How Can They Pull This Kind Of Crap??
Decorating By IHATEFONDANT Updated 20 Jul 2006 , 11:00am by IHATEFONDANT
A friend of mine is getting married in August. I'm going to be out of town, for a family function, and can't do her cake. 
She spoke with her venue about what she wanted...beach theme..gumpaste shells...starfish...you know what I am talking about. They told her they would make whatever she wanted.
She comes to my office yesterday in tears. They have now told her that SHE needs to supply any molds needed for the shells..starfish etc...3 lbs of chocolate if she wants them made out of that. 
..What happened to "We will make whatever you want"..and why did they wait until two weeks before her wedding to tell her this??
So I've offered to make her decorations from gumpaste and hand paint them....but I also told her she needs to get some $$$ back from the venue for this..they will now be supplying a basic cake and decorating it with things SHE will be supplying....they never told her she had to supply the decorations!!!
Am I wrong about this???
Nope...you are not wrong!!! I would ask for some money back also.That is really nice of you to make the shells etc...Great friend!! Sometimes I wonder about these venues and who they have contracted to do this stuff....I bet you any money that the cake decorater told the venue she doesn't have any of those molds and if the bride wants them she has to supply them..not good business practice for the venue.Makes them look bad!!
What a bunch of crap! If they couldn't do it - they should have told her before NOW! I don't think that's fair at all - or good business. She should write to the Better Business Bureau about it (not that they really track good businesses - they are a scam in themselves - but that's another story) . She should also ask for money back b/c if they figured her decorations into the price, they need to give that money back. They should also give her something for causing her stress before her wedding! NO one needs that! There's enough stress already! You tell her to stand her ground. She's the bride, she signed a contract I'm assuming that they would provide what she asked for, and now they are changing the terms of the contract w/out her written permission or signature. They are violating that contract by telling her only 2 weeks before the wedding that she needs to supply the decorations for her cake. Just ridiculous. 
What a good friend you are! I hope she truly appreciates the work you will do on this!
that's just awful for her!! and she should def. get some of her money back. your a good friend to help her out!!
The sliver lining is this is that, especially considering their demand to your friend, I am sure her cake will be more beautiful with your decorations than it would have turned out otherwise!
(And it will be like a little piece of you is there)
Somebody should call the venue and ask how much they charge for the same size and flavors of cake with no frills and see if they can get it in writing. Then give it tyo the bride to be and let her confront the catering manager if they charger considerably less.
Yes, she should demand her money back. Can you imagine insisting that your cutomers make their own decorations? You wouldn't be in business a week. I agree with Debsuewoo. She should definitely do a little investigating and see if her original price included all the frills.
Boy, she's sure lucky to have a friend like you.
Did she sign some kind of contract ? If she did, I wonder if it clearly states that a custom wedding cake is included in that price. Are these people reputable when it comes to wedding cakes ? I'm just wondering if there was some kind of misunderstanding. I am on her side, but it's just that something sounds very unclear. Well, she has you for a friend, so you will be a big help to her, and she is very fortunate to have you as a friend. 
Wow! How aweful!! I can't believe that a "wedding venue" would actually do this!!!! She definitely deserves her money back...a good chunk too, because basically all she'll be paying them for is to bake and ice the cake.
I've never heard a bigger load of bullc*** in my life. I hope she's planning on making sure that everyone she knows and might meet between now and forever more knows what they are doing to her. And I would tell them that she is going to do exactly that. Maybe it will scare them into doing the right thing. It's said that a happy customer on average tells 5 people about the experience. But an unhappy customer usually tells 20. So they just stepped in it big time.
If the bride wants a beach theme, and the outfit supplying the cake hasn't got the molds etc. to do a beach theme, there are two alternatives:
1) the outfit buys/makes/rents the molds and it comes out of the price of the cake
2) the outfit suggests something else that can accommodate what tools are available to them.
Satisfying the customer should be the #1 priority. And it should be THEIR PROBLEM NOT THE BRIDE'S how to implement it.
Horrible. Just horrible.
My jaw absolutely dropped reading your post.
There has been many a time that I've gotten a cake request that I don't have the supplies for. Know what I do? I go out and buy them. It comes out of the price of the cake. If you're running a successful business, your #1 concern is the customer!
I'd like to know what established bakery can't handle a request like that? Beach theme wedding cakes are extremely popular, even here in Alaska! 
Thank goodness she has a friend like you! I can't imagine being in her shoes! Good for you!
Robyn 
What state are you in & where abouts? I'm in northeastern MA. If you're fairly near here, I would do the cake for your friend. And no, I wouldn't charge an arm and a leg....just costs.
I don't have the shell molds either but if you make them, I'll get her cake going!!
Poop on that baker!!!
What do you guys mean when you say "it comes out of the cost of the cake" when you are talking about supplies? Do you mean you charge the customers more if they want a pan you don't have, or if you need to buy some kind of new tool or molds to use? Or do you mean it comes out of the profit you make on the cake b/c you're keeping the molds/pans/etc.?
it comes out of your profits.
I bet what happened here is that the venue contracting out for thier cakes, tells the bride sure not a problem. Then comes to the indepentant that bakes for them, and they are like i don't do those, and don't know if i can get the molds for them (or maybe they just don't want to get the molds for it) The venue probably doesn't pay the baker enough to want to take this cut out of her profits. Sorry if i offended anyone its JMO
No, that could totally be the case. I don't think that's offensive - BUT the venue should have contacted the baker BEFORE now to find out that she can't do it - my gosh, as a baker, I would want more than 2 weeks to be told I'm doing a cake.... of course, maybe the baker didn't get back to them either - but someone needed to be on top of this and someone dropped the ball and now it's all falling on the bride which is TOTALLY wrong. They should have told her they just couldn't do the cake she wanted or suggested something different - but not told her to go out and buy molds herself! And they should offer her a discount or something so that she comes away feeling good and they have a happy customer.
I think that you're right on with this, I feel horrible for your friend!
I asked her for more details...she actually brought a photo of what she wanted to show them!!! She spoke to the baker...and he told her no problem..we will make what you want.
They are giving her the cake for free....she exchanged that cost for another choice of appetizer for her cocktail hour. I have never heard of such a thing before!!!
She has finally stopped crying...
Thanks to all of you...for your support....I didn't think I was going crazy... 
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