Okay, how do you handle this situation, the wedding is on 5/21/2011 and the MOB calls me today and says the wedding has been called off. What is your policy on refunds when this happens.

What does it say in your contract?

In our contract we specify a 50% deposit 1 month before the event and the remaining 50% one week before, both are nonrefundable.

My final payment would already have been made per my contract and I'd get to keep all the $.
25% nonrefundable deposit to book, final payment due 21 days prior.

What does your contract say?

I have a similar clause in my contract also about event cancellations. I require 30% non-refundable retainer at booking, another 30% at 90 days, 20% at 60, then remainder at 2 weeks prior. I've never had a cancellation, but my contract states that I'll refund all money less non-refundable retainer, cake tasting fee, and specialty supplies purchased up until 30 days prior. If it's after that 30 day mark no refund. They initial that clause no less then 3 times.

Jen

I hate to say this because I do believe that most people are good at heart but there was an episode of Bridezilla where the bride decided to go with another baker so they called the first baker and told her the wedding had been cancelled. I don't think you should return the deposit (assuming you got one). You have possibly turned down other cakes for that weekend, purchased supplies or begun work and you need to be compensated for that.

My policy is the deposit (30%) is non-refundable no matter what. If I hadn't started anything on the cake, the rest of the money (due 1 month before the wedding) would be refunded. I would keep any additional money that went to cover special supplies bought or work started.

My deposit is non-refundable, and anything that has been paid at the time of a cancellation is up to my discretion to refund or not, depending on how much work I've done on the cake up to that point.

If you don't have a contract, get one and spell out your policy in detail. If you don't people will expect a full refund if you don't do the cake, regardless of the reason.

My final payment is due 30 days before the reception so if it were me they wouldn't be getting any kind of refund at all. I don't imagine their other vendors are passing out refunds. Why should you?

My wedding was called off two weeks before the date. We paid for the cake in full when we ordered it, and the bakery did not have us sign a contract. (Which we thought was odd, because all of the other vendors did.) Anyway, when the wedding was cancelled and I was told there was "no refunds" for the cake, I just accepted that, because it seemed to be the wedding industry's standard, and I didn't have a contract with the bakery that said I was entitled to a refund. Also, at that time, I was not in the frame of mind to fight with the bakery, so I just chalked it up as a financial loss and moved on. Just my experience...

No refunds for my customers. I start turning away other jobs as soon as a weekend is booked.

This is interesting. If I had paid for the cake, and I wasn't getting a refund; I would want the cake. It's paid for- get the cake. Take it to a nursing home, your church group, whatever. Have a 'get over now' party in the backyard. If the decorator was agreeable, change the look of the cake-wild and weird and funky would be good. Do they have toppers with the bride kicking the groom in the backside?

My contract says 50% deposit, non refundable at signing of contract, and remaining 50% is due 30 days prior to event, also non refundable. I may not have done any work or bought anything special but I would have turned down other jobs for that date so I need to be compensated.