A bride to be replied to an ad I posted on craigslist. What she wrote in her reply to the advertisement was suprising. I immediately thought to myself that this would be a diffcult bride if I take this order. See below of what she wrote:

Hello to all,
Some of you I may have already spoken to, but if you know anything
about a
bride sometimes you just can't remember. I figured I'd rather be safe
then
sorry.
I will be getting married in Atlanta, GA on 6/23/07 & am now in search
for
someone who can handle my wedding cake as well as my groom's's cake.
The wedding cake is to be square tiered with a white icing with a hint
of
purple or lialc...something classy but not boring.
The groom's cake is to be in the very close likeness of an Xbox hand
control
(black)
I will have apprx. 220 guests
I'm looking for someone who can possibly prove me both cakes @ a deal.
I'm
not & will not spend an outrageous amount of money on these cakes. As
beautiful as they may that's really ridiculous to do.
Is there anyone out there who can possibly provide me with the service
I'm
looking for without trying get all my money. I know your time & skills
are
very valuable, but at the same time I'm sure you can understand if no
one
wants to be in debt after the wedding.

What do you think? I think she will become bridezilla if not already one.

I agree! Don't respond!

Run!!!!! I smell trouble all the way over here in Tennessee!!!

Cindy

Can you say "narcissist?"

DEFINITION:
Excessive love or admiration of oneself. See Synonyms at conceit.
A psychological condition characterized by self-preoccupation, lack of empathy, and unconscious deficits in self-esteem.
Erotic pleasure derived from contemplation or admiration of one's own body or self, especially as a fixation on or a regression to an infantile stage of development.
The attribute of the human psyche charactized by admiration of oneself but within normal limits.


This "bride" (aka "nightmarish life partner") obviously has this well-known psychiatric disorder! RUUUUUUUNN!

--Knox--

Awww. Well isn't she just the cutest thing ever putting her little foot down like that.

I agree dont do it! She may not want to be in debt, but that doesn't mean you should give her a deal and be the one who is paying for her cake! It is her wedding and if she wants a nice cake she can pay for it just like all the other brides. I smell trouble too! Spend your time on someone who appreciates you and your talent.

Yikes!
What a lovely approach she has.Yet, I bet her bridesmaid dresses cost almost as much as hers!
Wonder how many responses she'll get. Hmmm, can you say none?

Ok I know that people do not get the time that goes into cakes. It is like everyone should be server once in there life at a restaurant. I see so many shows that have these $80,000 weddings and they get top cake for them. Even if she is going for inexpensive you cannot have a cavier cake on a beer budget<--- is that the term??

I'd respond that the best value she'll be most happy with would be to talk to SAM's Club Walmart or Costco and if they are unable to add the detail she feels are important to make the cakes special and affordable she may think about getting some food coloring and having her bridal party enhance the affordable cakes so that she can have them meet her expectations and budget!!!!!!!!!! Can ya picture this mess!???????????!

I thought I would take a shot at translating what this bride was trying to tell us silly cake decorators - how close do you think I am?

I have already called everyone and have not got the answer I wanted - and I AM BRIDE so that means everything and one needs to revolve around what I may be thinking right now, even if it is not what I said yesterday

I am not sure what I want - but I will know what it is I do not want as soon as I see what ever you suggest. Whatever you do will be either too purple (how could you destroy my wedding! ) or to light (Why should I pay for a cake that was white when I wanted color)

By close likeness, I mean that a week before the wedding I wil want something else, but it will be close to the same and no problem for you to make the change (after all I want a water polo cake now and they are both games right)

I want two cakes for the price that I could get a sheet cake at Sam's Club, after all it is just cake! I want them beautiful and paying you would really be silly as anyone can make a cake and I know you will just be trying to rip me off. If you were not so stupid you would understand this. I need my money, but you are just doing this for fun, you do not have expense to make or rent to pay.

Well put!

Oh my it is obvious.... Costco sheet cake with an x-box from a garage sale spray painted purple and of course placed nicely on the sheet cake with a saran wrap seperator between the cake and the toxic paint........perfect! A dream day for all to enjoy and how realistic!!!!! and affordable......
Life Is Good! hee hee.....oh mean mean mean!!!

Perhaps this lovely bride could do like the lady on the thread we were following back in June and make it herself. If you were watching it, you'll remember that she said there was nothing to making a wedding cake. It's just flour, eggs, and sugar and anyone can squirt some frosting on it. (by the way, we never did find out what happened to this bride or the decorator who was dealing with her--that's scary--thought of calling on Unsolved Mysteries)

I would run, not walk, away from this situation. The smell of trouble has reached Missouri also. This woman must be nuts. Tell her to build a Twinkie and Hostess cupcake tree. She's sounds redneck enough to have one.

Diane

I think I'll use that technique the next time I take my car to the garage! " Hey, there, Mr. Mechanic, I do not, and will not, spend a lot of money to repair my car. Of course I want you to do the absolute best job you can, but I don't want you to try to get all my money. Who wants to be in debt after the car is fixed?". Yep! That will work just fine! I would expect anyone to do top quality work after that statement!

Ruuuuuun for your life!

Run!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Why is it that if anyone charges more than wal-mart for a cake it's rediculous and costs way too much? people think the prices are so great, but the certainly don't want a cake from there. That drives me crazy!!!!

I was in walmart the other day and felt so bad for this poor woman. She had the invitation to her little girl's 1st birthday and was trying to get the decorator to do a cake to match it. It's was the cute pink and purple one with the big number 1 and some little bugs or butterflies. After the lady telling her they can't do anything like that she finally said well..... "can you at least make it pink and pruple?' Now I know I could have pulled off a pretty good rendition of that and put whatever she wanted on it , but I know her next question would have been " Can you do it for $14.99?"

It just kills me!

Coffeecake, I think you have a good career ahead of you publishing the "Bride to Baker" translation book!

I say that this girl, will probably have a very hard time finding someone to work with her. I had resonded to an ad very similar to this one when I was starting out. Hey I was desperate, ha ha, My skills where not as acomplished as they are today, but anyway, I did the cake everything was perfect, no flaws on my part, but some drunk clumbsy woman bumped into the table and some of the flowers fell off the back of the cake, after all the cake table was against the wall, only people who saw the flowers laying on the floor was the bride, groom, and the servers. I got a frantic call from the mother of the bride, telling me to get to the church asap, so I could fix it or she was not going give me the rest of the money she owed me or my stuff back. The church was over 20 miles away from my home, but silly me, I went anyway, by the time I got there the cake had already been cut and no one even knew about what happened. I did get my money after I threated to sue them. The brides father was very influential in that community. I was so scared that I would not get paid, and I would get a bad refferal, but everything worked out, I got my money and a good refferal, but I refuse to work with people like that anymore. Sorry for the long story but I hope that everyone who is new to the biz will read and that will help them. Lesson learned, just because you are desperate for the biz, don't just take anybody that comes along.

LOL.... This needs to be put in one of those "Brides: What Not To Do When Planning Your Wedding"

no way! I wouldn't respond to her either

okay, that realy gave me a good laugh this morning. thank you for posting the brides letter. my side hurts from laughing!!!! and i too will go to my next appointment with the same letter as this dear bride...wonder what my dentist would say if i told him that? or my dr. or mechanic....wow, this lady is an idiot!!

RRRRUUUUUNNNNNNN from this one!!!!!!


melody

I was thinking thank goodness this bride was so forthright (arrogant) in her letter that you know not to do business with her. What if she had written a nice letter and you decided to do her cake for her! I think that would have been a mess!

Good Lord, you are right Annlou!

I am terrified to do a cake after reading all these horror stories

wow I agree with everyone else! Quite a laugh but RUUUUNNNN!!! Bridezilla has landed and is going to attack!!!!!!

I think those "translations" were dead on and this bride is already going into this with the wrong attitude. She thinks that a decorator is just greedy for her money - hence the

She obviously doesn't realize that this is a business not just a "oh I thought I"d throw something together and I have time b/c I don't work or anything so I'd be happy to do your wedding cake for $14.99"........ That comment "Without trying to get all my money" just makes me angry. She's starting off saying all you are trying to do is take advantage of her.

I wonder if she's writing these same letters to the reception hall, church, bridesmaid dress place, wedding dress place, etc........ it'll be interesting to see what kind of wedding she would end up with! I don't know anyone that would want to deal w/ a person who starts off as accusing them of ripping people off...... I wouldn't respond at all and I pray for the people who end up working with her! At least we can try to keep the CC members from doing this cake and suffering for it!

Snowboarder - I just about fell out of my chair laughing at your response! You are too funny!!

Coffeecake - What a PERFECT analysis of what the bride was REALLY saying!!

I agree with Annlou - it's a good thing she is showing her "personality" up front!! Wedding cakes are stressful enough without having to deal with someone like her!!


Marilyn

Run Forrest run!!!!!!!!!!!!

Too funny Coffee cake

Lesson learned:

when you ask someone for a special favor or you want something from someone, the best way to approach them is:

to declare you may or may not have known they existed on the planet,

imply that they are perhaps not "classy" and are most likely "boring"

accuse them of trying to rip you off,

insult them in every direction

give an ultimatum that no matter how great their service of product they provide--you will never give them what they are worth.

and finally,

explain to them how this arrangement would be so advantageous to yourself and that they are less than compassionate if they don't totally agree.

That oughta work!

I am dying laughing over here to some of the remarks to this post. I knew from the start that I wouldn't do this lady's cake b/c she has no clue what it takes to bake, decorate and stack a cake. Delivering it is a pain too b/c we are so paranoid when driving a distance with any cake.

However, b/c I can't stand the fact that she thinks she can make the rules, I will let her know that she will be better off going to Public, Costco, Walmart, etc. That's the only way she's going to get something within her budget.