The Question Is Not "if" A Disaster Will Happen...
Decorating By PieceofCakeAZ Updated 26 May 2007 , 1:03am by hcouso
It's "when". 
After over 500 wedding cakes in the last 3 years and no disasters (sans a stress frature here and there), one starts to feel somewhat bulletproof. Well... so much for that. 
It was a light delivery day, I had 3 to take, all of them 4 tiers. The first 2 went off as usual, without a hitch. The last one... well... not so much.
I am 2 blocks away from the delivery site waiting at a red light. The light turns green and the car in front of me takes off. As I accelerate from the stop, out of the corner of my eye I see a car approaching the intersection that isn't stopping. It was either hit the breaks or slam into the red light runner. 
I hit the brakes. 
I heard the cake (4 layers tall) topple in the box... I muttered a few expletives and parked to assess the damage. It wasn't good. The thing was toast, the reception was in 2 hours and I was 40 minutes from our shop.
I called the wife, who was still at the shop preparing to leave for her 2 deliveries (which were both on the opposite side of town from where I was). I said "Well, it happened... the cake is toast, the bottom tier buckled and the cake is smashed against the box... I need a dummy cake and a sheet cake STAT.
Fortunately her mother was at the shop also and she loaded one of our display cakes and a sheet cake into her car and got to me within an hour.
I apologized profusely and explained everything to the mother of the bride (they didn't want to tell the bride until after the pictures were taken... I can't say I blame them) and she was very understanding (I hope I'll say the same thing about the bride in a few days). I explained our backup plan and assured her that they would have beautiful cake for the photos and plenty of cake for their guests to eat but since it wasn't the cake that they ordered, we would refund 100% of their money.
In the end, it truly wasn't our fault and there was nothing that could have been done to prevent it but I still feel awful that the bride (who was super cool the times we met) didn't get the cake she wanted on her wedding day. I'm just thankful that we had a backup plan in place and that everyone at the wedding will get to enjoy a piece of cake and at least they will have a nice cake for the wedding photos.
The moral of the story... even if it hasn't happened to you yet... it will and when it does make certain that you have a backup plan in place to ensure that the couple and their guests have cake to eat and a nice cake to display.
On the upside, if I had not slammed on the brakes, they would have no cake at all and I would be in the hospital or sporting a toe tag right about now. So while it wasn't a great day... it could have been worse.
Great advice. Thank you.
Glad you are alright.
Theresa
Wow! That is terrible! Too bad they didn't offer you some money anyhow; but you're doing great if you have done over 500 wedding cakes in three years!
Sorry it had to happen, but that is a great word of advice. I could just see some of us running to the nearest bakery.
Dude...that bites! I have just started to do wedding cakes in the last year and I value all of this wonderful advice you more experienced business owners provide! WOW!!!
On the bright side of things (in addition to you not being hurt) your new baby still doesn't have a scratch...could you imagine trying to explain this all to the insurance company after only just having bought your new little family addition? 
Whew! Close one!
-Michelle
I'm so sorry that happened to you! But like you said, there's nothing you could have done to avoid it and thank goodness the cake was the only casualty. Did you get the plate number of the idiot who ran the red???
Awesome plan B, by the way. Most people would have been tearfully telling the bride that there was no cake. I bet she'll be more understanding than you think. Do you have a pic. of the cake she got vs. a description of what she ordered?
I'm so sorry that happened to you! But like you said, there's nothing you could have done to avoid it and thank goodness the cake was the only casualty. Did you get the plate number of the idiot who ran the red???
Awesome plan B, by the way. Most people would have been tearfully telling the bride that there was no cake. I bet she'll be more understanding than you think. Do you have a pic. of the cake she got vs. a description of what she ordered?
Unfortunately I didn't get the plate number, it was the last thing on my mind at the time since I was pretty sure the cake was toast. In retrospect I wish I would have paid more attention to that car... I'm just glad I have solid peripheral vision because hospital gowns aren't flattering to my physique. 
She ordered a buttercream w/ scroll design cake with this really cool velvet ribbon, She got a fondant cake with lots of piping. Perhaps it will make her feel better that the actual cake she had at her wedding will be featured in Arizona Weddings Magazine later this year , I doubt that will help much.
Wow! That is terrible! Too bad they didn't offer you some money anyhow; but you're doing great if you have done over 500 wedding cakes in three years!
They may offer us some money since we didn't leave them completely hosed but we definitely aren't going to accept any, even if they insist. As much as it sucks to do that much work and lose money on the deal, I would guess it sucks 10X worse to find out that your wedding cake was ruined.
Dude...that bites! I have just started to do wedding cakes in the last year and I value all of this wonderful advice you more experienced business owners provide! WOW!!!
On the bright side of things (in addition to you not being hurt) your new baby still doesn't have a scratch...could you imagine trying to explain this all to the insurance company after only just having bought your new little family addition?
Whew! Close one!-Michelle
I hear that! At least I know the brakes work great on it.
I absolutely cannot imagine!!! But great of you guys for refunding and for having such a quick back-up plan.
They may offer us some money since we didn't leave them completely hosed but we definitely aren't going to accept any, even if they insist.
I think you should accept the money if they insist ... if the shoes were on the other feet, wouldn't you still pay your cake decorator for the work they did?
They may offer us some money since we didn't leave them completely hosed but we definitely aren't going to accept any, even if they insist.
I think you should accept the money if they insist ... if the shoes were on the other feet, wouldn't you still pay your cake decorator for the work they did?
There is no way I could accept any payment for a cake that was destroyed while under my care (if one of their guests knocked it off of the table....it's a different story)
The agreement was twofold, create the cake we discussed and deliver said cake safely to the reception site. Since I was unable to do that, regardless of the reason, I don't feel the that bride should have to pay us anything.
JMHO
Wow, you sound like an honest man with integrity. So rare these days. I think the Bride was extremely lucky to have chosen you to do her wedding cake weather she got the one she ordered or not. I am glad that you were not hurt! So scary to think of what could have happened. Do you believe in Guardian Angels? I do!
Anna
Update:
The bride was awesome. She was obviously disasspointed that her cake was trashed but she was geniunely happy that I was safe and she never even got close to going Bridezilla on me. Man do we get lucky with our brides, I have heard some stories from other local decorators and I am always amazed that the brides that select us are so wonderful to work with.
We are refunding her money 100% and creating her a 2 tier version of her cake on her first anniversary. While the whole experience was costly, a little scary, and frustrating for us and the bride, we did manage to turn the entire situation into a huge positive that will benefit my wife & I for as long as we are in this business. Here's how
First of all, I know this cake would have survived with only a few bumps if we had been using the Stress Free Support System. (when I had to hit the brakes the cake shifted and the dowels supporting the bottom tier leaned and collapsedthe Stress Free Support System won't lean or collapse in the same way). So 2 days after it happened we made a company decision that every cake that leaves the shop would be supported with the Stress Free Support System. So I immediately called Arlene and ordered up another $500 worth of stress free supports (we'll probably need another $1000 or so worth of them after the summer is over). What we also figured out is that some weeks we spend a whopping 3-6 hours, measuring dowels, cutting dowels, and building cakes. We typically do this on Friday night or Saturday morning before deliveries. With the Stress free support system, we can easily build a weeks worth of cakes in 45 minutes.
With this in mind, we have made a fundamental change in the way we do business. Now, our Saturday mornings are free from building cakes so we can put that time to better use. We currently work 6 sometimes 7 days a week because our cake tastings are held every Sunday. With Saturday mornings now freed up, we are moving our cake tasting appointments to Saturdays which means effective immediately we are guaranteed at least 1 day off every single week. It will also save around $40 a month in utility bills since we won't be there at all 4 extra "heavy use" days per month. Add that to the fact that I now drive with complete confidence due to the use of the Stress Free System and you have a trifecta of goodness. We are saving money, we know our cakes aren't falling over, and now I can hit the golf course with my buddies every Sunday.
If only all disasters worked out like that.
Wow. It sounds like it all worked out for you in the long run. I am sorry for your stress, but am glad you will get to have a little more free time to relieve it! 
Wow! That's horrible!! You got through it & that's all that counts!! Hope you never have another disaster again!! You got through a bad situation with flying colors!!
It's so great to here that even though disasters happen, you can find some way to turn it into a possitive. I'm amazed that after that many cakes you've only had that one not turn out so good. If you don't mind me asking what is the Stress Free Support System? I'm fairly new and have never heard of them or what the system is.
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