The cake is BEAUTIFUL!
Kathy

OK seriously that cake is absolutely FABULOUS!!!! I can't believe she was disappointed. I think there is something going on with her that has nothing at all to do with you or that cake. And for $300 it was a STEAL!! Big hug to you, I can only imagine how you must feel. I hope to be as good as you are one day. You are an awesome, talented artist and you should be proud. Don't let her issues make you feel that your work is any less than it is-in a word BREATHTAKING!!

Even if I was at a wedding at noticed that the cake was a replica of the brides dress, I still don't think I would tell the bride.

She obviously knows that it's her dress and doesn't need me to fill her in on it lol. If any of the other guests are like me, that's just something you notice, go "Oh hey, that's cool", and be on your way. It doesn't mean you don't like it or you don't recognize the effort!

She paid you $3/serving and expected it to look like something from the Oklahoma Sugar Art show?! I mean, I LOVE your work, and when I saw you started the thread I couldn't believe it was YOU who disappointed a customer... that just seemed unbelievable to me. I think your cakes DO look as good as the Oklahoma show... my point is, the cakes at that show are worth probably starting at $6/serving on up (alot of "on ups" too)...yet she wanted one just like them.

I agree with the other posters that if it was that important for her cake to match her dress, she should have brought you the dress to study. It sounds like she was fine with the plans and only got upset when nobody noticed it matched her dress.

The fact that she is a "local celebrity" answers some of the questions, maybe she is used to having everything perfect and getting exactly the attention she craves, and she also probably thought she was going to have you working on her cake for three weeks straight for her three bucks a serving because of "who she is".

Your cake is gorgeous and anyone with half a brain will laugh off the lady's complaints and your reputation will never even flinch. I know you must feel awful...I had a complaint about 6 months back and I even knew it was my own fault but I still felt bad. I can't imagine feeling on top of the world like you did something awesome for somebody and then having them slam you like that. I am sooooo sorry this has happened to you! Your work is totally awesome though, I hope to be as good as you someday, so keep up the good work! The fact a newscaster even hired you says something for your work and reputation! Don't let a spoiled little girl ruin your pride in your work.

I'm so sorry she didn't like her cake!! It is BEAUTIFUL and it does look like a gown! You should be very proud of this cake! Some people are just so hard to please!

Thanks for all the verbal hugs! I hate letting someone down, my fault or not. I just don't feel right about it now, and again, my 5 month pregnant, hormone ridden mood systems won't let me forget about it either.

I am just hoping that people say to her at work next week, "What a great wedding, everything was perfect, and your cake was so gorgeous, and how cool it matched your gown."

The cake is a beauty, the bride is a spoiled semi-celeb, you did nothing wrong!

I wonder if she got upset with the supplier of the gown because no one COMMENTED that it looked remarkably similar to the cake????!!!???

Ditto to what everyone has said! Just wanted to add a cyber hug. In this business of customer service we muct remember you can't please everyone. That is no reflection of your work though because you did an excellent job. Some are just hard to please.
Keep ya head up!

Wow. When I first saw the sketch of the gown, I thought "how could anyone make a cake that will truly resemble a gown from THIS?" (really). Then I saw the cake and I was FLOORED !!! It is gorgeous !!!! I haven't done any wedding cakes yet, but I hope that when I do, they turn out as beautiful as this one. I mean that.

Try to remember that some people get an UNREALISTIC notion in their head, or an idea, or their reality of what something should look like. When the "thing" doesn't turn out EXACTLY what they expected then they are TOTALLY let down. It's very black and white for them. No gray. And I say if everyone here thinks it's beautiful, then chances are, it is! I understand feeling totally down about what she thought - we all want to please our customers. Especially for a wedding. Now you know that even the most likeable of customers will be unhappy with what they get. Ya can't please all a the customers all a the time, girlfriend !!!

Keep up the good work. It's gorgeous.

(((Hugs))))
Suzanne

This cake is absolutely beautiful! I love it.

song for HER:

every party needs a pooper
that's why we invited youper
party pooper!!!!

----------------------

oh give me a BREAK -- that cake is georgous!!!!

her fault for no good pics and not being willing to work w/ you to get the cake of her (insane) dreams.

Dear ellepal, I just read your email and I wanted to first say what a wonderful, beautiful and dazzling cake you made. Secondly, as my great grandmother said, weddings and funerals bring out the worst in people, and you are the unfortunate victim of the brides own fears and insecurities! Do not accept her disappointment as anything other than that. Your cake is a work of art and something you should be proud of. Well done and bake on! Hugs from a fellow baker, Clink

Oh my!!!

Boy I hate when this happens. There was nothing you could have done or have forseen.

You showed her a sketch and she approved. She gave you photos that you weren't happy with and did not honor your request for better ones.

She is obviously someone who thinks that you are a mind reader.

Having said that I think all of us can understand how you feel regardless of the circumstances. You have a disappointed customer and it bothers you. That speaks volumes.

It tells me that you labor (no pun intended) out of love for your work, that your first priority is not the money you are paid but the joy of a satisfied customer and that you take great pride in your art. Rare in any career.

Have faith in your talent. I am willing to bet that the guests were more appreciative of your work than the bride was and that she will receive many compliments. I doubt she will pass them on to you. I think she is probably too selfish to think of it.



Chin up. On to the next beautiful cake!!

just Beautiful!!! I love that cake and would be proud to have it at my wedding if I weren already married lol I dont believe that no one said "wow the cake is delicious and beautiful" she never said that they didnt comment on it did she? just that they didnt say it looked like her gown. So chin up you have nothing to be upset about I'm sure if she showed the pics around they would be breaking your door down to have you make them one.

I have to say I think your cake was stunning! I would have been very grateful and proud to have had that cake at my wedding.

ellepal--
That cake is stunning! Me thinks that she is definitely narcisstic...As Toby Keith's song goes "We always talk about you!"

I do feel the same way you do when I hear that someone wasn't thrilled about a cake I have done. I guess that might make me a "Cake Narcissist" or even a "Cake Snob".

You just keep turning out those STUNNING cakes as you ALWAYS do! Lovey a--Pam

Thanks guys...I am slowly getting over this!
All the encouragement is helping to get my spirits back up.

By the way, dordee...what a gorgeous baby!!!

Wow! This cake is beautiful. Keep up the beautiful work.

Your husband is right---SHE IS SMOKING SOMETHING!!!

Your cake is so amazing ! She is probably mad because the cake was prettier than her and her dress!!!

Keep up your beautiful work! And try to stay as far away from crazy people as possible!

Splendidly gorgeous cake! I don't see how she could have expected anything else from the sketch. It looks perfect to me.

I'm glad your beginning to feel better.


Hey clink ~ Congratulations on your first post and welcome to CC!

Ellen,

Your cake is beautiful. I was already blown away by the amazing Tiffany box cupcakes you posted a picture of yesterday and now this beautiful cake that clearly looks like a gown (don't know what's wrong with the bride.. too much hair spray inhaling???).

I still can understand how you feel upset that the bride was critical about the cake. You must have spent a lot of time on this cake and you felt so proud of it too (and you should ). But remember, sometimes it's hard to live up to people's expectations when they're not very clear about it. She surely had a vision in her head of how it would look like and she was not very specific. The most important thing is that the cake tasted great and that it looked awesome (no matter what she says).

Please, don't feel too bad. Rest, you and your baby to come surely need it.

Inma

ellepal,

Wow, your cake is marvelous; she must be nuts not to have loved your creation.

All of your cakes are amazing and done with love that shines through for everyone to see.

Sorry that she made you feel bad...never heard of a bride wanting the cake to out do herself.

you shouldn't get yourself to upset,she obviously is PICKY. your cake is stunning I can tell it is a gown cake and I don't see that anything is much different from the worksheet,you did marvolous embroidery work some people need to find the slightest problem with everything...I have had a customer like that (and new this about her befor hand).Is she asking you for a refund??you should be proud of this cake

STUNNINGLY GORGEOUS and don't let anyone - even the ungrateful bride tell you different. Perhaps someone did comment on how gorgeous the cake looked and not on how gorgeous she looked in her gown. You do brilliant work.

Whether or not it looked like her dress doesn't matter. It looks exactly like the sketch that she apparently approved. Her problem!

And maybe I'm wrong, but I'm sure a lot of people aren't expecting the cake to "look like" her dress, and they may have not even put 2 and 2 together. To them it's a cake that better taste good lol

I think the bride needs to take a step back and re-think everything. First off -how many guests actually are going to be getting a close look at the bride and cake together?! Yeah there may be a few shots of the bride and groom cutting the cake, etc., but it's not like she's going to be posing side by side w/ the cake. Not to mention, the cake isn't usually served whole to any one guest so the guest can make the connection of "Ahhh this cake looks just like your gown!"
I never had anyone come up to me and give accolades about my cake, and frankly don't care if they did. They were focusing their attention on me...which I was quite content with