Owner of a wedding chapel called to tell me about this bride she has. They were going to get married in 2010 ... but he got called up for deployment to Iraq and they've had to pull the wedding up to 2-13-09. Since they don't have 12+ months to save for this, they have NO money. Before the chapel person could even ask, I said, "I'll donate the cake." Chapel person is getting donations and discounted deals for them all over the place. It's fun to watch the community pull together for this couple.
I spoke to the bride about cake design and she was SO nice and SO appreciative and just couldnt' get over how wonderful everyone was being. Very unlike many of the stories we hear on CC, huh?!
Ironically, I was going to be donating 3 .. yes, 3 ... 2-tier cakes for a special event on 2-14 ... the Ice Hockey team was going to give away a wedding where a couple would get married on the ice rink, but they had to cancel it for budget and economy reasons. I was going to make 3 cakes and either the crowd or the couple would choose one. So I told the chapel person, "I WAS going to be making 3 free cakes, but instead I'm making only one free cake for your bride. See? I'm actually coming out ahead on this!" 
I told the chapel person how I always pick a couple each year and do their cake or catering free as a surprise to them and it's usually a military couple anyway, so this fit right in with our business tradition!
So how am I spending my Valentine's Day weekend? Making a very special wedding cake for a very special couple! (You guys know how I am about my military brides anyway!) 
I am so excited about doing this one!!
Thats just awesome of you Indydebi! If a quarter of this world had half the size of your heart, this world would be a much better place.
Being a former military wife (DH is out of the Marines now), this post sooo made me cry. Indydebi I appreciated you before for freely giving everyone on CC so much advice but now you are my idol (ok, maybe you were before as well 
)! It makes my heart melt to know there are people so caring towards military families. ((((HUGS))))
wow deb, awesome..... please get her information and retain.. I would love to use her in round 7 of Operation Baking Gals which will be March. Since I am a former Vet I am trying to bake for female vets when I can. This round I have my 1st 
I would love to have another... so if you can that would be great!
You are doing an amazing thing, and I am so happy for and proud of you!
God Bless you and God bless America!!!
What a nice thing to do indydeb! It brought tears to my eyes and then down my cheek and the onto my keyboard ZAPPPP man hope I dont loose my keyboard. There are nice people out there I just knew it!
the other day in the dunkin donunts line when I got to the window the girl told me the women in front of me paid for my coffee. Man you nice people rock!
when I got to the window the girl told me the women in front of me paid for my coffee.
That happened to me once! I had just finished a reception during a heat wave and was just dying! I had to drive 15 minutes to the closest fast food place. I seriously thought I was going to pass out before I could get a coke. My tongue felt as big as my foot. I get to the window and the kid tells me the guy in the car in front of me paid for the coke. God's angel picked a great day to help me out!
Update: The wedding is tomorrow (Friday) night. Between me, the wedding chapel lady and a wedding event planner that also volunteered to help with this, we made phone calls and have 2 newspapers and potentially a TV station going to be there for this couple! A photographer jumped in to do the photos; and a big surprise for the couple ... the wedding chapel lady got a horse and carriage to take them from the church to the reception and he's not charging anything!
It is so awesome the way the whole community is pulling together for this couple. It's so easy to do this kind of stuff when the couple is as sweet as these two. In their minds, the marriage is more important than the wedding. God luv 'em!
That sounds so nice! What a great thing to do!
I am new to the CC site and I thought it was awesome the way you give so much advice to your fellow CC'ers, but what you are doing for this military couple goes beyond words-
The world needs more fabulous people just like you Indydebi!
You are simply AWESOME!!!
I must say that I got chills reading this.... I am a person who believes that blessings are like rivers....it is meant to be shared - I know sometimes it seem hard to do, but I applaud you all for you all kindheartedness and consideration. May GOD bless you all in great multitudes......
IndyDebi you are awesome, I got all chocked up reading this. Not only do you create beautiful cakes and dispense a wealth of information for all of us, you reach out and give! Especially now I am sure this is appreciated beyond any words! I truly believe in giving and it will come back to you in ways you never imagined (like the person who bought you the coke when your mouth was dry as the desert!)...warmest regards and Happy Valentine's Day!
Indydebi - You are an amazing person. This couple is so lucky to have a cake made by you with all this love. So many people nowadays are greedy - but you just share! Thats so nice to see
Tell us about the wedding and cake after the wedding. I'm sure there will be good stories
Indydebi - As if I didn't think highly enough of you already! I am sitting here with tears in my eyes as a military wife of 18 years, thinking of this young couple and his upcoming deployment. (My heart always goes out to the young ones!). You have helped to bring such joy during such a surely trying time. You, my dear, will sleep well when this is all done. Kudos to you for what you are doing for them! You are incredible! 
It's 12:30 in the morning and I just finished getting the wedding photos posted ..... click on my Flickr link in my signature to see them all, including the horse and carriage!!
Here's the newspaper story ... it's already posted on line!
http://www.greenfieldreporter.com/articles/2009/02/13/news/01.txt
The horse and carriage was a complete surprise to the bride. Her mouth dropped open and hit the ground when she exited the church and saw it.
We had a tight window to get the reception set up. There was a V-Day dinner going on at this Elks Lodge, so we had to wait until 8:00 pm before we could start doing anything. Wedding was at 7:30 and guests were starting to arrive before we had even started. But everyone knew it was going to be tight and were very nice and very helpful. Sara, the event planner, really knows how to get things moving! We had the food and the room set up in about 20 minutes. That's GOTTA be a record!
Everyone was really nice, appreciative and complimented everyone's efforts. We rec'd lots of hugs and thank-you's from friends and family alike! The bride insisted on getting a pic with the two of them, me, Sara-the-event-planner, and Trina-the-chapel-lady; and during her opening remarks, shortly after they arrived at the reception, she was gracious and told all of her guests about the community pulling together, thanking all of us.
This girl will NEVER qualify for a Bridezilla show!
I ended up not even charging her the full invoice for the food. I just told her $200 would cover my costs and that was fine.
Gosh, I just luv my job!
Oh Indydebi, as an active duty AF member myself and also an Army wife, I salute you for doing such wonderful things for us military members. It warms my heart to have people like you support us. Thank you, thank you, thank you!!!! I know they both appreciate more then words will ever say what you are doing for them.
Thank you Indydebi...I am a former USAF member and a current military wife and it is people like you that are remembered forever! Your kindness will be repayed!
I will make sure that I will be the one tomorrow to by the person behind me in line a coke.
[quote="indydebi"]
I told the chapel person how I always pick a couple each year and do their cake or catering free as a surprise to them and it's usually a military couple anyway, so this fit right in with our business tradition!
quote]
When do you let them know that the cake or catering is free?
This is such a nice thing that you do. If I ever do this as a business I would like to do something like this.
When do you let them know that the cake or catering is free?
The first one was thrown together by the parents in just days. Groom was being deployed asap. To arrange it, they actually had to meet me at one of my weddings while I was setting up. I told them no deposit ... we'd just take care of everything the day of the event. When we were packed up ready to leave, mom went to get her purse and when she asked us how much,we said "No charge."
The 2nd one was a couple where both of them were military. He had been to Iraq already, and they were both scheduled to go to Iraq, him for the 2nd time. She called and said they were going to come over and just pay the entire bill for the cake (instead of just the deposit). So when they got there, I already had a "Paid in Full" invoice for them and refused their check.
This one was our 3rd year of doing this. It's a tradition with us that we will continue as long as I have a sign over the door!
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