Ok , so I get an email a week after the wedding stating that the cake was leaning, the groom figure (gumpaste) was falling over and one of the kids (also made from gumpaste) head had fallen off when the bride and groom arrived at the reception and how as I going to remedy the situation.

Let me state that I know that I properly doweled the cake (tea straws, thanks Sharon!) there was styrofoam wrapped with ribbon between the tiers and two dowels through the entire cake. It was not leaning, wobbly or crooked when I left.

I responded back that if she would send me the photos of the cake, I would review it. She proceeded to get snippy and defensive telling me that they aren't lying and she'll have the coordinator and DJ tell me about the cake. She doesn't have a website for the photog, nor does she give me his phone number. I sent her my pics showing that the cake is not leaning in any way (I'm pretty sure I could tell, what do you think?)

So I get an email from the DJ, but his email address is the same business email as the bride and he doesn't list his company name. The coordinator also replies with a snippy just-give-her-money-back email and then says the cake was dry, which was never mentioned by the bride. The wedding coordinator also doesn't put her business name on the emails.

Thoughts?

edited to add: Bride later comes clean that her new hubby moved one of the kids and that's how the head came off.

The cake looks great! Sounds like they just want to get their money back for no good reason. If she can't produced "real" evidence of what she's claiming, then I'd say she's out of luck. You were reasonable in asking for photos of the cake leaning. The emails from the DJ and coordinator sound fishy. She probably put someone up to it, posing as those people. Stand your ground!

for goodness sakes.. it looks great.. my eyes doesn,t see any leaning at all i would tell you so , if i did see it.. beautiful cake.. no money back, please. you deserve every dime. lotta work..hth

From what I see the cake is NOT leaning...this reminds me of previous threads like this one where the bride nitpicks (sp?) about the cake because maybe she felt she spent too much on the cake.

if there was any evidence that there was a problem, then yes, youd have to think about doing something.
but no pictures (um, is cutting the cake not like the main picture from a wedding?), emails which could be from anyone, and the bride admitting that one prolem she accused you of being at fault for when it was her husband that touched it? em, no.
just reply and say that without seeing pictures, you can not do anything. maybe ask for the name and number of the other witnesses, see if you can actually speak to them - or even look up their websites, which should have their email, so you can tell if those emails were genuine or not.
lets face it, you dont want to give a future discount incase she takes you up on it!
xx

I don't see that the cake is leaning...it looks really good to me! I don't know if I have any advice for you as far as giving her the money back but the whole thing seems off. You said they didn't put a business name in the email--maybe they don't really have a business? So, I'm taking it that you wonder if the DJ and coordinator are just friends of the bride and are helping her get some of her money back? I tell you what--it's very discouraging that their is another post like this!! Seems like there are a lot of brides out there trying to get money back for their cakes! I'm wondering if there is a forum somewhere where brides chat and cook up schemes to have the perfect wedding without paying for it!

Yup...sorry sista, quit complaing and trying to get money back and enjoy your NEWLYWED status...sheesh, what's with bitchy complaining brides lately?

The groom probubly messed up the cake and pissed off the bride and know she wants her money back. As for the DJ and Coordinator, Sounds to me that they are her since the emails do not give you the name of business or any vital information that you can use to verufy what the bride is saying. I would tell her that unless you get the names and numbers of these people and also check with the manager at the hall or business they had their weddinging your cake was there and perfect. What happens after you leave is on them. And she can take a leap off a short bride. The nerve of people. OH, and if there was a problem with the cake why did it take them a week later to complain.

Im in the column with those who don't believe the DJ and coordinator are "real" wedding vendors.

When hubby was in banking, he was talking to their corporate office, to a "corporate weinie", as he put it. Mr. Weinie told hubby, an officer of the bank, to ".....have a VP call me to confirm all of this." Hubby said, "I will not. I am an officer of this bank. You will not accuse me of making this up. I can grab the janitor and put him on the phone and tell you he's a VP and you wont' know the difference! Now let's settle this issue now!"

To me, it's just a little too obvious that these are friends. A girlfriend who has been a bridesmaid 3 times does not an Event Coordinator make.

Ok, so it's not just me thinking that the emails sound fishy. I had a gut feeling from the get go that she'd try something like this. Oh well. I appreciate the support and I'll let you know if she ever shows up with the pics. (watch me turn blue holding my breath)

edited to fix spelling error

wow! I hope everything works out for you.

forgot to say that I think the cake looked great!

You know they just couldn't resist "playing" with those gumpaste figures, and that's what happened. I am delivering a grad cake today with a mortarboard complete with tassel, and I am fully expecting someone to not be able to resist touching that tassel, and breaking it right off.

Your cake was exquisite, and with all that extra doweling (which by the way, I never do and I've never had a cake lean) there's no way it was leaning or any other tall tale she told you. Stand your ground...and let us know how it turned out (if you did ever hear from her again). Now that she knows you require proof, I expect she will slink away.

Looked great when you left it. You know you properly doweled it. These things aren't concrete steps and if someone bumped the table, it could shift; she owned up to someone fiddling with it. My policy is, once I set up and the chef or coordinator signs off that everything is satisfactory, it all theirs. End of story.

Sorry you have to deal with this type of person. From reading this forum, they seem to be happening more and more frequently. I think it's the economy and people are trying to get back anything they can, however they can.

Also, you could always ask for the name of the coordinator and DJs company and call them personally. BUT and it's a BIG BUT, make sure it's a valid company. Not cousin Susie the coordinator and Uncle Earl the DJ.

Personally, I think she's full of it. "What are you going to do about it?" Tell her to bring you the kid and you'll put the head back on for her.

No refund of any kind on this one is my honest opinion.

that cake is sooooo cool!!! no refund, i bet they lifted up the groom as well as the kids and thats how they broke. no pictures of the leaning cake then no refund.

yes this reminds me of a recent thread about a week ago where some one who had a complaining bride who couldnt back up her story.
my first question is do you have a clause in your contract stating a time frame for complaints or problems regarding your cakes?
because you said she contacted you a whole WEEK later?
What is with these brides not getting back in a timely manner, seems like they always complain many days later after they have buyers remorse and expect youre going to just give them a refund because they said something was wrong. I can tell you that if/when I ever start a business I will make damn sure I have something in my contract about complaints and they will have to get back to me within 24hours or so, becuase anything beyond that is just heresay

My contract does state that I am not responsible for damage to the cake after setup is complete, so from a legal standpoint, I feel I'm covered. I did mention this to her in one email, but she seems to be ingoring it.

I haven't heard back from anyone for the rest of the day, so we'll see what happens. I have not problem discussing a refund if there was actual damage, but until I see it, I can't do anything.

I mean, if they called their dress shop and said that the zipper broke, the dress shop would want to see the dress, right?

It looks wonderful! No evidence=no refund. And ignore the wedding coordinator. She sounds like a jerk.

Wowww. I think the cake looked great! congrat

If she calls you back save yourself further headache... be sure you get the name of the business as well as the phone number. That way you can look them up.

If they are legit then their business will have one of the following if not all... 411 listing from information, website, phone book listing/ad etc. Also google the phone number she gives you. If it's a business 9 times out of 10 it will come up as a business.

What I did after a complaint like this was I started getting a business card from every other business there and making a note of what it was like to work with them at that event.

The back would say "Jones 50th Anniversary - florist very snippy and demanding to me." "Smith/Adams Wedding - florist talked crap about bride behind her back after bride stopped by reception hall to see how things were coming." "Gordon/Wise wedding - DJ was great to work with while we were setting up".

I let any customers who wanted read my reviews and form their own opinion on if they wanted to use them or not.

Ok, in all fairness, I can see not talking to the baker about the cake for a week. My cake was awful and SHOULD have been refunded (it fell over and was not the design I picked). I did not let that ruin my reception and went on my honeymoon. The venue froze 2 of the tiers and most of the groom's cake, which was still in a tinfoil pan with a pan liner Once I returned from the honeymoon, I took the cakes to the bakery. They did refund 50% of the cake. I returned over 80%. Most landed on the floor. It was really embarassing. The timeline to complain about a cake needs to keep in mind the honeymoon. Which of us would stay in town to return a bad cake? That being said, what the heck is wrong with the cake??? I looks perfectly fine to me. You drop the cake off, the sign for it, it is a done deal. They need to come back with cake and lots of pictures to prove their point. A reputable venue, DJ, cateer that can be verified would be helpful.

I understand a bride not saying anything for a week because of their honeymoon, but wouldn't/shouldn't the wedding coordinator (if she is actually a coordinator) should have made a phone call either after or even while at the reception?

Usually if they were so pissed off the MOB would of called complaining or something. It sounds to me that they overspent on their wedding and maybe their honeymoon and their trying to find ways of compesating that fact.
If they do not have any photo proof (yes besides the photographer or even videoographer, most people bring their cameras too) then I say to screw them. Anyone can have friends email you and say their with so-and-so or even can have multiple addresses themselves. So no proof, no pudding. No Capes! (sorry, just watched The Incredibles and the lady is my favorite!)

Bottom line is that the cake was perfectly fine when you left which you can, and have, proven with a photo. That's why we take photos after the cake is setup before we leave. What happens after that is absolutely not your problem. I would not offer one penny back. I consider that kind of crap blackmail. "I'll tell everybody if you don't give my money back"...If the blackmail works, then that information gets around too.