In the last installment I had described the bride from hell, this one will continue at the 3 days before the wedding. The olny thing to add was that my grandfather had passed away that week and the funeral was in another state the same day as the wedding so I was not in a very good mood to start with.

On my dry run on Wendsday, I found out that I still needed to buy one plate. when I got to the store I had found out that wilton had changed their heart shaped plates, the ones I had only took 3 pillars and the new ones took 4. so I had to buy all new plates and another pack of pillars.

I sarted baking on Thursday. The 6 and 10 in layers baked fine. Then I got to the 14in. I was trying to hurry and only let it cool 15min and tried to flip it out. It was not cool enough and crumbled all to pieces. I had to rebake that layer. The next two came out fine. I had to go buy a 16in heart pan for the bottom tier and when I put it in the oven guess what, yep, it didn't fit. so I had to tote everything to my mothers house and use her oven to bake the bottom two layers. They baked beautifully. I had them turned out and was getting ready to leave. Well I live in KS and what had started as a nice day, by the time I was over at my mom's for 4 hrs of baking had turned into a tornado warning. It was hailing and so I decided to leave the cakes at my mom's and pick them up in the morning. She has a cat and a large dog so I wraped every thing in plastic wrap to keep them out of it.

Friday morning. I made my frosting and filled and crumb coated the smaller cakes. While they were setting up I went over to get the cakes from my mom's. I was so happy when I got there and they were untouched by the animals. I took them home and unwrapped them. I didn't even think of them still being warm when I wrapped them. the steam from them cooling was trapped by the plastic wrap. They were very soft. I got the bottom one on the board just fine and filled it. When I went to put the top one on it was a little crooked so I went to straighten it up. Well both of the cakes crumbled. I got on the site and asked for help. Every one was so helpfull at calming me. I was a wreak. I went back to my mom's to rebaked. Thank god she gave me the spare key to check on the animals because she had already left for the funeral. The new layers baked fine. I took them to a friends house and put them in her deep freezer. I went home and decorated the other 3 layers.

Day of the wedding. I frosted the bottom tier, every thing was going fine. I headded outside to load up the cakes in my car. Now, I drive a VW beetle. I know the seats fold down flat but I had never accualy had to do it. It took me 30min of cussing and finally digging out the book and reading it to get them down. I got the car loaded and to the reception site only 1 min. late.

The reception. On one of the bride's weekly calls I had asked her twice if there would be someone there to tell me where to set up, She said yes. Well I got there and there was about 10 very young children running around and so I go up to the oldest, about 13, and asked her where an adult was, she said "I am in charge here, there is no one else" I asked her if she knew where the cake was to go and she pointed to a table and said there. I set the fountain down and was looking for a place to plug it in, there was none. I had even written in the contract that the bride was responsible for making sure there was power, so I thougt, tough it is her problem. I turned around and seen another table set up with a punch bowl and mints and a big empty spot. I asked the young lady if she was sure the cake didn't belong over there and she told me to do whatever I wanted. so I switched tables. There was an outlet at this one. I tested the fountain and it was working fine, so I unpluged it. I set the cake up in minutes. It went great. At this time the Mother of the Bride came in to collect the children the wedding was about to begin. She oohed and aahed over the cake saying it was beautiful but why was the fountain not working. I said that I had unplugged it so no one would trip over the cord. She said she wanted it plugged in now so it was on when people came over from the church. She walked over and plugged it in. I am digging my camera out so I could get pictures when on of the children run behind the table and guess what, You got it. trips over the cord and the cake starts to fall. I lung at it and grab the bottom plate the MOB grabbs for the second tier and smashes one half of the bottom one. She starts crying and so do I. She says the wedding is starting and can I please do something. She leaves and I start to repair the bottom layer. I refrost as best I can but you can still tell that one half is squished. I took my pic and left. I never heard back from the bride yet, but she had to be dissapointed.

I think I will be a VERY LONG time befor a attempt another wedding cake again.

Oh, I'm so sorry. What a horror story. Wedding cakes are so stressful. Take a nice long bubble bath, enjoy some chocolates and try to forget about it.

Oh my! That is awful. I can't believe it. From the pic - it doesn't look ruined. Bride is probably to embarrassed to call.

Im so sorry to hear about that!! I wouldn't have even been able to fix the cake I'd be bawling my eyes out and I would've killed that mom for plugging in the fountain!!

You had so many horrible things happen and turned out a very pretty cake! You told the MIB why the cake was not plugged in and yet she insisted. You knew what would happen and it did. I'm sure you did your best to fix it and the MIB was probably horrified because she ultimately caused it to happen. During a wedding, the bride doesn't even remember what her cake is actually supposed to look like half the time I think. I'm sure she was thrilled with the overall presentation and was glad she had a cake there to cut. It will be okay!!!

I looked at the cake and from the picture it looks fine. Even you could tell there had been a problem at least the MOB was there and knew what happened.

I am sorry for the loss of your grandfather and all the problems with the cake. Relax, pamper yourself and feel better soon.

Cindy

Wow!!!!!A horror story fit for today's date: October 31.
It gave me the creeps to hear all the trouble you went through all those days.I know it's not easy, but perhaps you could think that it was a bad experience and that lightning does'nt fall twice in the same place.Let's hope it won't happen again.

I can't believe that people don't teach their children how to behave. My daughter knows, and has know since she could walk, the proper way to behave when she is out in public. What a stressful day for you!

What a terrible terrible time you've had, my heart goes out to you....I really hope you can soon forget this horrible episode and get back do doing "the enjoyable decorating"....shame it can't be like that all the time and never get the total "stressy ones"...hope you feel better soon.

Denise

Oh Phoohbear you poor thing! That is very upsetting and disappointing, but both you and the MOB know that you delivered and setup the cake perfectly, and that it was not your fault it was damaged. Don't let it deter you from doing more wedding cakes. I learn from every cake I make by doing something wrong, and then the next one turns out better than the last. Next time you can warn the MOB what happened last time the fountain got plugged in too early!

I would have had a total nervous breakdown!
Here's a big )))))))))Hug((((((((((((
i just looked at it and it seemed to survive pretty great.
I love your cakes!
You are so good.
The tacos are the most creative I've ever seen.
I'm too stoopid to know how to save it in my favorite photos.
When I get home I want my DH to show me how to do it.
BTW...both the bride and the mother didn't sound like they were too bright.

That's horrible! Take a nice long shower and just go to bed and make sure to sleep in.

I always say children and weddings don't mix. I am a stickler about it. When I sit with a bride to discuss cakes, one of my points is unsupervised children in the reception area. I let them know that once the cake is set, and the adult in charge oks it, I take my picture and my responsibility is over, I have fulfilled my end of the contract. Perhaps for your next wedding, take an extension cord and duct tape, when you have to use the fountain. It does get easier. Planning and organization are crucial. It is too bad you had such a bad time with this one, perhaps the next will be better for you.

As if first wedding cakes weren't stressful enough!! Sorry this happened to you! I've onlly done one myself but it seems like kids are drawn to cake! You pulled it off and it looked great!

Thank you all for being so kind. I just started decorating in March and wasn't sure I was up to all the stress in wedding cake decorating to begin with. For most people the wedding cake is the most expensive cake of their life and knowing that adds way too much pressure. Maybe in another year or so I can try again. After this cake I did spend 2 hrs. straight in my mom's hot tub (lol, that is what she gets for leaving me with the key). For some reason I feel much better after venting to people who have gone throught simmlar things and who understand. I have said many times, this site is a lifesaver.Thankyou.

Your cake looks wonderful for a DISASTER! I'm so sorry you had that problem. I've had a bride move a cake after I told her not to do it (signed a contract, luckily) and I ended up going and repairing the cake for her (didn't have to according to the contract) AND I had a groom's mother (LOOOONNNGGG story) try to negotiate a cake similar to your problem. Guess what? When she asked if I could do it for less than $1.00 per serving I told her "No, I cannot do that" she said do you have a suggestion? I did. I told her to visit a local discount store that has a bakery and get one from them. This was after I had met with her 3 TIMES and I never even saw the bride (always too busy to meet with me.) Oh yes, and the cake they wanted (from my personal photos) had fondant tulips and pulled sugar roses!!! Like I'm going to do THAT one for less than $1.00/serving.

Since I mainly do wedding cakes for my church family, I DO NOT ALLOW children around when I'm setting up the cake AND have a designated wedding person view the cake and sign the contract (EVEN FOR CHURCH FAMILY) before I leave. I had a gentleman and his son playing basketball while I was setting up HIS DAUGHTER'S CAKE! I just said "If a ball hits this cake....YOU SIR are responsible to tell your wife and daughter" Guess what? The basketball game was called "on account of...CAKE" LOL

Feel better soon, and if in the future you get a call from a bridezilla...RUN!!

(((Big hug))).

I'm sorry you had to deal with all that ontop of having to go to your grandfather's funeral, but well done for pulling it off. You did great!

With so many things going badly for you, you handled it with grace and it came out ok. You give us all inspiration to make it through these bad times. Way to go and thank you so much for sharing!