curious because while it may not be to our style or our liking, it's not our wedding. I agree that the stairs and all are really old school but there are some people who like that stuff. Everytime Michael's has their coupons I see someone walking out with one of those fountain things or those ruffled things. I may choose not to take a picture of a cake I did like that but at the same time someone knows that you're flexible as well and have all sorts of talents for all types of cake styles.
I'm just curious as to how many people refuse cakes like that. Don't mean to hijack the thread.

I agree with both sides here, It doesn't really look all that wonderful or what I would consider a cake stand but it could be very special to the bride and I'm sure it was to the MOB... I don't think it should have been covered it up except for maybe your own personal picture b/c all that should be seen is your work and you cannot undo what has already been done, so maybe next time someone wants to use their own "cake stand" I would umm either pre-approve or say you prefer to use your own...great cake though! I'm sure the Bride was happy!

I wouldn't do one because I think they're terrifyingly tall, and I'd have nightmares the whole thing would fall over. Plus, I'm with you. I really do think they're so ugly. They were popular in the 80's and I didn't like them even then.

I think I'd just tell the bride I don't have those supplies, wouldn't be confident doing one, and perhaps she should use someone with more experience with them.

Oh sure, Debi - be fair! LOL You're right, of course...but boy, I'd WANT to accidentally cover the darned ol' thing! hehe

well, accidents DO happen!

To be fair to me, this is how I found out about the stand.

The bride and I talked last week and she couldn't find the stand she wanted, so she decided she wanted a simple white board base. Then on Wednesday her mom called and said she made the stand once and her daughter said 'oh that's cute but it's the wrong size' and "so I decided to re-make it and surprise her with it." the mob also told me if I thought it wouldn't work that I didn't have to use it.

I don't know what kind of relationship they have, but I know when I say, 'oh that's cute, but it's the wrong size' to my mom and then go make other plans, it's because I didn't like it and didn't want to hurt her feelings.

So I talked to the event planner at the site about it and she said the first people set to arrive were the brides cousins and she would ask them if they thought the mob would be offended by the covering they would just pull it back. But the green on the ribbon was so bright and didn't match anything at the reception at all.

I really didn't think it was quite as tasteless as you all are saying I was.

Alison, I mean you were also in 'I need to fix this cake mode 'cause it got damaged so you were in redeeming mercy me mode and it spilled over to something that you already had veto power on and we didn't know it.

Oh my gosh what a save! You did way good on that. Could not tell it got a direct hit and was whacked anywhere. It's an elegant, stately design well executed, twice.

And now that I've written it, elegant stately really does not go with busy frufru ribbon does it.

I did a cake where the bride couldn't provide me with the topper until the day of the wedding. I did my homework and had her measure it to make sure I had the top tier the correct size, I was able to see a picture of it too. I didn't like it, but she did. Actually, I thought the thing was hidious! When I got to the reception site and set up the cake and prepared it for the topper, I nearly lost my lunch when I saw that the color was STARK white, which made my (fairly off white)buttercream look dingy. I took pictures of the cake before the topper was added and after, that way I can show which picture I prefer. It was so far from what my taste is -but it's what the bride wanted...

I have done one fountain under with a staircase going down each side. This was for my best customer who purchases at least 1 cake per month from me. I couldn't have tried to persuede her to have anything else, this was her dream. I don't care for those items either though, however I am not in a position to turn-away business.

The cake board ribbon, from the MOB... I wonder if the Bride liked it? ha ha... =) I think it would be cool for another cake, such as a birthday - or if the wedding decor mirrored that idea - however from what I could see in the picture, it seemed more formal? I think the green was more vibrant than the leaves on the flowers & clashed/took away from the overall look of the cake. I would have either covred it for my pic & then put it back - or just photoshopped it out.

Aligotmatt: I'm SO glad this worked-out for you, thank you for sharing your pictures & your experience. I just had a Bride send a topper to me only 1 week before her wedding (she only ordered it 1 month before!)... however I have a little "disclaimer" to share with future Brides, regarding toppers I don't receive in advance! It sounds like they were fine without the topper? And what a GREAT idea to have the flowers ready as back-up, just incase. Now that's planning =)

I always ask if they are planning to use a topper and if so that we need to discuss the size etc in relations to the cake. I am not a fan of fountains and stairs but I did do a cake with both not very long ago. It was not what I would have picked but it looked very well done.

But what happened to the topper? Did it ever arrive? Was the bride upset about it being missing? Did UPS apologize for the rude customer service? I would DEFINITELY be writing a letter to UPS about this incident, particularly the hang up. A time sensitive package did not get delivered on time, and customer service hangs up on the understandably upset customer? Guess they are only after the market that doesn't think timely delivery is important.

So I also like the cake stand. It's really different. and it does provide a pop of color but doesn't clash. It would have been perfect with a whimsical but oh, well.

As for UPS and all shipping companies, I really hate that somebody ships something to you and it requires a signature. Sometimes I have to go pick stuff up b/c it can't be dropped off. I'm like, hey, I'm the one ordering it, I'm the customer, if I want to take the chance of it getting stolen off my porch I will but at least do what I want with it.

They are a headache!!!!!

Ok- I just read both threads for the first time and I too am dying to know what ever happened to the topper - and what did the topper look like? Just curious as to the style they were going for. I too had to use a topper that I thought was um... let's just say 'not my taste' nor did I think it went with the wedding theme (tiffany blue cake with seashells in my pic with the big giant plastic diamond wedding bands!) - but again, that's what they left for me to put on there so I made it work the best I could. (oh, and they had broken it the night before so it was superglued together and you could see it!!!) So luckily I had some extra sand and seashells that I had brought with me and I fixed it up the best I could and tried to make it work!

I too am not a fan of the stairs, fountains, seperated tier with plastic swans, etc. look. and I have turned down cakes like this because I knew that it would not be my best work. I have no desire to work with any of that and that's my choice to accept or decline any order. I only do stacked cakes. (a la Duff!) And that's fine. To each his own but I don't want to put the integrity of my work on the line with something that I am not comfortable doing. And I let my customers know this. - I'm not mean about it nor do I come out and say oh, that's so ugly and tacky, this is 2008 not 1988!! But I do try to suggest other options or stear them in a different direction IF they're up for it - If it's something they really have their heart set on then I'm fine with letting it go. To each his own I guess. I too like to know what will be waiting for me in regards to anything anyone wants to put on a cake. As a cake artist (which is what I think we all are - not everyone can do what we do, I could never be a sculpter or paint portraits - I'm terrible at drawing people and faces!! I believe we all have our own niches and styles. I know it kind of throws you for a loop when you have an idea or a look you're going for and you have to unexpectedly put something on your creation that you don't care for and try to make it work!!

So - please tell us.....what happened to the topper?!?!?!?!?!