Bride Is Complaining (Really Really Long)
Business By jillmakescakes Updated 21 Jun 2009 , 5:49pm by indydebi
you handled it beautifully. I'm just considering that they may be calling the figurines the "top tier"?? Non-cakers really may not know the terminology.
not that that would make any of this ok, it would just explain what the heck they are seeing that none of us do.
Did you send the email yet? If you didn't, I would consider adding a BRIEF line about the lean itself. "It is clear in the photographs that, other than the groom figure leaning, the cake itself is structurally sound." Please word that better than I did. The only reason I would include it is now, your word, as it reads to me, appears to be almost admitting that there is a problem with the cake, by virtue of omitting any mention of the problem. Trying to read that from a ranty consumer's point of view, it sounds like you're saying "OK it's leaning but: not my fault. Tough toodles." Although that may be true (the tough toodles part), it's still NOT LEANING!
Of course if you already sent the email, nevermind 
if you haven't sent the email yet, it's "remuneration" not "renumeration"
one is money, the other is counting.
if you haven't sent the email yet, it's "remuneration" not "renumeration"
one is money, the other is counting.
otherwise, great reply
Jill - I think it was worded beautifully! You'll have to let us know what the bride says (if anything) because your email sounded pretty final (as it should have).
Did anyone see the coming attractions for next week where this bridezilla tells Buddy his wedding cake he made for her is ugly and she takes a piping bag of red icing and starts squeezing it all over the cake OMG........psycho
Madge - I did see the commercial last night. That cake was beautiful...why would she do something like that? I want to see that now!! 
Not 6 days from now. They just always leave ya hanging!
Did anyone see the coming attractions for next week where this bridezilla tells Buddy his wedding cake he made for her is ugly and she takes a piping bag of red icing and starts squeezing it all over the cake OMG........psycho
I was just wondering if it's things like this and shows like Bridezilla have led to so many bride's acting like this. I know on so many shows you see these HORRIBLE brides acting like complete brats and getting their way. I know there was one episode of Bridezilla where the brat was scamming everyone! She had her mom call the florist I think and tell him the wedding was canceled so that she could get out of the contract. I think she had found a better deal or something...it's been a while but it was very disturbing!! I'm hoping once the show came out she got into some big trouble!!!
I didn't address the imaginary lean because I feel at this point, it is just butting heads. She sees a lean and I don't, so telling her, yet again, that it isn't leaning wouldn't have accomplished anything.
here's her reply-
Even in your photos the cake was not even. As you were told in prior email from (site coordinator) no one moved or touched the cake. (wedding coordinator)s pictures were taken as soon as she arrived and shows the cake leaning and the groom falling over. No one else is responsible for your cake but you. (site coordinator) shouldnt have had to call you, (wedding coordinator) should not have had to call you, nor I. But with that being said even if I wouldve called you it was well after 6pm when I arrived and saw the cake myself so you wouldve been in the office anyways! (site coordinato) laid out napkins and in your photos as well the plates are already there. You are making up a lot of excuses why you are not responsible for the condition of the cake as if someone else was supposed to take care of it. That is sad that would be so unprofessional and inconsiderate to say if someone wouldve contacted youwho was supposed to contact you if I hadnt made it there yet, who discussed this cake with you, who paid you for this cakeme. And I did contact you when I got back from my honeymoon first thing. This surely isnt how I believed that your business resolves conflicts I have friends that are getting married and a lot of other events coming up that your business could benefit from but sadly I will not be making any recommendations. Maybe business is not doing too well and you really need the money I paid for my cake but that is still no way to handle this situation. I would hate to see you have to pay almost double what the cake was worth for court costs and fees if money is an issue. Thank you for the well wishes but this matter is not closed and will not be until you properly handle this situation. I will be seeing you soon. Thanks
Your cake is beautiful! I do not see any lean or problem with the "figurines". Someone probably bumped the table and of course isn't going to admit it.
I'm not sure how I would handle it, but you are being very professional. I wish you luck & keep us posted in the outcome.
I'm not a lawyer, but in my opinion, legally you are covered by both your contract and photos.
Do not respond to her anymore. If she decides to go ahead and sue, let your lawyer handle everything.
BRING IT ON!!!!
I would look forward to this case in court because I can cleary see Judge Judy (sorry, that's where my mind goes.....) squinting at the picture, looking at the bride like she needs an optical exam and then pointing out the OBVIOUS changes in the table cloth linens, napkins, plates, as well as the huge plant being moved.
IMHO, your pictures (and hers) tell the story. She is bluffing and we all know it. Perhaps if you hadn't had the pictures to clearly show what is NOT there, she would be in a better position to work her grift but she is sh*t outta luck. Those pictures tell the story and her veiled threats are kind of comical.
Regardless, I know this is really stressful and I am sorry this had to happen to you. I swear, there must be an underground "Guide-to-complaining-your-way-to-a-free-wedding" that they automatically give the brides these days.
Man I hate people.
I just spent 25 minutes arguing with someone over the phone.
From now on, if she emails you again, I would tell her that she must communicate directly with your lawyer.
She is off her freaking rocker.
Really noone is responsible for taking care of the cake??
so if I buy a new car on my way home from the dealership I'm not responsible for making sure I don't get it all messed up??
really?
if I buy milk at the market I'm not responsible for making sure I put it in the fridge when I get home and not let it sit on the counter??
Whatever delusional meds she's on must be really great.
So if you are responsible for the cake shouldn't she be responsible (her due diligence) for letting you know about the problems in a timely manner to allow you to rectify (and perform your due diligence) the problems?
sorry
I don't mean to rant.
I just wish I could smack this idiot upside the head
Didn't this woman admit that her husband was touching one of the child figures? HELLO!!! No one moved or touched anything my behind! Seriously, if your contract states that you are not responsible for the cake after you drop it of at the venue then I would also think you're good.
On a seperate note I think most brides are out of their minds. I got married in '07 and I saw it then. I used to work at Target as a front end supervisor and the brides think they're entitled to everything (including the sun.) I literally had a woman stand in front of me when I was telling her she couldn't return something and stomp her foot like a child and absolutely yell "but I'm the bride!" I think its everyone that makes it such a huge event and fawns over these women like they're the queens of England that make them lose their minds. (I can say I didn't have the best experience before/during my wedding either...DJ canceled 3 days before, catering was late and absolutely wrong--I figured ppl ate and didn't know the difference so I didn't say anything---but my cake was gorgeous...still have pics on my walls) 
Wow.......she's delusional for sure. Now we're supposed to offer "cake-sitting" services at the reception?
I've said it before and I'll say it again.....
SOME people in this young generation are in for a very rude awakening............they'd be better served putting as much energy into making their marriages work as they do in planning their wedding day..............WHICH ONLY LASTS A FEW HOURS!!
Actually, this was a second marriage wasn't it? Guess she hasn't learned much.
Dear God no wonder the divorce rate is so high 
I agree..........do not answer any more of this woman's e-mail or calls. I would just forward your attorney's number to her and that's it.
I agree that even if she did try to sue, she wouldn't have a leg to stand on with the contract and your photos.
That being said, I don't think she has any intention of going to court, I think she is just trying to scare you into paying her to go away. If she comes to your shop, I would call the police.
Okay, I've loved reading this. IMO, a contract is a contract and you have all you need to back you up. Pictures don't lie, and I too,can just see Judge Judy throwing the book at the bride! I know you are keeping all correspondence, etc. Just let them take you on!
Now, has this current trend of bride's trying to get their money back, etc. become more common over the past few years because they think they can spend more on a wedding then anyone would ever imagine and realize too late that they were in way over their heads... especially in a downturned economy? I don't do cakes for money, but read so many posts where you pros book out a year in advance. Is it possible that what they thought they could afford/spend months or a year ago is true no longer so they devise this "complain about the cake to get my money back" scam to recoup their losses? It does not make it RIGHT in any sense of the word "right" --but I'm just wondering...
Well... that's not suprising... aggravating, but not suprising. I guess at this point you need to decide whether you are comfortable with hassle should she go through with a small claims case. Noone can decide that but you. Of course, I agree with others, you most likely win the case. Even if the judge agrees that there is a lean to the cake, she then will have to decide what's that worth and if you caused the damage. The cake was set up straight by you, it is not damaged, it did not collapse, it was done as per bride's request, it is beautiful, it was served at the reception, the top tier is probably frozen somewhere, and I'm sure cake cutting photos by a wedding photographer look great. Sounds to me, that the cake definitely did not ruin this woman's wedding day.
She will not be recommending you to anyone even if you offer a refund. Has she told you what amount she was looking for?
If it was me, I would reply to her email one last time to continue with professional approach you've had so far.
"Dear Bride,
thank you for sharing your concerns with me. I rely on my customers' feedback to better my services. Should you have additional questions, please refer to my previous email and your contract.
Sincerely,"
You can give her your attorney information, if you have one, but I surely will not be hiring one at this point. You can always address that if the need arises. Any further contact with her after this point is unnecessary. If she calls you, and you cannot avoid talking to her, you may want to consider having a witness or a tape recorder handy. Remain calm, don't get dragged in, and get out quickly by giving her a warning that you are hanging up when she escalates. This is not personal, just business. You made a beautiful cake and should be proud of it. Some people are unfortunately hard to deal with. You cannot control them, just your own response to them. Good luck and keep us posted.
P
I would challenge her to go take a perfectly stright picture of a perfectly straight building. If you don't have a tripod chances are your pics look off balance it's called perspective or point of view. i see a slight lean from what I described at the top in your pic but it shows your cake looks great and the top teir is right in line. I totally see the lean of the top tier in the pic from her 'coodinator' and I think you did a great job of discovering what may have happened. I would point out those obvious differences in the pics and clearly state your pictures difference from the picture that was sent to you. And restate that the coodinator was there and approved before you left. And then send her a copy of the release of liability once delivered. Bottom line something happened after you left including the groom messing with the cake, a tree being moved and linens and flat ware being moved and at any of those times the cake's top tier was displaced and the figures altered. It is not your responcibility as the cake baker/decorator to stand gaurd and baby sit the cake, the venue staff and her wedding party from touching the cake. I would off some sincere words about it not being the way you left it and that the strand of events that surrounded the cake table resulted in it not being up to her standards or yours. And tell her that you are very upset that someone messed with the cake and ruined your work. But that is out of your controll once the delivery was completed. With the evidence you have and your contract she really can not take it any further- ok well she can but it I can't see her winning anything.
Maybe business is not doing too well and you really need the money
Maybe your education didn't go too well and that's why you don't seem to know how to use punctuation.
This woman is a b****.
I didn't address the imaginary lean because I feel at this point, it is just butting heads. She sees a lean and I don't, so telling her, yet again, that it isn't leaning wouldn't have accomplished anything.
here's her reply-
Even in your photos the cake was not even. As you were told in prior email from (site coordinator) no one moved or touched the cake. (wedding coordinator)s pictures were taken as soon as she arrived and shows the cake leaning and the groom falling over. No one else is responsible for your cake but you. (site coordinator) shouldnt have had to call you, (wedding coordinator) should not have had to call you, nor I. But with that being said even if I wouldve called you it was well after 6pm when I arrived and saw the cake myself so you wouldve been in the office anyways! (site coordinato) laid out napkins and in your photos as well the plates are already there. You are making up a lot of excuses why you are not responsible for the condition of the cake as if someone else was supposed to take care of it. That is sad that would be so unprofessional and inconsiderate to say if someone wouldve contacted youwho was supposed to contact you if I hadnt made it there yet, who discussed this cake with you, who paid you for this cakeme. And I did contact you when I got back from my honeymoon first thing. This surely isnt how I believed that your business resolves conflicts I have friends that are getting married and a lot of other events coming up that your business could benefit from but sadly I will not be making any recommendations. Maybe business is not doing too well and you really need the money I paid for my cake but that is still no way to handle this situation. I would hate to see you have to pay almost double what the cake was worth for court costs and fees if money is an issue. Thank you for the well wishes but this matter is not closed and will not be until you properly handle this situation. I will be seeing you soon. Thanks
If you feel you must respond ...
Dear Bride: I'm afraid this is a situation where I would respectfully disagree with you. My contract with you was to bake, decorate, deliver and set up the cake. I was not asked to stay with the cake after delivery and set up, nor was I asked to stay to cut the cake. If I was, additional fees for my time would have added to the cost of my services at the reception site. This is common industry practice. Because it is also out of my control what is done with my cakes (or around my cakes) after I leave a facility, the responsibility there would need to shift to who you put in control, namely the wedding/site coordinator. It is the wedding coordinator's job to ensure that everything is the way YOU would want it. It is her job to communicate on your behalf with all of your vendors, that is why you hire her. If she saw something with the cake that I did not see, it's her job to point it out to me ... not to actually correct the problem, but to communicate it. I specifically asked the wedding coordinator for her thoughts and approval as it was before I left and did not receive ANY negative input from her. The only way I can interpret that is that it is that "I'm good to go - My job's done". I took the pictures of the cake as it was before my departure and NOTHING was leaning. The only part of the cake that is leaning in the pictures provided is the groom, and that occurred after I left AND after a tree behind the cake table was moved, table linens were moved, napkins/plates were added, and figures were touched by your husband (and possibly others, for all I know). Since the damage occurred after I left, the damage was NOT my responsibility. I do, however, make myself available when accidents occur. Had your wedding coordinator called me at the shop or on my cell phone, I would have returned and corrected the problem - whether it was my fault with the structure or not. My contract clearly states that I'm not respnsible for what happens after I leave after setup, and it's also your coordinator's job to know all of the contracts that you have had so that she can ensure all contracts are being fulfilled. Though my contract was wih you, she is your representative onsite. Had your coordinator known the industry standard and the wording of my contract, she would have made sure the cake was perfect in her eyes before I left. My contract is there to protect not just me, but YOU ... your wedding coordinator should have kept me on site till she was satisfied with the cakes set up, but she did not even communicate a problem she'd like me to me to correct. These are not excuses. This is a lack of communication. The bottom line is that I fulfilled my contract - I baked, decorated, delivered and set the cake up as stated in our contract.
I wish you and your husband the best as you start your lives together and consider this matter resolved.
Smoore--do you mind if I totally plagarize your statement?
'cause its awesome!!!!!
Not at all! I just can't see you giving one red cent back for this. This is why if you are hiring a wedding coordinator, you hire a real one -- not just some girl that works in your office or a cousin/friend that's never organized any event in their life to do it. The bride is being rediculous! I mean, what really was the point in having a wedding coordinator if it's not to ensure everything is getting done the way you want it? Unbelievable! THAT's were she should be getting her money back!
I hightly doubt this woman would pursue anything in court, as you have solid proof that you left the cake in excellent condition per your picture. She is trying to spook you into giving her a refund, or she will not recommend you to her friends for their weddings. How many times has that one been pulled? You have 100% solid ground to stand on! You are doing good by not caving to her demands and not letting her bully you into paying her. You have a legal contract and visual proof you held up to your end of the deal, especially in court. Best of luck to you!!
Indydebi or someone always says that these people never have lawyers. 99% of people that say that are full of it.
I agree with the others. She is just trying to scare you into giving her the money back. I would send the message that Smoore wrote (it was excellent). And then if she writes back again, I would say something like, "I've already contacted my lawyer. I would prefer everything go through our lawyers from now on". She might get scared off with the lawyer bit. I'm guessing they don't have one since she mentioned small claims court. =O)
I did send the reply that smoore wrote-- thank you so much!!! she replied, and it is just so funny. she has now resorted to name calling and total delusions. the best part is when she offers a payment plan!!!!! 
here it is:
Yet again you are placing blame on other people. This is crazy and very childish. You said yourself that the groom had fell over and you had to prop him up with something else in which Zandra communicated that it was a toothpick which apparently didnt hold for too long. The napkins were placed in front of the cake and the tree has nothing to do with the cake everything you are naming could be moved at any point in time and still nobody has to touch the cake to achieve this. And the table linens are the same in your picture and in Karis so there is no difference. And I told you that my husband touched the figurines one in particular and the head fell off after we had cut the cake and the figurines were placed on our table so I dont even know why you keep mentioning that it has nothing to do with the cake leaning or the groom on top of the cake leaning over and falling. Everybody is saying the same thing except for you HELLO I dont know what is so hard to understand about this!! I guess you are to believe that everybody is lying about this cake and for what reason!!! Nobody is benefiting from lying about this cake!! Everybody makes mistakes I mean things happen but own up to your mistake, right your wrong, and move on seriously if the money is an issue please just say that maybe we can work out some arrangements or something but please stop the blaming and accusing other people.
wow, I am speechless.
what a ding dong.
good luck with her.
melody
OK bottom line in your picture the cake looks great in her picture it is obvuois that something has happened. DUH! And Hellooo right back at her sugar can't stand up by it's self. And there is nothing wronge with toothpic supports. Wow I don't see how she can't tell that it happened after you left.
I guess you are to believe that everybody is lying about this cake and for what reason!!! Nobody is benefiting from lying about this cake!!
Hmm...let's see, you want the money back from the cake??
Everybody makes mistakes I mean things happen but own up to your mistake, right your wrong, and move on.
Umm...I think maybe the bride needs to take her own advice? Don't you all?
seriously if the money is an issue please just say that maybe we can work out some arrangements or something but please stop the blaming and accusing other people.
Some arrangements? I don't think so. You don't owe her a dime. Just send her an email telling her that you don't want to talk to her anymore. And if she wants to take this farther, she can contact your lawyer.
What an IDIOT!!
Did they consume this cake? Did the leaning figure keep them from cutting and serving this cake?
I don't understand her reason for thinking that she deserves any kind of refund................
Just curious......how much did this cake cost? You don't have to tell us if you don't want to.
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