Soooo I finally got my first cake order for a wedding in October. The couple and MIL came last week for a tasting; I had made a 6in and an 8in and constructed them similiar to what I had in mind for their wedding. They were all thrilled; the bride said it was exactly what she was thinking of, and they all said it was the best cake they had ever tasted. So this morning I get a call from the bride saying that her father had "gone behind her back" and ordered the cake from a bakery! HUH?! Soooo she cancelled the order from me. I'm so disappointed! I told her that I charge $25 for the tasting if they don't book with me, and she was fine with that, so at least I'll get something back out of it. Just stinks...I was really looking forward to doing the cake.
Had to "vent" a little... 
I'm sorry that you lost the order but I'm sure the bride will tell this story in the future and you'll get more orders. She may even suggest you to a few people that she knows.
(((((( Hugs to you ))))) mpaigew your day will come! Hang in there.
Good for your for sticking to the $25.
sorry to hear that. i know how you feel. I did a tasteing two times for a bride and groom who live almost 3 hours away from me. i took two different cakes down on two different occasions. (never got a penny for either of them) the bride and groom went else where. but im still alive. 
it wont kill you. and what doesnt kill you makes you stronger.
I agree with karateka, I don't know if I really believe that her father ordered her cake. That is not to make you feel bad at all, your cakes are GORGEOUS! She is missing out. If it were me I would tell my dad he needed to get his money back b/c that is not who I chose to do my cake. Maybe he put a deposit down or something...who knows. I bet she comes back for a shower cake!!!
What a bummer!! So sorry to hear that happened but I am glad to hear you charge for your tasting. I read on here a lot where people don't charge for tasting and I just can't believe they don't! Better luck next time though!
Thanks guys for the kind words.
I really didn't believe her story, either...I mean, what father would order a wedding cake without the bride knowing about it?! It's such a bad story that maybe it really is true. The bride was referred to me by my neighbor, so I think I might talk to her and see if that was really what happened. I guess it's not such a huge deal that she decided not to have me make the cake, but if they thought there was something wrong with my cake, I would like to know so that I can fix it. I don't really think that was the case because they kept saying how good it tasted (and you can tell someone's reaction when they eat something and really like it.) They were absolutely fine with the price that I quoted them (I was charging them $1.25 a slice because I want the opportunity to expand my portfolio.) The MIL did ask for a bunch of my business cards, and I know she wouldn't of done that if she didn't like the cake.
Oh well!
When I first started out, I had a few people (mainly parents of the bride) that were reluctant to book with me simply because I was new and starting out. They wanted to talk with someone that I had done the wedding cake for. I'm sure that it's not you--some of "us" old folks just are set in our ways. They believe the only good cake can come from a bakery. However, I'm know that will soon change for you.
Good for you for charging for a tasting. Unless I invite a bride back to sample something that I did not have time to make for a tasting, I also charge.
What a bummer!
I agree, do some dummy cakes to expand your portfolio. Your cakes are really pretty!
Quote by @%username% on %date%
%body%