Well, I haven't posted on here in a few weeks...kinda just lurking in the background every now and then. However, I knew you folks would give me honest opinions. So, here goes...

I got my first paying, non-family member, wedding cake and groom's cake order about two months ago - wedding is on May 13th. Here it is 4 weeks before the event and she is to have the cake paid in full on or before April 29th. Now, her best friend has been the one prodding her to get on the ball and get this moving. I have spoken with the bride only three times: 1) the initial meet and show pictures/ideas in person; 2) by email to get her approval of the price quoted; 3) to go over how it would be delivered and set up. All other times I've tried to communicate with her I've gotten no response. Her best friend says she's just "crazy busy" and that she hasn't really even spoken with her that much in past few weeks herself. I emailed the bride her "reminder" that I needed her deposit and that the full amount is due on the 29th and haven't heard anything back from her. I spoke to her friend in person at a church function and the friend called her in front of me and said, "Tarina is right here and said she can't get in touch with you...if you want a cake on your wedding day, you better call her or she is going to have to open up her calendar in order to book someone else! Call her!!" That was last Sunday and still no email reply and no phone calls!!

My husband said from the very beginning that he wouldn't do a cake for this woman because of a situation he encountered with her. I chalked it up to my husband always being negative and always expecting the worse out of most situations...wellllll, is he right this time??!!!! Don't know, but I'm not sure if this feeling I'm having is a gut instinct or just anxiousness on my part wanting to have control over a situation.

I have a cake booked for a birthday the day before the wedding and nothing else booked the days before or after so it's not like I've got people chomping at the bits to book me that day, but she doesn't have to know that. I just feel like she is going to wait until the last minute and I won't have time to order stuff I need for her cake nor the money to get it...I could use my own money but I don't want to! I don't want to invest in this cake not knowing if she has decided not to use me at all! And, I'm torn as to when I should cancel or IF I should cancel before the full amount is due. Did that make sense? I sure could use some advice or maybe even another way of looking at the situation.

I may not be the best to offer advice as I have yet to do a wedding cake, but it just sounds a little odd to me. Usually the cake is one of the things that a bride is especially concerned with!! If you have given her until the 29th to pay the extra half I would wait until that day. I wouldn't make any more attempts to call her (which I know is easier said then done because I am sure you would like to be given the opportunity to do this cake!) If she doesn't call, no cake! Just my two cents. Hope it helps some and good luck! Let us know if you hear from her.

Charlotte

Do you have a contract with her? If you do, and she has to have the cake paid in full on or before April 29th - well, she technically does not have to pay you until April 29th.

I don't know what else to tell you. If you order items with your own money, just make sure you keep receipts in case you have to return them. I hate to see you get stuck with some things you don't want - but as long as she pays by the 29th, she fulfilled her part of the agreement, right?

Sorry, that's probably not the answer you wanted. Although, it's pretty darn rude of her to not respond to you. I wish I could give you some really good advice!! Hopefully someone out there can help!

I agree, I would give her until the 29th to get in contact with you. If she has not, I would definately cancel with her. Just think if she is already causing you this much agony, think what it will be like when you are making the cake for her!

I would call her and tell her that you need at least a deposit on the cake so that you could get started on what you need to do. I don't know how long it takes to get your supplies but I would get deposit before the 29th maybe at least the 20th. I know that when I got married in December I had to pay a deposit on everything before they would even right my name down on the calender!! If still now word by the Deposit date then I would tell her there is no time to order the stuff for the cake! It may sound a little rude, but sometimes people don't "get the picture" until you are a little assertive! Just lay down the laws, no call back don't bother! I have the problem of being ASSERTIVE myself though. Everything is always easier said than done!

welllll, there is no contract. I know, I know...you don't have to yell!! I haven't got a clue as to how to write one up...I mean, I've seen examples but I'm so simple-minded in these things that I just kept putting it on the back burner. Again, I know, I know...

As there is no contract, and I told her I needed her deposits over three weeks ago and reminded her again a week and half ago and sent word through her friend that I needed it, and that the full amount was due on the 29th, you'd think she'd be getting in touch with me. I'm not obligated by contract to make the cake, but I've done all I know to do to get her to see the importance of getting the plan put into motion so that she will have a wonderful wedding cake! Maybe she just doesn't see it that way. I'm wondering if she is just not thinking about it at all, thinking it is just being taken care of. Who knows.

By the way she is really missing out if she don't call you back, your cakes are great!

So she never left a deposit with you???? I require a deposit at the time of booking. If they don't leave a deposit I keep their information and let them know that they have not booked their wedding with me until and unless I receive a deposit. That way, they can't complain later if I am booked with another event and the discretion to do the cake is up to me. At any rate, I require that deposit assuming the wedding is off a ways. At this point in time, if it was this close to the wedding I would have required the balance in full. If they left no deposit this close the wedding, I would assume that I wasn't doing the cake. Brides are funny, sometime they shop around for prices and make you think your doing it but they get other prices from elsewhere. They are entitled I suppose.

If however, she has left a deposit and the only thing you are waiting on is the final payment, then you have to honor the date for the final payment.

Maybe she got someone else to do the cake and just never said anything to you? Let me tell ya, if a bride has a deposit with you, I promise, she'd be following up with you for sure.

Maybe I'm being stupid or naive to think this way, but I really gave her the best deal on a combo for the wedding cake and groom's cake (with the exception of WalMart, Target or Publix) and that there aren't any other bakeries around here that will do it for that price, and deliver it and set it up for free! I also feel pretty sure that I'm close enough friends with her best friend that she would be honest with me and tell me (even if it hurts my feelings) if she has decided to use someone else. I am going to call her again this week and give her the the deadline information one more time and what will happen if I don't have the full amount in hand by that time. I'm getting a lot better at being mean!!

If you have no money or written agreement, call her a tell her you must have a payment by ....(give her 5 days) or you will have to give the date to another bride.

Then, send her a note that says the same thing.

For the future, Earline's site has some sample contracts.

Don't feel bad. It's not you, it's her. You don't have to be mean either, just straight forward. Call her, leave her a message and let her know that you require a deposit "now" and the balance due by the 29th if that's what you told her. Let her know that if she does not call you back, you will assume you are not doing the cake. You will have done your part and left the ball in her court. Then don't worry because the way I see it you've let her know some time ago she needed to leave a deposit and she hasn't. Therefore, she has not booked it with you. Don't ever undersell your self honey because I'm sure you do great work. If a bride wants to go to one of those other stores, that's fine, everyone has to work within their budget and sometimes the budget is more important than the product. Don't take it personal. You've done your part.

P.S.: The contract thingy....ya have to work on that. I agree with JoAnn B....try Earlene's site and customize it to your needs.

thanks everyone...AND, I'm going to try to get a contract worked up for her before her deadline so that she'll have to sign it when/if I get her payment.

i would not call her again and if someone else ask (and place a deposit) before she contacts you then i would just forget about doing her cake. when and if she calls after the other order is taken i would explain that since she had not returned any calls you assumed that she no longer wanted you to do her cake and..... sorry, i booked another wedding....

I can tell you from experience, give the bride until the deadline to pay her money. I would either call her and leave a message or send her one more email marked urgent letting her know the deadline for full payment is fast approaching and if not received you will cancel. Do not, under any circumstances, put out your own money or you will end up like me either chasing her down to get reimbursed or not getting anything at all. Follow your husband's lead, I didn't and was burned not once but twice. If you set a professional standard now you will have other customers believe me. Good luck!

The thing with my husband was she came to him to purchase a vehicle for her grandson. My husband is a wholesaler and goes to the auctions to pick out the cars that the customer wants instead of buying up a bunch of cars and putting them on a lot hoping someone will stop in a take a look. (She goes to church with us too - if that means anything to anyone!) So, my husband takes a few weeks to find the vehicle that she said she wanted and it is within the amount she said she had to pay on a vehicle. The day before he heads to the auction on like the third week of looking, he calls her and she says, "Don't worry, I'm waiting on you to find what I'm looking for. I trust your judgment." He goes the next day and sees the truck that matches her every detail and he tries to get her on the phone so he can start moving toward it before it gets on the auction block. She doesn't answer. He calls again and leaves a message - the truck is now getting further up the line toward the auction block. She doesn't answer again. Well, going on her comment the day before when she said she was waiting on him and wasn't going to buy anywhere else, he knows he can't miss this truck because he may not find another one that meets her criteria and is under the amount she wants to pay...so, he buys it and tries to call her to tell her he got it. She doesn't answer all that day. The next day she doesn't return his call. Two days later she still hadn't returned his call and finally like the 3rd or 4th day after he bought it she answers and says she's sorry but she found one and bought it the day he was at the auction buying her one!! So, we had a couple thousand dollars tied up in this thing and noone to buy it. That is why my husband doesn't like her and rightfully so I suppose, but he is real grudgeholder. I'm not as you can see, but now I'm wondering if she is going to do the same with me. At least I have some control over this situation...I can just not make the cake if the money is not in hand.

Since she has not even paid you the deposit for the cake yet, I don't feel that you owe her anything. You have made several attempts to contact her and even if she is "crazy busy" she should have had the courtesy to call you back. In this day and age of cell phones you can't tell me that someone does not have the two minutes it takes to make a quick phone call. My advice would be to NOT call her again. If you hear from her on or before the 29th great, but hopefully you can pick up a more dependable client in the meantime!

I would definately have a contract ready for her when she leaves her deposit and also a date on the contract for final payment. have her sign before you do anything. goodluck.

You don't have to have a fancy contract. I require half of the total price on the day they order and the remainder 30 days before the delivery. I worked for a bakery that had the same contracts. It keeps from getting stiffed. Also I am not responsible if they change their minds. The first half is non refundable. I have not ever had a serious bride even try to change the contract. Good luck!

Maybe I don't understand....she hasn't paid you...but yet it's not time for her to pay you...and you're worried because she's not got a good track record. Yes?

ANY time I have a deadline, I always build a "fudge factor" into it because people are so bad about not meeting them. Of course, that doesn't help you this time.

If she misses the deadline, then you're off the hook, which sounds like where you would be more comfortable, in any event. If she DOES make the deadline, don't let her leave without telling you exactly what she wants. If she's not willing to do that, then smile sweetly as you give her the money back and tell her you wish her well finding someone who can do this with so little time for planning.

I'm betting that by the time she shows up, you'll have a contract worked out, in any event.

I just can't believe you are still pursuing this lady as a customer. You don't have a deposit, her final deadline for balance is approaching, she never called you back after your friend called her right in front of you, she stiffed your husband out of $2000 dollars. Face it, the woman has someone else to do the cake, she just wants to imagine how much you are squirming and sweating over getting your money. If she burned my husband like that I would have given her five days from the onset to pay in full for her cake, and if she changed her mind within a reasonable amount of time I would refund her 50%. When I do wedding cakes my initial deposit is non-refundable. I have had a couple of brides cancel and they didn't get their deposit back. Bottom Line: FORGET THIS LADY AND BOOK THE NEXT PERSON THAT WANTS A CAKE. And she's not going to tell the mutual friend because the friend would tell you. Like I said move on!!

I don't think you have a problem at all. Give her till the 29th. If she pays you, have her sign an extremely detailed contract, because it sounds like you won't have the luxury of calling her for any answers. If she doesn't, you're better off. This should be work that you love to do. It shouldn't make you miserable. If you happen to get a request for another cake before she even gives you money before the 29th, then give her one last courtesy call, give her 12 hours to get you the money or else take the new job. If it's after the 29th and you have no money, just take the new job without even thinking twice.

AND NO CHECKS!!!! make sure she pays you cash or certified check or M.O. ........I'm with your DH....I don't trust her.

I'm still waiting...spent all day cleaning so I've not written out that contract yet. I really really want to just not do it so I think I'm going to make a call to her and email her again and just tell her that because she hasn't given any deposit and hasn't returned any of my calls or emails, I'm going to have to book someone else. I've made up my mind! The sooner I give her the "heave ho" the more time she'll have to find someone else.

well, that is if she hasn't already found someone else!!

Is the design of the cake difficult to make??? If it is not a pain for you...I think I would give her until the 29th to pay. If you do not hear from her by then...I would send a nice email stating that you have booked someone else.

It is really up to you. I guess it depends on how much you want to make the cake. I really can't blame you for feeling the way you do especially since she has not bothered to call you back.

Best of luck...and keep us posted!

She's gone way beyonf scatterbrained here. She's taking advantage of you. There's a reason we require a deposit and this is it. She has nothing invested at this point that will prompt her to cooperate with your requests. (which are very reasonable.)

I would call her and write a letter stating that you've told her repeatedly about the deposit and about the full payment due date. (Since she's so hard to get a hold of, just leave a voicemail.) Then say something along the lines of "If I don't hear from you by XX date, I will assume that you no longer want me to do the wedding cake and I will book another job for that weekend."

You dont' have to be mean, just firm.
Good luck
GCF

I wouldn't even wait till the 29th, she has been terribly rude and plus after reading what she did to your husband I would stay far from her... I believe she has someone else to make the cake and just doesn't care if you call her or not... If she calls personally I would tell her she didn't even trouble to answer your calls or messages and that you had a client who payed you in advance. Keeping a client like that is a no no...
Next time ask for a 50% deposit or advance on the cake, that way even if she changes her mind later on, you won't have no loss.

Good luck and keep us posted

Diane

My thoughts EXACTLY.

This may be a bit inconvenient, but what if you send her a certified/return receipt letter thru snail mail (so someone has to sign for it), saying she needs to pay and sign a contract by the 29th. At least you have proof that you contacted her in case she decides to blow up and bad mouth you (not that from the sounds of her she has any credibility). Yes it will cost you a few $$$, but you won't be waiting by the phone or pc for her answer.

deb

Mom I think that is an overkill, if she needs documentation she has this string stating to us what she has done and our responses. The woman has someone else to do her cake. If she doesn't and she hasn't responded she's going to be a pain anyways. Move on.