why do people (brides ect)have to be so piddly over a few hundred dollars?!?! okay, so i would totally have to budget for any wedding cake (i made my own and as my worst critic didn't like how it turned out) and expect that i would have to pay in full upon delivery-did she get to pay for part of her gown, wear it to the wedding and then go back and say this was the wrong dress it's nothing like the pic it totally ruined my day, my pics ect?!? no!! it's infuriating how people nitpic!! i'm glad to have read this post as i am usually very trusting of people and not very assertive. so i will make sure on future orders as well that larger orders require a deposite and payment in full at a set date before the event. we can all learn together here

I had an experience myself, with the MOB trying to get me to lower my price, and I wouldn't. She ended up cancelling a month before the wedding, after I received 60% down from the grooms mother. Long story short, I do not trust anyone anymore, becasue she lied to me and said another woman who makes cakescould do it alot cheaper, there was no other woman. People will try to do anything to get a deal.

I have not started in the cake decorating business yet because im not license but I would never receive payment the day of the wedding. I will have everything in writing that the bride is aware of the changes on the cake or that a cake will not look alike.

When I got married I paid in advance because that is how the cake decorator requested and I did not mind to pay the price of my wedding cake.

I do catering and cakes (so my final invoice is probably larger than most) and I get my final payment day of the event.

Clients are more likely to add a tip for my staff if they pay the balance that day. When clients pay me in advance, there is *never* a tip for my staff.

In almost 5 years, I've never been burned. Had a couple of bounced checks, but one of the brides contacted me before my bank did to get it resolved! (I had no idea what she was talking about when she called!). The other one was a case of they closed the wedding account before all the checks cleared and they replaced the check asap, no problem.

Coming back to this thread, I see things just a little differently today.

You had a business transaction. You provided a good/service, they rendered payment.

Then, a third party demanded the payment back and kept what you provided.

Today, that sounds to me like they stole the cake from you.

I know those are inflammatory words, but that is how it reads to me today. It is like an elaborate scam when someone gets you to go to the bank and write them a check, promising you some type of payment in exhange.

I'm not accusing them of planning this, but if you had sold her a wedding dress then you had been called and told it was horrible and they intimidated you into giving them the check back....and they didn't give you the dress back? I think that is stealing.

You know, I don't if it's been mentioned already, but many times, the cake just doesn't look finished until everything is put on. There are so many times that we finish the basic cake and think it looks like crap, until we get the finishing touches on it! Probably after the flowers were in place it looked much more like she had in mind.

And I wouldn't deal with the aunt...only the bride.

Indydebi said..

" In almost 5 years, I've never been burned."

They wouldn't dare !!!!

Housemouse

Ideas pour vous

Do you know if she had a photographer? I'd so contact them and ask about any cake-i-poo pictures. Chances are fairly good that they dealt this stuff out to other vendors too. Or is there anyone else there by chance that you know?

If you could get a picture of them with that cake I would so pay for me a copy. I would send a copy of that with a registered letter, mince no words, say payment due upon receipt. And I would wait for 48 hours and I would march my quivering self down to small claims and figure out how to proceed legally. They will help you. Someone will. We/I will.

Would be a great lesson in confidence building.

<<<Kneeling down on her hands and knees, grunt grunt, puff puff, picking up the dust rufffle, peering into the darkness under the bed>>> she said, "They stole from you. Get them, Heather, do it!"

Heather -- did you ever contact the bride? Did she make good on her aunt's wrong doing? Please tell!

Here is another vote for wanting an update and a picture!

I totally agree with ziggytarheel. They stole from you. As stated, I don't know if this was planned or not, but you provided a service and need to be compensated. Just because some third party is "suddenly" not satisfied doesn't mean that you should suffer. I would never treat anybody this way. If I was truely unhappy I would just not use that service again. But you need to be paid if nothing else but for your time. Your time is precious and should not have been wasted on someone ungrateful.

I could see being the bride who politely says yes, the cake is fine, even if I didn't like it and then being upset after. Sounds like just about every haircut I ever get!! (honestly, I do not speak the same language as hairdressers, and the worst haircuts I have ever gotten have been when I liked the last one and said "just do the same as last time"). Anyway -- I think the comments were right about the flowers needing to be on the cake and the bride/family judging the cake without them.

Did you give the cheque to the bride or the aunt? If it was to the aunt, maybe the bride doesn't even realize that she took the cheque back yet (e.g. if the bride was fine with the cake but the aunt was in some sort of screw the vendors craze). Definitely ask for payment again. If she really didn't like the cake but didn't want to tell you so at the reception, she might not be the sort to stand up to a polite firm request for payment. If she refuses and if you do not choose to pursue it further, well, it's unfortunate, but it is not the worst financial catastrophe in the world either.

As a side note, I don't know what the rule is in the states, but in Canada, if a cheque bounces, you can still take it to the issuing bank and get it certified (assuming there is then money in the account) for a fee (around $10, I think), and then deposit it without ever dealing with the person who wrote the cheque. Just something to know if you get a bounced cheque from someone who doesn't return calls.