I scheduled a wedding cake for a weekend next Sept (2015) that I mistakenly alreayd had plans.  I run a cake business out of my home and rarely ever take a vacation -- so much so its getting annoying.  Regardless of that, our family is having a HUGE family reunion for our grandmothers 100th birthday and i forgot to put it on my calendar and mistakenly took a wedding cake order for that weekend.  Needless to say id like to attend this event and not miss yet another family function because of a cake.  I emailed the bride and the venue thinking i could perhaps deliver the cake 2 days early.  the venue said they arent comfortable with it being there for 2 days so that options out.

The bride sent me an email basically saying this "....

. Neither myself, nor my family will have the space to store it. I also do not want to be responsible for delivery/traveling with the cake, or set up. I do hope you can arrange something considering we reserved this particular date with our deposit, as we we're told it was available. Let me know what you find out."

When i emailed her originally i explained the hwole, thing profusely apologized as it is my fault for the mistake - so now im in this really crappy boat.  do i cancel and potentially lose a customer/review and piss her off (even tho she has an entire year to find a new person) OR do i miss the family reunion.  I thouht maybe i could have it all done and find someone to deliver it for me but that scares me.... not sure who i know who would even begin to know how....

Advice???

cancel her with your regrets -- stop apologizing -- recommend some cake peeps if you know of any -- cut her loose nicely and firmly

i feel like its my responsibility as a business owner and after signing a contract with her but mistakes happen...ive only cancelled on a customer one other time and it was because i got pregnant and their wedding was on my due date - even they were kind mad about it, like i could help it.

i even had back surgery and still never cancelled any cakes- even against my drs orders.... not smart but i felt obligated.

It's a whole year away. Yes, it's not ideal to cancel, but I assume you're not living in the back of beyond where she has no other options at all.

It's regrettable, but yes, just cancel.

Contact some local decorators in your area that are at least as talented or better (not meant in mean way, haven't even looked at your work, just wouldn't want to go recommending flaky or sloppy people, is all), see who is available and get the ball rolling for her. Yes, it would be very wise to help her in just about any way possible, secure a new decorator for her, when this is completely not her fault at all. You want good things to come out of her mouth when someone asks about cake in her presence. Well, she cancelled on me, BUT, she helped me…. ;) Make sense? :)

take the reigns and be more assertive -- you could just say -- too bad so sad -- done, chicky, 'k bye see yah -- give her back her money -- stop feeling for her -- feel for sleepy 20520 -- don't you disappoint that grandma of yours -- there's not a cake nor a banquet nor a meal anywhere more important than your grandma's 100 birthday -- it doesn't matter what the bride thinks -- if she thinks otherwise then she's wrong flat footed wrong --

if it helps any -- i'll think you're a dweeb if you don't cancel  

I so agree w/the others.  There is plenty of time for her to find another decorator - especially if you can recommend someone else..  Of course, refund ALL of any monies she has given you then go enjoy that SPECIAL day with family.

Ashe's just trying to make you feel bad. I have a clause in my contract that states I can cancel orders with a full refund to the customer.

unfortunately, i'm pretty sure she doesn't care about the reason for canceling. she only sees the impact it will have on her big day.

she has a freaking year to get another decorator. What's she so ticked off about? 

Help her if you can, but do what you have to do, as well. I wouldn't leave a wedding cake I had made with anyone else. There's no way I would be able to enjoy my vacation until it was delivered. 

Find out if anyone here on cc is in your area that may be able to take on your customer. Where are you located? Good luck!! Like someone said, she has a whole year if you can not help her to find someone. Good luck. 

APlease please cancel that cake!! I feel strongly about it because we had a large banquet planned for my grandmothers 100th, after church that morning. We had split up responsibilities between me and my sisters, the cake was me. She passed 7 days before. Don't let this woman buly into robbing you of any time you may have to enjoy your grandmother ( also meaning the days before the party). I wish your grandmother an incredibly happy birthday!!

AWell....it's your mistake, and she's probably po'ed that she has to go through the process of finding another decorator after thinking that she was done with that part of her planning. Things happen and we make mistakes and you definitely should cancel for a family event like that, but it would be worth it to go a little out of your way to rctify the error. I'd find a few decorators for her to interview, refund her deposit, then pay the other decorator $100 or something like that toward her cake. Might be more than what other people would do but it would be a nice gesture and wouldn't leave her feeling like you were just dumping her and making her start over.

Thanks everyone.  You all have made me feel better.  I just felt like it was bad business for me to cancel because it was my mistake but mistakes happen and it is a year away - not like its 2 weeks away.

I had thought about going to the reunion and then leaving early to deliver it (the big reunion dinner is sat night and theres a lunch on sunday & the girls wedding cake is on sunday afternoon)...BUT as my husband pointed out, you will regret it.  sure you will slightly regret having to cancel on someone but not as much as missing your grandmas potentially last birthday weekend.  point taken.

im going to call the other decorators i know, possibly even put some money towards it (btw shes only paid $50 so far)....of course refund her money back.

the good news, her cake is SUPER easy, not complicated at all.

i guess if shes mad shes mad - cant win them all.

thanks fellow ccrs!

It's a YEAR away and she's only given you $50?  I would not be putting any money towards her cake.  Yes, you feel bad but I don't understand why you would help pay for her cake.

Refund the money, apologize, give her the name of some other decorators and move on. 

AWhat about offering her money off towards a future order? That way you would be making the bride feel like she is getting something and you would get a second chance to make her a steady customer. It could be $x off a cake, or buy a cake and get free cupcakes/ cake pops or whatever.

Go ahead and cancel it. While it's good to have more customers, it's also important that you get to spend some quality with your family. Moreover, it's an important occasion for your family. I'm sure many would be disappointed to hear that you won't be there. Learn from your mistakes and hope that something like this wouldn't happen again in the future. There will be customers that will come to you but your grandma's 100th birthday celebration will only happen once.