Horrified At The Wedding Artical

Decorating By CupCake_Caitlin Updated 26 Aug 2010 , 4:32am by all4cake

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MalibuBakinBarbie Posted 1 Oct 2009 , 2:32pm
post #31 of 91

This article link has to be one of the most annoying and misguided sites I have ever seen! icon_mad.gif The "Lie to your baker" line really got me, too! ~ And I'm not even in the business!!!

Just for my own purposes, when I do cakes for family, I like to see what I have into them (cost-wise). It pretty much works out to be the same cost per slice, regardless of the event. It may be more costly for weddings because the bigger the cake, the more it needs (i.e., cake, filling, icing, gumpaste roses, fondant, etc.). I am sure there are those out there who tack on an extra charge JUST for occasion cakes, but I still think it's wrong for the article to advise people to actually lie to bakers. That's just dishonest. And sad.

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sadsmile Posted 1 Oct 2009 , 2:36pm
post #32 of 91

OK I am going to be "the wet blanket" and say I hope any one who leaves a response is being respectful and leaves a comment with grace and not snark and a condescending attitude. We don't want to bring any bad light on CC through things like this. We also don't need to give the fire any more fuel. Yes we are grown ups and entitled to our opinions and have a right to get upset. Disagree by all means but make them respectable means.

Our actions are here in the cyber world for all to see and we should act like the professionals we want to be treated as.

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__Jamie__ Posted 1 Oct 2009 , 2:42pm
post #33 of 91

Oh damn. So that cake I delivered to a 13th of July party the other day was really a wedding? Crapola! I wondered why there was a chick in a really pretty white dress with 4 giggling little twits in matching dresses milling around. Well, they got me! icon_biggrin.gificon_biggrin.gif

Sheesh. Wedding cake is birthday cake is Arbor Day cake, but none of it is "just cake"

Ugh!

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YummyChoo Posted 1 Oct 2009 , 2:51pm
post #34 of 91

Do people still value the wedding cake these days?? Are brides to be after something different or they just want a cheap cake to do the job?

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sadsmile Posted 1 Oct 2009 , 2:56pm
post #35 of 91

Have any of you watched David Tutera's show? Some of those brides followed advice from articles just like that. He re-styles the whole wedding to a gorgeous affair. From tacky to tasteful.

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MalibuBakinBarbie Posted 1 Oct 2009 , 2:58pm
post #36 of 91

I totally agree with you, sadsmile, and hope you weren't pointing at me. icon_redface.gif (Really no need to confirm that, though!!!)

I, of course too, hope that people would be respectful if posting comments. Because if this mentioned site (or any other) were to ever consider revising its content, it would more likely be done because of people's thoughtful, considerate and insightful responses. If we were to "attack" them, it would just give them even MORE reason to advise people to go to battle with their bakers. icon_wink.gif

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sadsmile Posted 1 Oct 2009 , 3:02pm
post #37 of 91

Hehe... my finger is always pointed at myself first. But I thought I would share in case anyone else would benefit from it.

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ebredhawk Posted 1 Oct 2009 , 3:17pm
post #38 of 91

not only am i a caker, but i'm a bride-to-be. thanks to the power of the internet, there are tons of wedding planning forums out there i posted this article on the two that i use with a few words of caution to the other brides. while there are some very helpful ideas in there (simple designs, cake dummies), there are some very misleading ones as well. even as someone getting married i was offended! the fact that they even suggest to lie and be deceptive makes me feel like i can't plan a wedding honestly and still have it be under budget and just what i want. hopefully articles like this and some of the shows on tv won't brainwash the other engaged couples out there... we deserve a little more respect for the time and energy put into our craft than what they seem to be giving us!

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DefyGravity Posted 1 Oct 2009 , 3:32pm
post #39 of 91

I wrote a response, even though I'm not a pro. I just pointed out what I had problems with, such as using professional pictures, even though she does nothing but rip down pro cakes. I also told her about the cost of not only the ingredients, but also the supports, pans, and tools to turn a "Betty Crocker" cake into what she is portraying to brides as completely possible. I also mentioned that a bride probably doesn't have a couple whole days to commit to making a cake in the days before her wedding. I reminded her about heat and humidity, perishable ingredients v. non, and things like that.

I don't think that the comments ever get posted for public view, but I bet she reads them herself. Hopefully she takes everyone's comments to heart and either revises the article or pulls it down entirely!

Edited to take out my bad advice.

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juleebug Posted 1 Oct 2009 , 3:37pm
post #40 of 91
Quote:
Originally Posted by indydebi

http://www.big-wedding-tiny-budget.com/simple-wedding-cakes.html
This above sub-link in the article tells the story of a bride who placed some hydrangeas on her cake. I submitted a response that a professional baker knows hydrangeas are a toxic flower and should NEVER be placed on a cake. This bride was very lucky nothing happened that would cause her to get sued. I stated "a cake is 'just flour and sugar' like a dress is 'just fabric and thread'."




Had the EXACT same experience. A man I do business with was telling me how he only paid $150 for his 5 tier wedding cake from another baker. Very politely, I remarked that Yes he got a great deal, I would never have done it that cheap. Then he told me how it was so cheap because they put their own decorations on it - 8 silver butterflies (which cost $40 each) and hydrangeas. I said "And are you aware you served your guests cake decorated with toxic flowers?" Of course he wasn't... because his baker had no idea. I guess that's what happens when you pay $150 for a 5 tier cake, huh?

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MalibuBakinBarbie Posted 1 Oct 2009 , 3:49pm
post #41 of 91

Well said, ebredhawk! And congratulations on your upcoming wedding!!! icon_smile.gif

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-Tubbs Posted 1 Oct 2009 , 4:05pm
post #42 of 91
Quote:
Originally Posted by DefyGravity

I tried to give her other suggestions, such as using dummy layers and sheet cakes decorate to mimic the main cake as a way of cutting costs. I told her I hoped she would revise the article to reflect some good, honest advice instead of telling brides to lie and be manipulative.



But even that's tricky, because many people here DO NOT charge less for dummy or sheet cakes, and get annoyed with articles which suggest that brides ask for these things as a way to cut costs.

I don't think it's unreasonable to simply expect common professional courtesy from people who want our services?

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sadsmile Posted 1 Oct 2009 , 4:24pm
post #43 of 91

That blog also made suggestions about cupcake towers and having a cupcake tower on every table and saving thousands off the cake. but when you go to your local craft stor and fill your basket with the items needed to make a disposable cupcake tower it is really going to hit your wallet! Not to mention if the tower doesn't have the right support it will all come tumbling down. Lot's of people are crafty and can make pretty things but, stuff like this needs to be fully functional.

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cylstrial Posted 1 Oct 2009 , 4:39pm
post #44 of 91

People are just dumb! I'm really glad that you all have been educating the little twit who wrote the article!

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costumeczar Posted 1 Oct 2009 , 4:41pm
post #45 of 91
Quote:
Originally Posted by izzy1953

some people are like slinkies.............................not really good for anything, but it still brings a smile to your face when you push them down the stairs!!!!!





Ahhahahahahahaha! icon_twisted.gif

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bobwonderbuns Posted 1 Oct 2009 , 4:48pm
post #46 of 91
Quote:
Originally Posted by TubbsCookies

Quote:
Originally Posted by DefyGravity

I tried to give her other suggestions, such as using dummy layers and sheet cakes decorate to mimic the main cake as a way of cutting costs. I told her I hoped she would revise the article to reflect some good, honest advice instead of telling brides to lie and be manipulative.


But even that's tricky, because many people here DO NOT charge less for dummy or sheet cakes, and get annoyed with articles which suggest that brides ask for these things as a way to cut costs.

I don't think it's unreasonable to simply expect common professional courtesy from people who want our services?




When I was dealing with the infamous "Mrs. I want a 6-foot wedding cake for free" icon_confused.gif and we talked about adding height I mentioned the styrofoam dummies. Of course because they weren't cake she wanted them for free too... icon_eek.gificon_confused.gif I told her they would cost exactly the same as the other tiers because it costs me just as much time and energy to decorate styrofoam as it does real cake and if I don't get a discount then neither does she! icon_twisted.gif

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DefyGravity Posted 1 Oct 2009 , 5:15pm
post #47 of 91
Quote:
Originally Posted by TubbsCookies

Quote:
Originally Posted by DefyGravity

I tried to give her other suggestions, such as using dummy layers and sheet cakes decorate to mimic the main cake as a way of cutting costs. I told her I hoped she would revise the article to reflect some good, honest advice instead of telling brides to lie and be manipulative.


But even that's tricky, because many people here DO NOT charge less for dummy or sheet cakes, and get annoyed with articles which suggest that brides ask for these things as a way to cut costs.

I don't think it's unreasonable to simply expect common professional courtesy from people who want our services?




I know at least a couple people on here have said they will use dummies/sheet cakes to cut costs, but if there's one major thing I've learned on CC its that everyone is different and everyone does their own thing. icon_wink.gif To anyone who does not discount for dummies, sorry if I, too, offended you icon_sad.gif

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CoutureCakeCreations Posted 1 Oct 2009 , 5:27pm
post #48 of 91

I charge the same for dummys as I do for cakes! It all takes time to put together so why should dummys be cheaper.

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patticakesnc Posted 1 Oct 2009 , 5:42pm
post #49 of 91

Here was my response.
Wow! Are you serious? Do you have any idea what goes into making a wedding cake? I do...I bake cakes for a living. I do charge much less than most bakeries due to me being home based, but that is only because I do not have to pay for the high overhead, commercial equipment and commercial electricity bills.

Cakes are an art. It takes an extreme talent to bring a cake together in a decent and delicious manner. Anyone can open a box of cake mix, but can anyone know how to do the amazing flavors from scratch? Make amazing buttercreams, and fillings? Do you know how to cover a cake in fondant correctly or make gumpaste flowers that would fool the best florist? Many bakers spend weeks on a cake. Making the flowers themselves can take 100's of hours. And if you break it all down most bakers (I say most not all) don't even make minimum wage once you add up the ingredients, time, electricity, and all other costs associated with a cake. So before knocking the baking industry for trying to make a living you should step into the bakers shoes for one cake. I promise you will think they need a raise.

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janebrophy Posted 1 Oct 2009 , 5:57pm
post #50 of 91

At the risk of sounding rude, some people are so stupid!!
I'm sorry, there is no other word, except plain old ignorant.

The worst part of this is it just promotes that whole mentality of "everyone owes me a deal". I'm so sick of people wanting a deal. Buy what you can afford...period. I've also learned that the more of a deal you give to someone, the worse they treat you, and the less they value your services...that goes for everything, not just cake....just my 2 cents icon_smile.gif

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prterrell Posted 1 Oct 2009 , 6:15pm
post #51 of 91

People who follow the advice in that article are the ones who would show up at the grocery store bakery at 1pm on a Saturday panicking because they need a replacement wedding cake NOW and then get explosively irate that we could not produce a 4 or 5 tier fully decorated wedding cake from thin air and that the best we could do for them at that point is refer them to the pre-decorated 8" rounds and quarter sheets in the refrigerated case. I personally dealt with many of these brides or their family members, a quincenara mom, a sweet 16 mom, and the most infamous of all, the mom of the 1 year old who tried to make her child's birthday cake copied from something insanely complicated she saw in a magazine or on TV when she'd never baked anything before in her life. All of them were extremely upset that we couldn't do more for them and all of them ended up taking cakes from the case.

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__Jamie__ Posted 1 Oct 2009 , 6:18pm
post #52 of 91

True that, Tinkerbell. icon_wink.gif So sad!

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keriskreations Posted 1 Oct 2009 , 6:19pm
post #53 of 91
Quote:
Originally Posted by cib

"Lie to your baker. He doesn't need to know it's a cake for a wedding! When the word "wedding" is mentioned, the price automatically goes up - and this goes for any vendor or professional you are dealing with. Tell your baker it's an anniversary cake, celebration cake, Arbor Day cake, TGIF cake, etc. etc. etc. It doesn't matter. Just don't mention wedding, if at all humanly possible."


Crap like this really makes my blood boil!




WTF???? I am reading this while eating lunch, and almost choked when I got to this part. I read the article on the site too. Seriously???? What kind of society do we live in when someone is outwardly telling folks to lie??? And I love the cupcake cake theory. Why should having a tower of individually decorated cupcakes be any cheaper? I was asked do do one, and I told the bride it would be more expensive, because of the stand that would need to be created, etc, etc. Someone else said that she's probably not married - LOL, I loved that, because it's probably true.

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UpAt2am Posted 1 Oct 2009 , 6:30pm
post #54 of 91

This article is disgusting. And I love a deal...use coupons everywhere I shop, and even I hate her advice!

What I'm getting really fed up with is the customers who call and give me their sad story about how their husband lost his job, and that the economy is really hurting them, etc. HOWEVER, she still wants a really cool cake for her 1 year old's bday, because "it's not my precious baby's fault that we're in this postition." said mom then wants to tell me my cake's are too expensive. well, here's an idea, if you're so broke, why did you call a custom cake maker?! my parents were broker than broke when i was growing up and guess what, my mom made my cake and served it right in the pan...and i'm not scarred by it...i loved it! because why...because i was 1 and any one year old likes CAKE!

sorry...i'm done now! icon_smile.gif needed to vent!

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majka_ze Posted 1 Oct 2009 , 6:39pm
post #55 of 91
Quote:
Originally Posted by UpAt2am

...HOWEVER, she still wants a really cool cake for her 1 year old's bday, because "it's not my precious baby's fault that we're in this postition." ...




Well, I did a 3D cake for my 1yo niece. The family loved the cake, the niece had cold and was teething. Think what - she did look at the cake, was for a half a minute excited and then was for a while content to open her presents. The presents were less interesting for her than the gift wrap on them. SHE didn't eat any cake at all.

What I wanted to say - "it's not her precious baby's fault that they're in this postition." - but 1yo doesn't even know why do you make such fuss!

Good for you to send her on her way!

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robinleah Posted 1 Oct 2009 , 6:58pm
post #56 of 91
Quote:
Originally Posted by juleebug

Quote:
Originally Posted by indydebi

http://www.big-wedding-tiny-budget.com/simple-wedding-cakes.html
This above sub-link in the article tells the story of a bride who placed some hydrangeas on her cake. I submitted a response that a professional baker knows hydrangeas are a toxic flower and should NEVER be placed on a cake. This bride was very lucky nothing happened that would cause her to get sued. I stated "a cake is 'just flour and sugar' like a dress is 'just fabric and thread'."



Had the EXACT same experience. A man I do business with was telling me how he only paid $150 for his 5 tier wedding cake from another baker. Very politely, I remarked that Yes he got a great deal, I would never have done it that cheap. Then he told me how it was so cheap because they put their own decorations on it - 8 silver butterflies (which cost $40 each) and hydrangeas. I said "And are you aware you served your guests cake decorated with toxic flowers?" Of course he wasn't... because his baker had no idea. I guess that's what happens when you pay $150 for a 5 tier cake, huh?





Wow 150 for a cake but 320 for decorations. He got a great deal. He could have had a great cake from any of us for the total price he dished out. Edible and beautiful.

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Caths_Cakes Posted 1 Oct 2009 , 7:06pm
post #57 of 91

as far as being respectful goes, i swallowed that and chucked it to one side. Bleh to what any one says about that. Its me who said it not you lol! why should i be respectuful to a person who slams what i do for a living?Why be respectful to a person who thinks lieing is a good thing to do. Pft to that i say! i told her straight excactly what i thought, that the article was disgusting, a lousey journalist as evidently no research was done, and should be ashamed of herself for bad mouthing others.

i left my email, but dont expect a response.

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indydebi Posted 1 Oct 2009 , 7:33pm
post #58 of 91
Quote:
Originally Posted by UpAt2am

What I'm getting really fed up with is the customers who call and give me their sad story ......



On another forum I'm on, there is a story going on about a bride who wants to reduce her $20K+ venue bill and cut the event planner's bill. She's had "a few family members pass away" and she needs to cut the cost of her 250 guest reception.

I can tell ya how to cut the cost, babycakes! icon_twisted.gif

Her wedding is 7 months away and unless it was her mom or dad and she's REALLY depressed, I'm at a loss on how the passing of her aunt, cousin, great-uncle affects her wedding SEVEN MONTHS from now. I'm not being callous ... really, I'm not, but dry the croc-tears and cut your freakin' guest list!

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350BakerStreet Posted 1 Oct 2009 , 7:48pm
post #59 of 91
Quote:
Originally Posted by janebrophy

At the risk of sounding rude, some people are so stupid!!
I'm sorry, there is no other word, except plain old ignorant.

The worst part of this is it just promotes that whole mentality of "everyone owes me a deal". I'm so sick of people wanting a deal. Buy what you can afford...period. I've also learned that the more of a deal you give to someone, the worse they treat you, and the less they value your services...that goes for everything, not just cake....just my 2 cents icon_smile.gif




I agree 100%!!!

I also agree that a 1-year-old doesn't know the difference between a "homemade" and a "professional" cake (I use quotes because some homemade cakes are professional...you know what I mean, right?). I made an elaborate cake for my 3-year-old, but it was more to impress the family than anything else. He just wanted to eat everything!

If you can't afford a professional cake, why pretend? I see it all the time where a new couple (bride and groom) go into monstrous debt just to pay for their wedding and they're stuck for the next 10-20 years paying it off, all while dining on top ramen! I made my own wedding cake, but it cost me a lot of money too, just because I hadn't accumulated all the cake pans and supplies that I needed yet.

We're all going through a tough time and us greedy cake bakers need to pay the bills too icon_wink.gif

Thanks for letting me vent icon_biggrin.gif

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CeeTee Posted 1 Oct 2009 , 7:55pm
post #60 of 91

That artice is full of nothing but FAIL.

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