I have done many wedding cakes, but yesterday was the first non-family member I have done. I wasn't happy with the cake, as I usually am not happy with my cakes. I saw all the flaws, leans, crooked parts. Then, I am worried I didn't make enough cake. So, today, I am worried that I am going to get a phone call within the next week or so to say how unhappy they were with the cake. Is this typical or is it because it is my first non-family member? I have attached a picture. It is a 12" octagon, 10" round, 8" octagon, 6" round, and 4" octagon. Thanks for the support.

I don't think you need to be worried about anything, but I completely understand what you mean - wedding cakes are always stressful for me and I only make them for free for family and close friends.

Take a deep breath and stop stressing - your cake looks beautiful.

Oh my God are you serious??? Oh you'll get a call alright.....to tell you how much everyone LOVED it!!!!!!! It's beautiful!

**Big Smile**!!!!! You have nothing to worry about. You did a super nice job on that.

Omg--it's magnificent--fear not, my troubled Cake-Buddy.

Hey wanna get 'cured' of being stressed?? Work for someone else doing their cakes. No sweat, GI.

All you gotta do is what you gotta do--you got somebody else on the string for anything that goes wrong. Most freeing thing that ever happened to a cake decorator.

Or pretend you're working for someone else--if you can get into the mind game.

I watch a lot of golf (making the sign of the cross, 'Dear Jesus please help me...') against my will and umm, one thing about golf is it is so unforgiving--an equal opportunity leveler of the playing field--plus it's a unrelenting mind game. And one time this guy (Vijay Singh) was having a bad day in this big deal tournament with his putting. He kept repeating to himself 'I am a great putter. I am a great putter." And he pulled it out of the fire.

So self talk, self chatter makes a huge difference huh.

Question for you: Would we want our kidlettes talking to themselves the way we talk to ourselves? hmmm? No rsvp.

In other words, you kicked a$$ now quit kicking your own.

Just some 'giving ourselves a break' (<<priceless) thoughts for you.

I don't stress out on wedding cakes anymore, but I know exactly how you feel 'coz I go thru that when I have a catering.

Cakes, I always have plenty of time. Bake it on Tuesday, ice and decorate on Thursday, giving me Friday for any last minute fixes or decorating. If all goes well on Thursday, I pretty much have Friday off .... just hanging around waiting on Saturday to get here so I can deliver 'em.

Catering? Whole 'nuther ballgame! No such thing as cooking it two days early, so I'm trying to balance getting things cooked in time but not too early .... the clock is my ENEMY!! A van FULL of equipment ... checklist after checklist after checklist to make sure I've staged it all, loaded it all, and I still manage to forget SOMETHING!

My family calls it "Melt Down ... Phrase 2!"

I've never done a wedding cake but i sooooo would be a nervous wreck. Your cake was lovely...if you really are worried and unsettled why not phone the bride or MOB and ask - people will always phone to tell you how bad something is (usually immediately) but never quite get round to making the phonecall that says thanks the (whatever) was fantastic, maybe hearing how great it really was would settle your nerves and give you a bit of a boost. I think worrying is what keeps us all on our toes and makes us do our best job - the day we stop worrying is the day we have turned into colette peters or we don't give a damn ( exceptions of course to the pros who do this for a living - you would make yourself ill if you worried so much about every order, besides you're so talented you don't need to worry coz you know your stuff is fab - if that sounds condescending it's not meant to it really is a compliment

My motto is no news is good news.
Do you think it's professional to call?

I would probably go with k8 on the phone call ..... unless you handle it as a "just doing a post-event follow-up survey to see how everything went" thing. And bluntly, I consider those a PITA.

No news is good news.

Oh yah, you worry about what everyone thought and you drive yourself nuts doing it trying to make every detail perfect. And believe me, they dont see it the way we do. We get nervous about little flaws and they cant even see them! So stop stressing! Really, if they didnt like it believe me, the bride or someone would of been on the phone with you and the next day! I remember my first wedding. I was so stressed. I had my mother here and my airconditioning went out in my van! The night before! Talk about freaking! It was whipped cream frosting and it was the hottest April day (in the 90's). I had to drive two hours! By the time I got to the venue my cake looked like tires instead of rounds! I was so upset and worried about the phone call. Do you know not only did she give me an exellent review, they gave me a $100 tip!

Guys, you are making me feel better. I was thinking about that, too, that if they were truly unhappy I probably would have heard from someone today. I look at the picture and think it doesn't look too bad, but when I saw it in the hall after I put it together, I thought they are going to be upset. Maybe in the dim light, it was un-noticeable. Thanks for the comments and support and honesty. Today is a day I really needed it. Thanks!

Your cake looks beautiful!

Remember: we see our work through our microscope "cake eyes"... we see every flaw, every lump, bump, crack, tilt and blemish.
But cake civilians see cake as a unit, a well designed, delicious looking tower of yumminess.

I always make a courtesy call a few days after the event, especially with new clients, to make sure they enjoyed the cake.

Most people do not see all the things you do. Don't sweat it so much! No news is good news. I rarely hear back from brides (except their friends ordering a wedding cake because it was so good).

You did great. I love it.

You cake is beautiful...no need to worry and stress about at all. The more non family member cakes you do the easier it will be for you. What I still stress about is the delivery process and whether something will happen to the cake during it. I guess we always will have something to worry about!

After 25 years...Stress is why I no longer do wedding or grooms cakes.

I have to admit I really like your cake. Alot.

Your cake is beautiful...try not to worry. I had the same situation last weekend, so I called the lady. She said I'm so glad you called, the cake was awesome and it exceeded our expectations. If it gives you peace of mind, I would call.

I think that your cake is beautiful....I hope I can make as fabulous as yours one day, since I am just starting!! I am no professional, just a hobbyist, but I do call after the event to make sure everything was alright with the cake.... Of course, I don't do this for a living either and it is usually for a friend of a friend or something. I don't think it would be unprofessional at all to call and follow-up. At least you will have peace of mind, because I am certain that you will only get positive reviews!!!!

I've only done one wedding cake and it was for a family member. But, I can tell you that I had nightmares about it from the time she asked me to do it up until the night before delivery. I just hope that it will get better in time