I delivered a cake on Friday, and I just talked to the bride. Guess what she told me!!!!
The caterer RE ARRANGED MY SET UP!!! and put flowers all over the cake. Then she told the bride that I did it wrong!!! Can you believe it....
OOOOOooooo I'm That is SO unprofessional. And.....to make matters worse....now the 300 guests think that I set that cake up that way!
Crap I HATE confrontation, and now I have to go stick up for myself. I have to deal with this caterer a couple more times this year. 
OMG ... I am SOOOOOO 
for you!!! That is so unbelievably wrong and unprofessional!!! I hope the bride believed your story over the caterer's lies!!! Definitely go stick up for yourself!! I can't believe you have to deal with this caterer again!!!! 
Oh I'm so sorry you have to deal with that...and how Rude and unprofessional that was of them
Wow! That is awefull and amazingly RUDE! I would go to the caterer and get a contract signed from them that they are not to touch you product! What else could you do? This may prevent future mishaps like that!
I am so sorry this happened to you! I just think that's nuts!
Well that is some nerve!! I think that's a good idea to have them sign something. What if something would have happened to the cake??!!?? Not to mention health and handling issues that YOU would be accountable for!! Did you get a photo of YOUR setup? (if not may be the thing to start doing when you deal with them!!) Don't blame you for being pi$$ed!! Sorry that happened to you, it's just wrong!
I agree, and would be totally about that happening. But, this is why we have all learned to take a picture of the cake before we leave because it's a CYA. You now can send the photo of the cake to the bride as the cake was set up by you for her to have in her album (in this case, do a real printout of the cake picture to send to her, really do the 
factor that you had delivered it exactly as she wanted the cake).. You should also insist that the bride call the caterer to complain and you'll email her the file of the cake to print out to take along because they messed with her cake and worse lied about who is the person that did it that impacted her representation of her reception details.
Good luck with everything. You've got the photos to CYA, now, let's go turn the heat on that caterer! 
You should also insist that the bride call the caterer to complain and you'll email her the file of the cake to print out to take along because they messed with her cake and worse lied about who is the person that did it that impacted her representation of her reception details.
GREAT POINT! I would definitely do something about this very fast! This is almost like slander! They are messing with YOUR reputation! I would act very quickly to let them know you are serious!
As long as you have a photo of your setup, then you are okay - you are going to come out of this one smelling of roses, while the caterer will smell of, well, let's say, something other than roses when she tries to explain why she changed the setup!
I find it best to say nothing bad about other vendors - the truth will come out by itself!
I like the idea of confronting the caterer with "before and after" photos, but I don't think getting the bride involved is a really good idea.
I think I'd ask the name of her photographer and see if I could get a proof print of the "after" cake. With that, and my "before" pic, in hand, I'd march over there and give the caterer what-for. I'd let him/her know that in no uncertain terms that if my cake set-up is EVER altered again without my, or the bride's, express WRITTEN permission, I'd sue his sorry a$$ (now, that's silly, but it just might make the impression needed to get him/her to keep their grubby hands off MY creation).
I get this stupid image in my head of the bride seeing the altered cake and being near tears, "Oh, my, what did Sugarbean do to my cake??? That's not at all what I wanted/what we discussed/what the sketch looked like!!!!! How could she???" Caterer, taken aback by such a strong negative response to his/her "wonderful" improvements, gulps and says, "Oh, honey, I'm so sorry that Sugarbean ruined your cake! And to think, I have to work with her several more times this year, too!"
Makes me want to cry, and I wasn't even there!
Hope it all works out in your favor--please keep us posted!
Rae
unbelievable!! caterer should only worry about there part. i wouldnt be happy at all.
i always, i mean'' always'' take a photo of my cakes from every angle as proof what it looked like when i delivered and left.
the caterer was putting his or her thoughts first, not the brides.
Just to clear something up. The caterer told my bride that I set it up wrong, and could she fix it. And the bride (after having so many things go wrong) said yes if it isn't right please fix it. So the caterer did ask her. But the bride didn't realize it was fine in the first place.
I did get my "questionairre" back from the bride. And she said that she loved my cake (taste etc) and applogized for not warning me about the "characteristics" of this particular caterer.
I am going to confront her on Wed. Just to let her know that she was not respectful of me, and I am a legit business, and that I will take her to court if she tells my brides again that I'm not doing my job. As well that she "ruined" my contract with the bride because she changed my set up that was as per the bride.
I'm calm now, but this is not acceptable. This caterer has 30 years experience making cakes. I think she would have had alittle more respect for me. But that said, I think she is offended that she is not making the cakes for most of her brides, and it makes her mad that I'm taking business away from her. However, her cakes are not modern and she can not do what I do. 
After freakin' out last night, it was nice to get the feedback sheet from the bride, raving about my cake!!
Wow... Sounds like someone is a little jealous of not being asked to do the cake. I would never go mess with another decorators cake. I wonder if she made it look bad on purpose and then told everyone that you did the cake. 
I would deffinately want to see an "after" pic to see how she represented you to everyone else.
WOW!!! That just makes me upset thinking about someone else having the nerve to rearrange your cake and then saying it was set up wrong.
Is your cake the Green Gerber in your photos? GOOD JOB!
By the way, I think you are correct. You are probably taking business from this caterer and there is a tad bit of jealousy going on here. But hey, SABOTAGE is a totally different matter!
I have a caterer here that NEVER does fondant. When he saw me in the grocery with all my "stuff" he asked was I doing a cake. I said "Yes, friend's wedding cake". B. "Well, you KNOW you can't cover an entire cake in fondant, don't you?" I just smiled. Of course, THEN he turned me in to the Health Dept. ! FOOLED HIM!! I'm LEGAL! LOL
So, all you CC'ers who THINK you can cover an entire wedding cake in fondant....YOU'RE WRONG!!! Per...B. from Kentucky! LOL
OOPS! Sorry Sugarbean! I know you probably don't want to deal....but, I think you HAVE to! This was so TOTALLY unprofessional. But, you know what? I also think that you need to make SURE the bride understands that your cake WAS set up appropriately (thank GOD for cameras) and I think that SHE should also contact the caterer because she was a vendor for the bride that acted inappropriately. So, really, the bride IS involved! JMHO!
Beth in KY
I also do catering and I would never think of changing someone elses work. That is just wrong.
Same here. I do lots of caterings where the cake is obtained somewhere else and I never (!) change or touch the cake (other than cutting, if that service was requested by the bride).
I'd like to know how the caterer knew it was set up "wrong" unless he/she had the original contract and knew how it was "suppose" to be?
I agree with the others, especially since my kitchen is in reception halls, so I see a LOT of other people's wedding cakes come through... Even if I see a cake tipping over I probably wouldn't touch it if it was another decorators work. Granted, if I knew the decorator, I'd call and say "hey, your cake is tipping over and needs to be fixed" or if they're someone I know well, I'd get it to the point of not tipping over then call to ask permission for fixing it, but still, I wouldn't touch the thing unless given permission to!!
This caterer really needs to be confronted that "here's my number, if you ever think a cake is set up wrong at an event, Call ME before you touch it or involve the bride. (and that it wasn't kosher what she did to that bride's wedding cake)..
NO the cake in question is the red ribbon, and cornelli. And what I did "wrong" was I shouldn't have lifted all 4 cakes on a stand. Only 3, and the bottom one is "supposed" to go on the table. Well, that's show the bride asked for it (all 4 raised and cascading). As well it was supposed to have a fountain, and I didn't put one, because the caterer was supposed to provide the table and it wasn't big enough, so I had to nix it. And the bride understood that.
As well the caterer felt that it was her job to put this light up thing in the middle (because I was supposed to have a fountain). So she added this funky light that was purple and green and orange. As well, it needed flowers on every tier and I didn't do that. But the bride specifically asked for no flowers.
No the bride has been awesome. She is not upset at me at all. She loved the taste and design (from the pic I showed her).
Grrr.....
WOW...I've just read this entire thread and am in awe that someone would rearrange a wedding cake after I set it up! That's one more thing to worry about doing wedding cakes. I'm so sorry this happened to you! Please let us know what happened with the caterer when you talk to him/her.
I want to know what the caterer has to say once you talk to her...please update us when this happens!
*************Update**************
I went in and talked to her. She said she only did what the bride asked. The bride said she didn't tell her to do anything. SO what am I supposed to do.
I basically said, that if a bride is upset about a cake, please just call me and I'll come and re-arrange it myself. And to please not touch my cakes. She said she would never think of changing a cake set up unless the bride asked her too. I just said, from now on I'll do it. So whatever, hopefully she listens.
No fireworks. LOL
You did the right thing...she sounds like she is not the type of person to admit a mistake, so make sure that when you have to work with her, to have your bases covered 110%. Get what the bride wants in writing (FULLY), take a photo, and re-state everytime you see her that if anything needs to be changed, to call you immediately, and to keep her mitts off your work (of course with a smile pasted on your face!!!) LOL!! 
Never, never bad mouth her to a bride - your professionalism will make you shine, and her bad behaviour will get around all by itself... 
I agree with the above post.
Maybe for next time you can do all the above with the bride, or someone she trusts or is in charge, AND the caterer there while you take the picture and have them both sign that you are leaving this with the brides approval and that if anything is to happen that only YOU are suppose to be contacted and come to fix it. That way the caterer has no if's, and's, or but's about how serious you are and who is in charge.
You definitely handle it properly but, as I was saying I would take more precautions when working with this caterer. Sounds like she has it out for you!
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