This past saturday I delivered a wedding cake for a couple at my church. Here's the story:
The mother of the bride was taking care of the cake ordering for her daughter. She ordered a three tier buttercream covered in roses with column separators and two heart shaped cakes with the couples names on them. My prices are already really low. I know I undercharge. But while she was placing the order with me she kept telling me how the father of the groom had offered to pay for half the wedding but had not given her anything yet, and how she's on social security and will have to wait for her check to come and how she has to have family and friends help pay. I'm already giving her a good deal and not charging her for the top tier either as my gift to the couple, stop trying to make me feel bad. I have bills too!
The reception venue is literally 6 minutes away from my house. So the night before I brought over the two heart cakes and the top tier, so I'd have less to transport the next morning. MOB had said that the bride was taking photos at the church at 10am and then the photographer was coming to take pics of the cake at about 11ish. The ceremony was at 1:00, reception immediately after. She wanted me to cut the cake because she assumed she had 100 people to feed and ordered 106 servings. Fine, I don't mind. She figured they'd need to cut the cake at about 2:00.
I got to the venue at 10:30. The brides aunt was there dropping off food. she said no one was coming before the ceremony and that the reception didn't start until 3:00. So I called the MOB and asked her if she could double check what was going on. She finally calls me back and says that someone will be at the venue at 12:30 to take pictures.
So I come back at 12:30 and set up the cake and take my own pictures. 12:45, no one is there and the ceremony starts at 1:00. So I left. Later, MOB calls and says she was mistaken and the reception doesn't start until 3:00. So I told her to call me 30 minutes before she wanted the cake cut and I would come by. She calls me around 4:00, and I can't hear anything on the phone. She kept breaking up from a bad connection or something. So I go over there, only to pass the bride and groom leaving on my way in. I walk in to find that the cake has been cut and eaten, and everyone is leaving.. So I get my check from MOB. They lost my big cake plate on top of all that. And someone put the anniversary tier in one of those dishes that looks like a bowl on a pedestal (I don't know the name for it). I told her if she leaves it in the fridge for a few hours the icing would get hard enough that if she accidentaly touched it while pulling the cake out it wouldn't smear.
Fast forward to yesterday afternoon. She calls and says "okay I got the money together so whenever you can come by I can pay you". I told her she already gave me a check. She responds with "you didn't cash it did you?". Well of course I did, she gave me a check. She said that she told me not to and she would pay me in cash when she got the money from people. I told her that if she said it to me, I'm sorry but I must not have heard or misunderstoof. It was loud and there were alot of people talking to both of us the whole time. Then she says the cake is still in that vase and "you don't have to come take it out right now, but wheneveryou get the chance".
I'm sorry this was so long but MY GOODNESS!
I'd be worried her check is going to bounce....Tell her to did her own dam cake out of the vase....
So whatever happened to your cake plate that they lost? Did you charge a deposit for that?
Sorry to read of the mess you had to experience on this order.
It was a cheap cake plate from Michaels that I paid about $3.00 for, so I'm not too concerned about it. It was definately a learning experience. I didn't think to tell her I needed to get my stuff back because I was going to be there cutting the cake.
And I did go dig her cake out. She goes to my church and everyone loves her. I didn't want to be the girl who doesn't help the old lady in the wheelchair with arthritis to save her cake.
At least now it's over.
And I did go dig her cake out. She goes to my church and everyone loves her. I didn't want to be the girl who doesn't help the old lady in the wheelchair with arthritis to save her cake.
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Good Lord...She can probably get up and dance the jig when nobody's looking. I see plenty of people at the retirement home (where my inlaws used to live) in wheelchairs unless nobody's around to be their servants, then they just get up and get things for themselves. My FIL is 94 and in the memory unit at a nursing home. My MIL used to be his servant/waitress/nurse until we moved him to a different unit, and now all of a sudden he's totally capable of getting up and going to meals on his own as soon as he figured out that nobody is going to bring him his food.
Anyway, it sounds like she's playing everyone, so you'd better make sure her check doesn't bounce. If it does she'll probably try to weasel out of paying you at all.
I think it will go through. She paid me more than she had to for the deposit in cash. I think she was just worried about social security giving her a hard time for see her write a check for something other than an essencial bill.
I think it will go through. She paid me more than she had to for the deposit in cash. I think she was just worried about social security giving her a hard time for see her write a check for something other than an essencial bill.
Nah, they don't check that! Who knows, but I'm glad you got your money after that wild goose chase.
As costumeczar said once SS pays you the $$ are yours to do whatever you want with. No way do they/would they check on what the money is being spent on.
Does your/your hubby's boss/company check on what you do with your pay check? Of course not
I told her she already gave me a check. She responds with "you didn't cash it did you?". Well of course I did, she gave me a check. She said that she told me not to and she would pay me in cash when she got the money from people.
If she gave me a cheque and she knew it was going to bounce (which, by what you've written indicates that she did) then she would have committed a crime which carries a serious penalty. Obviously US laws work differently but I dare say writing out a cheque and having it bounce would not exactly be legal.
Don't let a wheelchair and arthritis pluck at your heart strings. Sounds to me like this woman may have done this before.
I hope you get your money. If you don't, I would certainly follow it up and charge her compensation on top to account for the costs involved in recovering YOUR money.
I am always freaked out when I hear someone got paid day of the wedding. I don't know how you guys handle that so calmly. I need to be paid in full in advance.
I am always freaked out when I hear someone got paid day of the wedding. I don't know how you guys handle that so calmly. I need to be paid in full in advance.
At LEAST two weeks before, even if it IS for a family friend or church member. I used to be a wedding coordinator B.C. (That`s Before Children and Before Cake.) And so I know how crazy weddings get. I hated scurrying around getting everyone's final payments - including mine- the day of the wedding. There's always at least one MOB or FOB-whoever is handing outchecks- that is MIA, either that or inadvertently, or purposefully, I don't know, a vendor gets missed.
I am always freaked out when I hear someone got paid day of the wedding. I don't know how you guys handle that so calmly. I need to be paid in full in advance.
At LEAST two weeks before, even if it IS for a family friend or church member. I used to be a wedding coordinator B.C. (That`s Before Children and Before Cake.) And so I know how crazy weddings get. I hated scurrying around getting everyone's final payments - including mine- the day of the wedding. There's always at least one MOB or FOB-whoever is handing outchecks- that is MIA, either that or inadvertently, or purposefully, I don't know, a vendor gets missed.
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