Well, I'm suppose to deliver a wedding cake this afternoon....in about an hour actually and it looks just plain AWFUL!!! I wasn't too happy w/the design the bride wanted, but thought I could pull it off w/great execution...YEAH RIGHT!!

I had the hardest time w/the darn icing and it isn't smooth at all....she wanted fondant ribbon for the border painted w/gold luster dust...and well it looks like crap! My husband even agreed that the cake 'needs a little hlep'.

But I iced, and re-iced the 3 tiers 3x's last night and just couldn't it to smooth....I was up until 4am just doing the freaking icing...so I was rushed this morning trying to finish up the fondant borders!! The square tier...isn't very square, I don't think they'll know the middle tier is suppose to be a heart and then she wanted the top tier round and setting on pillars....well the round tier is kinda 'lumpy'...as my husband called it!!!

My mom is suppose to come over and see if it's as bad as we think....but my husband is usually pretty honest about it, so I trust his judgement.

I just want to cry and don't even want to deliver it. I was doing this as a favor for my little sister cousin and gave her an EXTREMELY good deal (150 servings for $150!! ).....plus she got a 12 x 18 sheet cake and the 3 tiers!! I'm thinking about giving her half the money back just b/c I'm so unhappy w/it....I'll lose quite a bit b/c at the last minute I decided I needed to add fresh roses in order to maybe, possibly, help cover or distract from the bad icing job and fondant ribbon!! But even though it doesn't look very good......it is goind to taste AWESOME...so I was thinking about half would be good!!

Should I explain to her the situation BEFORE the wedding or wait until after they get from their honeymoon. She is meeting me at the reception location....so I'll see her before the wedding and I would hate to upset her. I'm not sure she'll actually tell me whether or not she's happy...I would hope she would, but I don't know!! This really isn't about the money....I don't feel I'm delivering her my best work and want her to be happy...so should I just talk to her when I'm setting up the cake or wait??

post a picture real quick...then see who can offer some help with it.

pinkbunny, I went and looked at your photos and you do beautiful work, sooo I just can't imagine it could be that bad. Can you post a pic, and you know what we have all said we are always to hard on ourselves. I hope everything turns out okay

I think I would take a "wait and see" approach. What you think is awful might not be to the bride. It's too late to do anything about it at this point so just wait and see what she says. We are our own worst critics, you know.

My daughter recently did a cake that we thought was absolutely beautiful. It was for a 50th anniversary. The woman called her and told her it was horrible. My daughter was devastated. It all boiled down to the color of the fondant roses. She wanted peach and she got peach but what she wanted was a pale, pale, peach. My daughter ended up taking all the roses off and putting on artifical flowers. I wanted to whip the woman for making my daughter cry. She goes to my daughter's church (where my daughter is the secretary) and I couldn't believe she would be so rude to her and make her cry. Funny part about it was the woman who did the flower arrangements used the same color gladioli as my daughter used. She didn't say a word to her. My daughter left it up to her as to what she paid her after the whole turmoil and she paid her more than she was going to charge her!!

So it works both ways........Keep your chin up and it will all work out. Quit beating yourself up.

diane

About all you can possibly do is just talk to her while you're setting up the cake.

I'm so very sorry this is happening to you, but you MUST know: Others don't see the flaws WE see, and I'm sure they'll enjoy it.

Just maybe tell her, "I am SO SO sorry about this cake, but I've tried everything I know, and I just can't make it any better...." type of thing.

I wish you the best,
--Knox--

Okay, looking at your other cakes, I think that you are being too hard on yourself. Do you have a pic of it??? Your other cakes are awesome and maybe this one isn't up to your standard, but for people who don't decorate cakes regularly, they won't see all the flaws. I am sure it looks great. See what the bride says, but I would make her complain first because you are giving her one heck of a deal. Let her ask for a discount if she doesn't like it. then you can give her one, but I wouldn't just say "oh, this looks like crap, so i'm giving you 1/2 off" What bride wouldn't jump at that??

I just want to send you a great big hug. I know how that is, I have done cakes that I didn't want to deliver too. If you feel in your heart the right thing to do is refund the money, do it. Talking to her before isn't a bad idea since she will see it anyway. All you can do is your best. Hopefully you can post a pic and someone here can help you.

I've never done a wedding cake so I can only imagine the feelings you must be having. I don't really have much advice but maybe just take a few moments and see if there is anything else you can do it to make it better..whether or not she wanted it or not. Maybe grab some extra flowers or something just to take with you to see if she would mindyou putting them on or whatever. And remember there is always a back and front to every cake!
I just looked at your cakes and they are all AMAZING so I know you are very talented. I would tell her when you see her it didn't turn out as well as you planned but you are willing to refund her half the cost if she isn't happy with it.
Like I said, I don't have much experience with this at all, but I feel really bad and want to help and make you feel a little better! I just really don't think it can be as bad as you say..ALL of your cakes are beautiful! Things happen...offering half back is good enough and don't let it affect you too much..everyone has bad days Please let me know what happens! I'll keep my fingers crossed

Your other cakes are absolutely amazing! I find it hard to believe this cake is that bad. However, if it is as you say, I still wouldn't give her a discount or offer money back because you're price was beyond resonable for all those servings and a wedding cake no less. $1.00 a serving? I don't think I'd offer anything.
If she happens to comment about the way it looks, you might say something about all the time you put into it to try and make it right, but it just wasn't happening. However, like you said, it will tast amazing, and that's worth $150 right there.
Hope everything works out for you.

Yes, I just looked at your cakes and I can't feature this one being as bad as you say. Don't offer to cut the price unless she asks for it. Goodness, it is a deal and a half as it is.........

Diane

Post a pic! I can't imagine it being awful...your other ones are so great! I even saw one that I had JUST saved!

I agree with the others, I looked at your gallery and your cakes are great! I cant imagine it is really that bad! I was scrolling through your photos and I think I have at least 2 of your cakes in my favorites...

Thanks guys....well I didn't end up saying anything b/c the bride was busy and had her aunt met me instead. So I''ll give the bride a call later this week (if she doesn't call me 1st) and talk to her.

This was designed by the specifications the bride gave me, wasn't too crazy about it as I said previously...but thought I could pull it off. But here is the pic.....the odd flower placement is to cover up some of the worst spots....and of course those were the edges. Not sure I liked the roses on the pillars...but my mom and brides aunt thought it looked nice....and it kinda draws your eyese to that part rather than the rest of it....so I just left it. But I can see how uneven the ribbon is and it is even bothering me looking at the pic!! And just not sure about the topper!

But for some reason in the pic...you can't see all the bubbles and bulges in the icing....just a few spots on the heart. But the roses I bought yesterday ended up opening quite a bit so they were HUGE....which helped! And it looks like ti is leaning in the pic....but I know for sure it wasn't leaning...I think it is the angle I took the pic.

thanks again everyone for your nice comments!! still not happy w/this cake and guess I'll wait and see what the bride says...b/c her aunt said she loved it and my mom thought it was pretty (but she also said the roses helpled alot).

my mom said my problem w/the cake is that it really isn't 'my style' (whatever that means)...and I've been lucky so far that I've pretty much had free reign over the deisgn and this time I had to follow someone else's specific design and I was having trouble trying to incorporate what the bride specifically requested w/what I wanted to do. Of course the bride got excactly what she requested....except for a few extra roses. So maybe by some miracle the bride actually liked it (as long as she doesn't get too close to it)

Well, I think it is very pretty and you are being too hard on yourself. It is true that sometimes when something isn't our particular taste it is hard to be pleased with the outcome. Really, the cake is lovely and I'm sure most people won't notice any flaws.

well done, the only thing i see is I too don't like the flowers in the pillars and maybe a few "droops" but gad, in this heat and in FL!?!?! by now I'd be a puddle on the floor!
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mom's right, it's NOT your style. Your cakes are more "fun", whimsical, colorful, creative -- just scan your album!

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but the bride got what she wanted (our obligation as decorators)

i'm sure she was thrilled.

ya dun gud!

Well, you're right. I can't tell that the middle tier is a heart but it looks fine to me. I think you are stressing too much for nothing. Wait and see what the bride says. Surely she got close to it (that comment cracked me up) when she had to cut the first piece.

Sit back and relax and enjoy the rest of the weekend.

diane

I think it is VERY lovely, and like Doug said thats what the bride wanted and this cake looks huge and I can see a lot of time invested in it, and after the deal she got on this cake she should thank her lucky stars she got such a lovely cake for that price

I agree with the others...that design is not YOUR typical style...so, it seemed like more work than "fun". In the picture, it looks great, and from what I have experienced, that is what people care about more than anything. Many times I have delivered cake with bated breath, cataloging every flaw in my head, waiting for someone to go "What happened to the cake?" (Well, it's happened once, but that was a big crack en route, not a design flaw.) Instead, someone will come up and say "oh, how pretty!" or something like that. (Thank God!)
Like Doug said, You dun good!!!

Don't offer anything unless she calls. And if she does call, offer a complimentary first month anniversary cake, maybe? You did give her the deal of the century on those cakes already!

Pinkbunny
You make fantastic cakes and this one is definitely in the same category! I hope I can do half as well some day!

pinkbunny, i think you're stressing because the design is not of your choosing. I agree that you can't tell the middle tier is a heart, and the topper doesnt really go with the design, but the cake is really really lovely. It's neat, the monograms are beautiful. You should be proud of your work, im sure the bride will love it. You certainly shouldnt give any money back, that cake was a steal at $150, this is a $450 cake at LEAST!!!
take a deep breath, and move on and keep up the beautiful work : )
I had a cake that made me sick in February, i was almost in tears because it didnt turn out the way i wanted, and it just wasn't what i had in my mind, i got physically ill over it, and a couple of weeks later i got an email from the bride's mother (the mother had ordered the cake) to tell me the cake was stunning and much more beautiful than she had imagined, and that she would recommend me to all her friends. Sometimes we dont see what others see. We just see the faults and can't get past them.
Happy Baking
Nati
PS:

I like it.
If I didn't I wouldn't post.
That's not blowing sunshine up your a##!
It's the truth.
She'll LOVE it!

Looks good! I think you are being very hard on yourself and you should be.
I'm sure it has flaws if you get close and know where to look but most people will see it from a distance and then a little slice on the plate!

I think the cake looks great!! Even my DH (who is MY worst critic outside of myself) thinks that the design is lacking but that execution of the design is great!! You gave the bride what she wanted and did a wonderful job doing that. Two thumbs up!!

That cake is gorgeous! Nope, can't tell the middle tier is a heart and I don't really care too much for the roses in between the pillars, but it's still gorgeous.

I think you're stressing too much hon. Everyone else is right, we are SUPER critical of our work. Even someone who does cakes every now and then probably wouldn't notice the flaws, and I'll bet that someone who's never touched a cake (to decorate, that is) in their life wouldn't see anything either. They'd just remark on how gorgeous it was.

And, like several others, I found some of your photos were already in my favorites. You do amazing work, don't let anyone tell you otherwise. Don't offer a discount, she got a steal as it is, I'm with Nati, I would have charged AT LEAST $450 for that cake (plus delivery and etc). Only say something if the bride calls you first.

Your cake is beautiful! I wouldn't worry at all..just like greenhorn said if I could make a cake half that well I would be happy! You are being way too hard on yourself. Great job!

I think the heart was too large to sit on a square; almost the same size. That is so difficult and if those were her specifications, you did your best under terrible circumstances. You did a great job and you couldn't position the heart differently because of the size of the heart. I have done the same thing, except on a hexagon and you learn from it. Your cake looks great. You gave the customer exactly what she wanted. You also lost money on the deal charging her $1.00 a slice. You didn't even charge her for all your hours of work, if you think about it. Don't beat yourself up over it, you've learned a lot, right? One thing you learned, the customer is seldom right!!
Vicky

I feel your pain pinkbunny! I just had to do my sil's wedding cake and it was horrid but it was exactly what they wanted and they loved it. I am sure your bride will feel the same way. I hated everything about the "rainbow nightmare in cake" I had to do just like you don't like this one because it is so far away from a "pinkbunny cake" but don't fret. We can see the little imperfections because we know what to look for but no one else will. They will oooh and aahhh over it and take pics and love how wonderful it tasted!

Don't call and don't worry about it unless you hear otherwise!

I agree w/ others that say 'wait and see what the bride says'. You are judging your own work - let her be the judge! We are our own worst critics sometimes, so don't be so hard on yourself. It was afterall what she asked for. I think it looks fine, and I went and looked at your other pictures and recognized them immediately as ones I'd seen before and admired. You do GREAT work! In fact, if you look at my pics, you'll see a beachball one that you helped inspire!

I think that you did a great job on it. I love the monogram that you did, it looks fabulous! I don't think she'll see any of the flaws you said it had, she will be floating around that day and everything will be wonderful!

i know how uou feel i delivered a wedding cake today and i think the scrolls won't the best in the world. (i want them to look just like the pictures in all the decorating books) my children and husband and other family members say it looked fine, but i'm so worried that the bride will think it was awful and say i ruined her wedding. its probably just my imagination but i think alot of us probably fret alot when we deliver a cake and think everybody will see all the mistakes. i think your cake look great.