I had a wedding cake on Saturday, it has been an interesting weekend to say the least. I just need to vent a little.
This wedding was one of our long time friends. I was doing the wedding cake, punch, nuts and mints, plus grooms cake.
One of my very close friends (also the sister-in-law to the groom) was catering the meal.
This was her first catering (she's wanting to get started in this) event. We went down to the building on Friday night to find out where our tables would go. When the bride and groom ordered the cake, I specified that I have to be near a kitchen, they told me that was no problem. Well when we went to the building, the bride and groom had went to get more decorations and would be there soon. My friend and I were talking and trying to decide where the tables should go. The people that were there was my friend, me, DH, the grooms parents (my friend's inlaws), my brother-in-law (he was best man) and then the bride's sister and her kids. Well, the bride's sister came over to me and very hateful told me the cake table and the food table would be across the building from the kitchen. I told her I couldn't because I had to be near the kitchen, she said VERY Hatefully "Well, WHY?" I was doing my best to stay calm because this is a business. I just say that I not only had the cake but I had the punch, nuts and such that will need to be refilled and I thought it would look tacky if we were walking back and forth through the dance floor refilling things. Believe me when I say I was being nice as possible because I HATE confrontations. My friend came up behind me, she had heard all of it and stated that she also had to be near the kitchen. We turned away and started fixing our tables and the next thing we knew, they left. They just packed their stuff up and left! Within 10 minutes the groom got there and we explained what happened and he thought they were being idiots. Needless to say I didn't get much sleep Friday night worrying over this. Then Saturday came and it snowed! We set up the table with tableclothes and such, went home for the cakes. Took them to the building and realized I forgot the grooms cake. DH ran home to get that. I started setting the cakes and decorating them. When Dh got back we cut the dowel and when we set the 10" on the 12" my dowels shifted and went in at an angle. We took it back off 2 more times I still wasn't happy with it because it wasn't centered. We decided to leave it because I was running out of time. The next layer was the locking plates with a gap of 3 inches for flowers and the top tier. When I set the top tier on the front of the 12" just sank. I grapped the top tier off and told DH to go home and get my dummies because this cake will never make it. He went home at 3:30pm (reception was to start at 5) I started icing the dummy and ran out of icing, home again to make more icing. Back at the building I iced and decorated the 12" we set the 10" and presented the cake at 4:40pm. NEVER AGAIN will I use dowels. DH and I made the decision we are going with the SPS, I'm getting ready to make the order after while. I will probably be posting in a little while to make sure I'm ordering the right stuff.
I am proud how the cake finally turned out, everyone kept saying to me that I was amazingly calm but I told DH that it was a good thing that I hadn't ate that day or I would have thrown up everywhere! 
Sounds like a stressful weekend. But at l;east the end product is beautiful! Great job.
fabfour.........
From the appearance of this beautiful cake, you handled your self in a very professional and dignified manner- way to go- I tend to open my mouth and insert feet in a situation like this- I hope you had a little alcohol when all was said and done- your cake is stunning!
Kerri 
What a beautiful save! I am so glad that we share our "disaster" stories, because when I had my first "slider" cake a few weeks ago, I would have had NO idea how to save it except for the many experiences shared by CC'er and how they saved their sliders!
And also a big good for you for holding your ground on the table location! I had a bride planning a reception for 300 and due to spacing problems, she first wanted the food outside ("Are you renting a tent?" "No." "Then food cannot be outside as it must be covered.") Then she wanted the food on the dance floor .... on the complete opposite side of the room ... of this very very very LONG, HUGE room. I flat out told her we can't do that. I explained that we would be carrying hot pans of food and boiling water (the chafer pans once the buffet was over) thru a crowd of 300 people. Set aside the inconvenience issue, it was a SAFETY issue ... for my crew and for her guests and I WILL. NOT. DO IT.
So from one caterer to another, give a big thumbs up to your friend for me! (and to you, too!)
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