I just delivered a 5 tier wedding cake to a venue and I'm pretty sure the cake will not make it. The table they wanted it on was right in front of the huge speaker and subwolfer. The entire table was totally vibrating and shaking and the cake was shaking and vibrating. The speaker was literally 2 feet away and facing the cake. I can't see it making it several hours till they cut it. I told several of the staff there the problem and the first guy did not seem too troubled by it and then I told someone else and they were going to inform the grooming I believe. I'm so nervous about this cake, I bet I'll get a call on Monday.

Did you take pics?

Yes I took pics and it was in once piece when I left so I know I'm covered but still nervous.

I would be too the only reason I askd was b/c thats what every post that I have read ask hope everything works out. I hate it when I work really hard on something especially for someone else and then something happens to it that could hacve been avoided.

If I'm told to place a cake on something unstable or in an area where I feel that it may be compromised...............I refuse to do it. No way in hell I'm getting a call about a refund for a disaster that I DIDN'T create.

In this case, I'd have located the person in charge, asked them to move the table, and not put the cake on display until I was satisfied that it was safe. If my request had been refused, I'd have put the cake in the kitchen...........let THEM put it in front of the speaker

I'd have called the person who ordered the cake---and explained the problem with the set up & why I had to leave the cake in the kitchen. I would have reminded them that if anyone else moved the cake then any problems that resulted are NOT MY FAULT.

Banquet managers know full well that if the cake fails, the baker will take the fall. Blaming the structure of the cake is just too easy..............

Rae

Ditto. i have NO problem requesting a better table, different placement of the table, whatever I need for my cake to be able to survive. You're the professional and you have every right and responsibility to demand what you need.

I hope the cake survived, but I have to agree with demanding that the table be moved or whatever. I've arrived places and have been shown to tables that literally were falling over. I have no problem telling them that I won't put the cake on a table that had collapsing legs, or is set up on a 45 degree angle on a hill, or whatever they might think is a good idea. You don't need to be snotty about it, just show whoever is there that the table is too wiggly or what the problem is, and ask for a sturdy one.

I think that I also have a paragraph in my contract about the conditions that the bride has to supply for the cake table, and it includes things like a temperature range and a sturdy table.

Since you pointed out the issue that you had to a few people and they refused to move it, I'd say that it became their problem at that point.

Absolutely... I have asked for tables to be moved many times. If a table is not level or feels shaky I will ask for a new one too. Many places have a couple of cake tables. I have shims in my cake kit too just incase. You can't be sheepish about it. They will try blow you off, but when you tell them that you will NOT put the cake down until the table is acceptable and you will have NO problem leaving a voicemail with the bride letting her know thet they were being unreasonable... they tend to listen.

I think I will add something in my contract to cover this in the future. I have never had this problem before and wasn't sure how to handle it. I also could not find anyone in charge and no one knew where the planner was just a few staff from the venue that really did not care. Also, the entire room was vibrating from these speakers so I wasn't even sure where they could put it for it to be safe. Of course any place else would have been better. There was a beautiful fruit table across from the cake table with sculpted fruit that was also right in front of a speaker and the fruit kept falling off. In the future, I will make sure the table has nothing wrong with it. I really did not want to set the cake up but it was so loud in there my nerves were shot, I couldn't hear anything and did not know what to do. So far though I haven't heard anything from her so I hope it held up well.

I hope the cake survived. I agree with requesting the table be moved to a different location, I do it all the time, proper table stability and placement are in the contract. It amazes me where people decide to put cake tables, outside in direct sunlight, sloping downhill, next to a swinging door, in the middle of the reception area, next to the dance floor, poolside in July with alcohol, etc... We spend hours and days even producing these cakes, been sweated over ever detail and I for one be damned if I give them any reason for a refund.

I'm a music fan, (rock especially) and I've set up cakes where bands and dj's were loader than concerts I went to as a teenager. At some receptions I thought my teeth would rattle out of my head. What is up with that?

The only cake that I have ever fall was one that I delivered to an outdoor wedding. It was an amazing location. But the backyard had a slight slope down to the lake. And we had just finished about a week of rain.
It was a very stable 3 tier square. 7x10x14. My husband set the cake on the table and showed the mother of the bride that the cake was fine. He said he was worried about the way the table was setting on the grass. They said as long as the cake was fine they didn't want to move the table.
When they called about the return of my equipment they mentioned that the cake had slid, and they only could serve the bottom two tiers.
Trying to figure out how the top tier was the only one to fall we found out that the table slowly sank into the ground during the 4 hrs that it sat there until early in the evening. They were not mad at all.. I think that they knew that they were wrong in the placement of the cake table. And that we had done everything we could to keep the cake up. I am just glad they were nice. I always get a signed notice if the customer is picking up the cake, or a photo of the cake sitting fine. As people do get stupid sometimes and try to move the cakes or the cake table. I had people complain about a cake that almost went down .. but the and when I looked at the photos the cake wasn't in the same spot as my photo.

I would have asked for a different table too. I've only done one wedding...a cupcake tower, and the hotel left out a square table, so I asked them to change it to a round table which looked better. I also had to get a clean tablecloth because there was a tea stain on the first one

So what was the outcome of this? Did you hear anything from the people?

Hi,

yes please let us all know how it worked out...

I haven't heard from her so I guess I'm in the clear.