Like, something equivalent to the mullet of the hair world. Do you do it? Is it all about pleasing the client, or do you refuse to put your name on it if it isnt your style?
I cant go ino too much detail, she may be a lurker.

I do it. She's the customer and she gets to pick. No one says you have to post it on your website or anything. I've done my share of cakes that I thought were ugly.

without knowing details (and I understand why), I'd say do it. I read too many threads where the decorator is ridiculing the "tacky taste" of the customer when it's just a matter of personal preference more than it is about an ugly cake.

Some people say that about sheet cakes.
Some people say that about cakes sitting on a fountain. (I can't figure this one out. Sit the same cake on a table and it's fine. Sit the cake on a fountain and suddenly THE CAKE is "ugly". )
I say it about scrolls and ribbon cakes. Boring. I can do them in my sleep. No talent needed to make them. Not necessarily "ugly" but pretty dang close.

BUt I do them all ... it pays the bills. Which is the purpose and the goal.
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There was an episode of The Drew Carey show where 2 people were vying for the same job. The 'test' was to dress the too-much-make-up secretary character, Mimi. One applicant tried to "fix" Mimi and dress her in regular clothes. The other dressed Mimi in Mimi-style clothes. She looked hideous. But Drew gave the job to the person who dressed Mimi hideous. Why? Because Mimi looked in the mirror and said, "Oh my! I'm beautiful!"

The winning applicant made THE CUSTOMER happy. Sure she looked horrible. BUt that's not what mattered. What mattered was making THE CUSTOMER happy.

Again ... this statement is made without knowing details. I'm sure there are themes of cakes that many of us wouldn't do, and we are respecting your choice to keep that private.

Yeah to what Debi said. But when you make it, and it's horrid, come back here and show us and some us will laugh with you.

Oh, and the purple tile cake I delivered last night? Bride told me numerous times she was not putting a topper on. Hates them she said. What does wedding planner hand me when I get there? A porcelain (something heavy) bride holding a key in her hand with a groom sitting next to her looking forlorn. I snapped my pic, and told them not put that thing on there until it was time for pics, cause it was heavy and would topple taking some cake with it.

I have had customers want things that I think are tacky and ugly and done them anyway. I just don't promote those pics LOL.

But really, I has someone do an edible image on a sheetcake. It was from the move Back to the Future and had me do the little bubbles and making them say things. The thing was so stupid and made NO sense whatsoever to me, but apparently they liked it, they are return customers.

Good save Debi!

Think of it this way: who are you to judge whether what she wants is fugly or not?

LOL, she might think your living room decor is fugly as all get-out, while you think it's worthy of being featured in a interior design magazine.

If it's just about your opinion on the style, theme, or colors the client has chosen, just do what she wants and maybe the next cake she orders from you will be gorgeous in your opinion.

Good Lord, Jaime...I just looked at your post count vs your join date...this site is like crack to you, isn't it? :lmao:

I had this situation recently. The customer brought me a picture of a cake COVERED in really sloppy buttercream flowers that they just loved. They had the picture in their camera for about 3 years, and wanted me to replicate it with a few changes. I just make my best flowers and tried to make it as cute and clean as possible while still being pretty dang busy. It actually turned out pretty cute and they loved it! So the moral is, do it and do it the best you can.

Most people have really bad taste!

I've done plenty of butt-ugly cakes and I don't care if I hate them..... most times, the customer has 'designed' the thing themselves and they want it like that.



It pays the bills.

If I think the bride might just have gotten a little carried away, and probably doesn't have any idea how all her "ideas" will end up looking, I sometimes try to steer her in a more feasible design (you know, the brides that bring in pictures of 6 totally different style cakes and wants to combine them all... ).

But if it's just not my taste, or I feel it's "out of style/fashion" or whatever?
Repeat after me: "It's not my wedding. It's not my wedding. It's not my wedding."

Just do the cake and take the cash. I did one not too long ago - I didn't even want a picture of it. The only unfortunate part for me, is I knew quite a few of the people at the wedding (at least it tasted good!)

Do it, but make sure that you have VERY detailed drawings and descriptions of what she wants, so that when she decides that she doesn't like it when she sees it you have proof that you delivered exactly what she ordered!

You make that ugly cake... but you make it the best ugly cake ever!

I would do what vostumeczar said, do a detailed drawing (doesn't have to be pretty, just to have a visual idea) and show the bride how it'll look together...if she still wants it, just do it! (just don't put the picture in your portfolio)

I do the same--I do it anyhow--but here's the new reality (probably not new to y'all) --my client asked me when I was gonna put the cake in my website--oh my soul! Aghh, would you believe the dog ate my camera?

Hey if my dog can eat a whole beef brisket then finish off 2 1/2 dozen extra chocolate chip cookies, then destroy the living room, I'm sure your dog can eat the camera and survive. LOL

Yup, do the cake. Hopefully she'll say in public that its exactly what she wanted! LOL!

I've told my daughters for years, whenever you see an awful colored shirt in the window or someone dressed up and looking horrendous just remember that someone somewhere out there is thinking "this looks GOOOOOOD!" As my g'ma use to say "there's no accountin' for taste".

And, yeah, somehow my camera would auto delete the photos! LOL!

Cat

ps. yup, this place is like crack to me too..out here every day, several times a day! LOL!

Yip, just do it It'll get you paid, and it might make her the happiest person in the world. I think lots of us here have done our share of ugly cakes. I have one coming up But, it pays the bills.

Now, if it's something obscene or something that you don't feel comfortable doing, that's totally different. But if it's just butt ugly, well then, "Go ugly! Go ugly!" Then come show us pics

That's what happened on my first wedding cake, its the solid white one with a clear plexiglass square that had there names and date on it , No stand to set it on, Thank goodness i had one day to find something to sit it on, I asked the bride if it had a stand she said No I told her its to heavy and big just to put into the cake and icing, It will fall over, So i found a clear easel to put it on , If this had not worked , it was ready to hot glue golf T's on the bottom and stick it into the cake Its in my pics, you can barley see the topper,

I would think a good option would be "I forgot to take the cap off the lense, finger got in the way, icing smudge on camera,

So the cake, do it, you don't have to like. I did a fugly cake a few weeks back. the little brother designed the cake. He was so pround and it meant a lot to his sister. He even was excited to see his work on here. Am I proud of the cake? Yes, it looked just like he wanted. Is it a fugly cake? Yes, but the customer (free cake for a friend) got what they wanted. It is all in people skills. If you feel this is a cake she doesn't realize is ugly, the sketch would help. A few tactful pointers on how to make the cake "more personal" for her might help as well.

I don't even take pics of the cakes I really don't like, whether it's because of the design/colors etc or I feel I didn't do a good job. Some I just don't want reminders of. You can make em but doesn't mean you have to publicize them on your website etc. I'd just tell a customer who asks that I don't put all my cakes up on the site. I wouldn't lie, but I'm not going to feel obligated to post it. Once the cake and $ have changed hands it's no longer her business. Actually this wasn't her business in the first place.

That's a hard one for me. If a bride brings me a picture of a hideous cake, and requests the exact same design... well, I liken that to someone wanting a display cake from me, but wanting to serve Walmart sheet cakes in the kitchen.

I don't want my skills (be they baking or decorating) misrepresented. Maybe if I was really hurting for business I'd do it, but try to talk her into something more in line with my design aesthetic.

I realize it's her day and all, but it's my reputation on the line. I can't forget that.