Oh Just Set It Up At 2:00 Pm.........
Decorating By cakesbybert Updated 28 Jun 2010 , 10:34pm by Tiffany0481
called to verify when to set up wedding cake. Okay this wedding is this Saturday - July 3 in Kansas with temps to be in high 90's with high humidity and it's an outdoor reception! Wedding is at 6:00 pm with reception around 7:00 pm
And she actually wanted me to put the cake outside at 2:00 PM. "Oh it will be fine, there is shade there."
Duh......no......the cake is buttercream!
helsbels ~ I am in Harper the wedding is in Wichita
Melvira - that was my thoughts exactly, bugs, birds, and other pesty critters.
The evil side of me says you should set it up at the requested time it would serve her right!
I guess I'm evil too because I actually thought that quietly! Hehehe. If it weren't for the fact that it would be your rep on the line and she wouldn't mention to people that she TOLD You to do it... I can just see her standing there looking at it, then you saying, "I just did what you TOLD me to!"
I set up a cake this weekend and it was indoors, BUT, the event planner was there and he said that the wedding WAS going to be out on the patio, until they changed it last Tuesday to indoors. The cake was going to be outdoors also! Temps are running 98 - 100 with heat index around 107 - 110 and high humidity. The cake has cream cheese filling and icing with fondant. The bride had never mentioned that it was going to be outside.
I would explain one moe time. If she still insists, I would have her sign something to the effect of:
Although, my wedding is scheduled to start at 6:00 pm and the reception at 7:00 pm, I (brides name) against my cake vendors knowledge, expertise and advice have decided to have my wedding cake delivered at (venue) on (date) at 2:00 pm outside in 90 degree Kansas heat at (exact outdoor location). I understand that my cake vendor (your name or business name) is not responsible for any unforseen problems or damages to the cake once she sets up, take pictures and leaves the reception venue.
For the love of stupidity... who DOES that? Even someone who has never made a cake... but has eaten one, or SEEN one... who doesn't know that? Who thinks that you can set a carton of ice cream on the counter in your kitchen and that tomorrow it will be perfectly frozen and ready to eat?
I had the same problem this weekend. I was delivering a groom's cake.
The temperature here was at 100 degrees but humidity it was around 110.
I get there and it is an outdoor wedding! They wanted me to set it out there in the heat. This cake was chocolate icin with chocolate covered strawberries. No Way! They probably thought I was rude but just walking from the van to the house the strawberries were beginning to melt.
I glanced over towards where they wanted me to set it up and what do i see? The wedding cake!!! I see the lady standing there decorating the cake outside in this heat! I'm just glad it was her and not me!
For the love of stupidity... who DOES that?
Happened to me once. A venue that has an exclusive (very well known, very prestigious (sp?), very expensive) caterer. The wedding was outdoors, under a huge tent. The reception on the open, uncovered, concrete (HUGE!) patio (this place is like a mini castle!). Oh, and the patio faces west. Hold that thought as the story continues.....
I call to confirm cake delivery at 5:00 .... one hour prior to 6:00 wedding. The caterer tells me I need to bring it between 3:30 and 4:00 "....because guests will be milling around in the building by 5:00." Ok. I can do that. I ask where it will be set up.
"Oh we'll have a table on the patio for it."
I said, "Outside? In the direct sunlight? At a 6:00 wedding in the dead of summer? Who the hell thought THAT was a good idea?" (I find out later it was the caterer's idea .... not that I really gave a sh*t WHOSE idea it was .... it was still STUPID!!!!)
So I tell them, "Ok.... it's fondant covered cake, so it MIGHT hold up ok, but if I were you, I'd tell the bride to get her photos quickly. And for future reference, planning to sit a cake outside, on a concrete patio, in the early evening, facing west, in INdiana summer is not a good idea. You guys are just lucky this is a fondant covered cake."
Sometimes even the "pros" think with their head up their a$$!
I still don't understand brides who think their guests want to be sitting outside and sweating thru dress clothes! UGH!
But I have one of those this summer. End of July. Outside ceremony at 3:30pm...inside reception with no A/C. It's supposed to be around 100 degrees. UGH. Basically I'm keeping the fondant stacked cake in the fridge till they start to take their vows and then setting it on the cake table. Hopefully they will cut it within an hour. Even so the insides will be melted so good luck cutting that thing. All of this is thanx to the MOB who thought having an evening event would be too short to celebrate properly for their guests so mid afternoon was such a better idea. MOB's idea as well to have the MOH (who's pregnant and in a formal gown) cut the cake. She has NO cake experience but the MOB thought it was such a sweet honor for the Bride to give to the MOH. The MOH won't think it's so great after she tries cutting soft fondant and melted buttercream! LOL!
So. who does this? Lots and lots of people! SIGH.
Cat
[quote="indydebi"]
........ a 6:00 wedding in the dead of summer? Who the hell thought THAT was a good idea?" (I find out later it was the caterer's idea .... not that I really gave a sh*t WHOSE idea it was .... it was still STUPID!!!!)
Yep...I have to agree. Forget the cake...what about the guest??
No way in hell am I going to get dressed up and put on my high heels to go sit outdoors in the heat. That ain't happening. I don't give rats behind WHO is getting married I'm not going 
I have NEVER understood why anyone EVER thought it "was a good idea" to have a summer wedding OR reception OUTDOORS 
Yeah..I agree with you..it was/IS "still STUPID" Don't waste an invitation on me if you're not having your summer event (not just a wedding) inside WITH COLD A/C. 
Oh does that remind me of a cake I did yrs ago.
It was middle of a triple digit streak in CA. Only good thing was no humidity. I don't remember them telli ng me what time the wedding was - just that they wanted it set up by (something like) 2 p.m. in the bride's family's yard. When I got there there was not one tree around
Came to find out as I was setting it up the reception wasn't until something like 6 or 7 p.m. Oh well, it was *their descission*!
Great comments ~ seems like "cake stupidity" is pretty much universal.
To let everyone know ! I will NOT be delivering the cake at 2:00 pm. Plan to be there around 5:30-6:00 to assemble (inside), they can wait on the cake to be place on the table ~ but I figure I will be done about the time everyone starts to show up for the reception.
One good thing, my DD is a bridesmaid and she will make sure they do pics right away and move the cake inside to cut and serve ~ she's pretty "cake bossy that way"
I set up a cake this weekend and it was indoors, BUT, the event planner was there and he said that the wedding WAS going to be out on the patio, until they changed it last Tuesday to indoors. The cake was going to be outdoors also! Temps are running 98 - 100 with heat index around 107 - 110 and high humidity. The cake has cream cheese filling and icing with fondant. The bride had never mentioned that it was going to be outside.
Hi Tracy..yep you're just about 40 minutes from me here in Arkansas so I do know what the temps are not to mention the humidity. Good for them that they changed their mind. Maybe she has a mom or future mil that feels the same way I do about sitting out in the heat. That could be the reason it was "changed" to an indoor ceremony.
Years ago, my cousin got married at Berry College in GA and it was in the dead heat of the summer and there was NO air conditioning in the reception hall. The baker set the cake up that morning (wedding was in the late afternoon) and guess what happened...yep, the cake was 3 or 4 tiers (can't remember now) and the tiers slid one by one with the top tier hitting the floor and going SPLAT! The bride was upset but she had hired a wedding planner so that's who she went after, not the baker as the wedding planner should have never allowed the cake to be delivered that early but unfortunately the baker left cards at the reception and I heard several guests dishing the poor cake baker who was only following the instructions of the planner.
The point to all of this is that if you are going to deliver the cake that early, I would definitely have the wedding planner (if there is one) AND the bride sign off on a form which clearly states that it is against your advice to set the cake up that early and state the reasons why. Also, be sure it states that you are not liable for any damage that may occur to the cake once it is set-up.
You know, my contract does state that I am not responsible for inappropriate environment to store the cake and not responsible for anyone or anything knocking over the cake once I have set it up and that there can be no moving the cake once it is set up. I learned that one the hard way. My very first wedding 2 years ago I was told by the MOB to just put the cake in the fridge and they would put it on the cake table later in the day. Ok, naive me did what I was told. Whoever they had move the cake tripped and cake went tumbling. They said it was because my support system wasn't sturdy enough! I ended up giving 50% back but changed my contract IMMEDIATELY. UGH. I haven't done too many weddings since then...my business thrives on events with a few weddings in there...but since then I've had a few people suggest leaving the cake in the walk in or refrigerator and I simply refuse. Doesn't make them happy but I point out that unless they sign off on the cake when I drop it off and agree not to hold me liable for ANYTHING that may happen after that point then they will have to get a new baker. Well, no one wants to sign that much away in case I really did mess up somewhere so they always agree to my terms.
Cat
I'm one who also can't figure out why a couple would want to be MISERABLE in the outdoor heat in wedding/formalwear!
But my first thought re: outdoor weddings is usually, "You're spending HOW much on this event and you're going to gamble all that money that its NOT going to rain?" 
Now I have to say that in my corporate life, I traveled all over the country and 115 degrees in California or Arizona is STILL cooler than 80 humidity degrees in Indiana. So outdoor weddings can be comfortable in various places in the country.
But I also wasn't wearing formalwear while I visited those other states and nor was I forced to sit under a stifling tent for 6 hours! 
I think all brides see outdoor receptions as ethereal magical events with no heat, humidity or bugs...I mean that's what they look like on TV and in magazines, right? Ha! My daughter was married a year ago in a beautiful old mansion that has a gorgeous courtyard. We were going to have a cocktail hour and the wedding outside with all the beautiful flowers. May 1st. Ah, spring! Ah, spring's torrential downpours. Needless to say we always had a plan B...and the house was big enough for both wedding and reception. However, NEVER was the cake to be outdoors. Flies...bugs...yick. I was working at the bakery that did my daughter's cake at the time and they NEVER delivered a cake that was to be outdoors. That was always mentioned at tastings so they knew then and there what the pitfalls of outdoor weddings were--and are. I guess sometimes the vision overtakes common sense.
I feel your pain ... I did my first wedding cake two weeks ago on June 12th down at the Bay in Maryland. Thank goodness it was for my dad and his new wife. They had the wedding/reception on the beach in the evening but it was SO hot and humid...I think temperatures were easily in the 90's the top two tiers of the cake slowly starting to melt. Thank goodness it was very informal and I moved them along quickly to cut the cake. I was SO nervous. I can't imagine dealing with that for an actual paying customer (the cake was my dads gift).
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