I'm not sure what I should do about this bride 1st off this is a friend of a friend & She has a very large order and is changing it all the time. We are now down to finalizing and signing the contract. Currently she is out of state and her Fiance is in the army. Well I sent her over the paper work to sign and she e-mails and tells me she is so devestated but she may have to change the date of the wedding because her Fiance has to be sent out when the wedding was suppose to be so numbers may go down on the cake and she wants to know if I can still do her wedding? I'm thinking if the date is open I will do it, but what should I put on the contract and she is to put half once she signs the contract. This is one of the crazest weddings and brides I have ever had to deal with. Has anyone had to deal with this? Any help will be appreciated.TIA

I've run into this before...You need to tell her that you'll have to have a firm date from her before you can sign anything. With the military you never know if they're going to change his orders again, so they might end up having to change it again after this.

I'd tell her that once she has a firm date to let you know so that you can see if you're available, and that once the deposit is paid you can't change the date. I'd also specify if the deposit is refundable or not, since she might end up changing the date again and will want to switch you around once more.

do you refund there deposit? I was thinking no because I will be using the deposit or some of it to buy some of my supplies.

I would do the following:

1. Make her finalize ALL details of the cake - design, servings, flavors, etc... Explain to her that the numbers are UNLIKELY to go down because her fiance is getting shipped out. Quite the contrary - they will probably either go up or stay the same. People are going to want to see him before he ships out.

2. her fiance is in the military - personally, that deserves some good flexibility. As as you are capable of doing, you should.

3. As far as payment, I usually take 25% down. Take that and then the rest is due two weeks before.

4. If you are NOT availability, refund her the deposit. You should buy anything until the date is finalized anyway.

just my two cents for what it's worth

I agree with not buying any equipment until closer to the date...If you can't do the cake, return the deposit. If you can do it, then keep the deposit, but dont buy anything until a couple of weeks away from the wedding.

I ended up telling her it was fine I don't have a problem with it as long as the price stays at the deposit price no less and I will need to know as soon as possible on the exact date changed too..

Considering the circumstances...........I'd make an exception I mean this guy is putting his life on the line for us and our country. If they need to cancel I'm sure they'd know within the month. I think they'll really appreciate you being flexible.

I also offer a 20% discount for military couples, I've had 2 nephews that served in Iraq and Afghanistan and I saw what a sacrifice it was for their families while they were gone and for them being over there.

I'm glad you decided to do it, that's really nice of you to work with them when their lives are in such a state of upheaval.

I would go the extra mile for this military couple. They really don't have any control when it comes down to it. They will just do the best they can.
I would consider it a wonderful opportunity to do something special for someone who is giving his all for us. A military discount would be a nice thank-you, as well as the flexibility they need.

-Debbie B.

My 50% deposit is also non-refundable, but y'all know what a softie I am for my military brides. I also give a 20% military discount.

And yes, active military is one of my 60% Rule Exceptions. There won't be fewer people there.

dkelly, there's an Elks Lodge near me that rents out their facility to active military for only $100 (regular price to the public is $350). A local wedding chapel friend of mine is creating a list of "Military Friendly" wedding vendors and we will be plugging the list on our websites.

Good to hear that so many of you support our military!
Okay, I'm biased - my husband and I are both in the military, and we wouldn't have it any other way. We both love our jobs!

I always feel guilty about asking for a military discount at other businesses, but then again, I would feel proud to incorporate that into my own business plan.

Deployments (or "TDY's") can come with pretty short notice, so with all they have to worry about I'm sure they really appreciate your flexibility. My husband and I have both gone TDY on very short notice, and it can wreak havoc on the home life! (We're missing our 2nd anniversary this year due to a deployment.)

I'm in the process of writing my own contracts (with lots of help from fellow CC'ers!), and military service will be my exception to the non-refundable deposit policy. It's definitely fair to both parties - if you can afford to be flexible this time, I'm sure it will repay itself tenfold when she does finally book.

Good luck and thanks for your support!