I need a little advice. I have been looking forward to doing my sister's wedding cake in December. She asked me to do it months ago and I have been planning for it ever since. Today I got a call from her. She told me that she felt a "homemade" cake might look tacky. 
Since we were planning on this being our gift to her, would we mind buying a cake from the bakery instead.
I love my sister very much. This is her day; However, I had to explain that cakes that size from the bakery are very expensive and we just can't afford that. She said that she understood completely and would ask mom to buy one.
I was so looking forward to doing this for her as a gift that would be something I put my heart into. I feel like I have little decorator angel 
on my right shoulder saying "Let it go." and a little decorator 
on my left shoulder saying "You really wanted this. Tell her how you feel." What do I do? I knew you guys would understand.
After reading some of the previous threads about people making cakes for family members for free, I say you may be getting a blessing from your angel! 
Although your intentions are meant from the heart, your sister may not take you seriously and there may be problems down the road as the wedding draws closer.
I say you let her know that you are dissapointed that you did not get the opportunity to give her such a meaningful gift, but maybe she will get a professional product from you for another occasion. i think you should do the cake for her shower and show her what a "home made" cake looks like! 
Take it with a grain of salt because she may be saving you some pain later.
HTH
have you done any cakes already? maybe pictures of what you can do would show her that it won't be tacky. if not and you really want this, do a mini cake to show her. if its not that important, think about how much less stress you'll be under and enjoy this time with her. Maybe you could do the cake for the rehearsal dinner or the grooms cake instead. how about offering to do the wedding favors, if they were going to have an edible favor. HTH good luck and let us know how it turns out
I'm sorry that this has happened to you. I am doing my first wedding cake this weekend and if I got the call that they didn't want me to it, I would be hurt as well. However, don't let her "rain on your parade"!!! You are obviously good at what you do because otherwise she would have never even thought to ask to begin with!!
Since the $$ is fairly steep for wedding cakes (and I am not sure what size she is looking for), would there be a way to suggest you do a groom's cake? Maybe this could help lighten the load for the person who will be paying for the main wedding cake as well as provide guests the option of an additional flavor.
This could certainly help get you some exposure for possible future clients and how funny would it be if everyone ate up all of your cake first! 
REVENGE...SWEET REVENGE!!!
You know, we are our own worst critics, and I don't know about your sister, but I have some family members who are worse critics than me! This may be a good thing. You don't need to be stressing over cake just before your sister's wedding. She may need the support you can give her in other areas. I understand you disappointment, but maybe you can do the shower cake or the groom's cake. She may have just done you a favor!!
Keep your chin up and enjoy the wedding!!!
Bless your heart. I would be crushed. Making a wedding cake for someone is such a big and unselfish gift. Is this usually how she acts or has the stress of wedding planning gotten to her?
When I was pregnant with my first child my grandmother who was well into her 80's made him a afghan, she wasn't going to give it to me because she was afraid it wasn't perfect. The simple fact that she had made it was what made it perfect, just like the wedding cake that you so unselfishly offered to make for your sister would have been.
I don't know about most of you out there but if you look closely on these fancy websites, with their $1,000's price tags they are not perfect either! And a gift from the heart will always be more valuable to me than anything "bakery" made.
Keep you chin up though, and remember you are a baker...even if you do not own a bakery, one that takes here time and puts thought and love into every shell and dot she squeezes!!
I'm tired of hearing stories like this about ungrateful/tacky relatives who give no thought to the feelings of family members/friends. Personally I would let this go and count it as a blessing in disguise. If your sister will pull this kind of thing on you, suggesting your cake would be "tacky" I'd get her a gift, wrap it up, and be glad I'm not going to be caught up in the rest of the wedding hassles. People like that, whomever they are, don't deserve a free wedding cake from anyone. Sorry but I get very irritated when people seem to think everyone ought to be falling over themselves to do generous things for them. I wouldn't offer to make a grooms cake or favors for this wedding. Let her see what it costs in the real world for cakes and such, she might change her attitude a little, though that would surprise me.
Like you said this is her day and she should get the things that she wants. If that means a bakery cake, that should be perfectly fine with you. Also, I think you did the right thing by telling her that if she wanted a bakery cake she would need to buy it herself because it was too expensive.
Don't take this as a reflection on your skills as a decorator, just take it as a bride wanting what she wants. At least if, heaven forbid, some thing goes wrong your sister will not have you to blame because you insisted on doing her cake.
This also gives you a chance to help out with the wedding in other ways and not have the stress of the cake looming over you. Take this opportunity to be able to enjoy this day with your sister.
Has she seen any of your cake creations ? Sounds like she does not trust you on this. She is being a Bridezilla. but I can also understand that she would feel this way if she has no idea as to what you are capable of.
Show her your cake photos, maybe that would change her mind..
sorry that you feel that way.. 
I understand where you are coming from....but I'm with the others- Be Thankful! I have made 3 "free" wedding cakes......Not Any More! It is very hard work!
BTW- have you ever made a wedding cake? Maybe that is what she is really worried about-not the actual decorating? A stacked cake can be a little challenging if you have never done it before. Just a thought-
Post some pictures- let us see your work! Please!!
Thank you all for your advice. I think you are all right. I am the Maid of Honor and doing the cake on top of that would be too much of an ordeal anyway. I did talk to her about her shower cake and she was very excited about that. (I'm hosting it so she can't change her mind on me.)
I promise to post some pics of my cakes as soon as I get a hold of a digital camera. (My 2 year old dropped our old one a few months ago!)
I really appreciate everyone's kind words. I just love having friends at Cake Central!
Wow, I would be really hurt if my sister did that to me. I know it's disappointing, but I've done three weddings now where I've been in the wedding and done the cake, so you really will enjoy the lack of stress!
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