I just want to make a comment...not directed toward the bride or anyone else...but more generated by the statement stated made by bride about the money spent ...for that amount of money (OSLT).
Regardless of how much MOST brides spend on the cake...whether it's 100 dollars for cost of supplies to a friend or 5000 dollars to an in demand decorator, if it ain't what she wanted, there's gonna be issues(there's many on CC that's made cakes for cost and the b-t-b is evading them at collection time). The ones I've dealt with are basket cases ...a great big ball of emotions. It may seem bigger to her than it really is because of all the stress leading up to the event has reached a head.
This is the reason I sketch every cake I do no matter how small and I attach it to the order form. I also send a copy to my client so they can approve it.
edited to add:
I think the $200 was a good amount to refund. The colors were correct, even the fading was correct. Just applied incorrectly.
If she was matching the cake to her husband's bike and explained and explained it, why didn't she include a photo of the bike? I think how it was handled was fine. I would have given back $150 certificate tops. Brides do indeed talk. She will get a steady diet of difficult brides who order more than they can spend so that they can get back 10 or 20 % back after the fact. The cake was eaten, the cake was the right colors. The topper fell off? Once the cake is delivered and signed off it is now their responsibilty to care for it. The whole "a gift for my husband?" Please. Boys like toys not foo foo dessert.
To add to Doug's observation, I'd heard many many years ago that to refer to a wedding day as "the biggest day of a woman's life" is saying that she has nothing to look forward to. This is it. Downhill from there. She has nothing else to contribute in her lifetime. Zip. Nada.
.
Zero. Zilch. Because the happiest day of my life was the day I finished with carpools. No more car loads of antsy, loud, smelly, whiny kids in the cold, heat, rain, and snow! Weddings, births, momentous occasions rank after that day.
I'm gonna go out on a limb here, and suggest that those of us over a "certain age" are much less tolerant of all the bride drama.
Can we see a picture of the cake?
" I brought two people with me to make sure I got the point across that I wanted a single fade to mimic his bike. When we left your bakery all three of us were under the impression everyone had agreed to a single fade."
??? She was SO SURE from the initial meeting you wouldn't get what she wanted so she brought not one, but two people to get her point across??? She's making it sound like she had no faith in you from the beginning.
AND:" Looking back on my wedding day that should be the happiest day of my life all I can remember is how nothing went right because my main focus point was so wrong. " Shouldn't her main focus point that day have been HER HUSBAND??? Not the cake, the flowers, the meal, etc., her husband!
Okay, I'm not trying to start anything, but I know it probably will and I know I am also a new person, so it will seem strange me saying this, but here goes.
Most of the people that are saying give full refund or give huge refund, seem like they are newer people here. Do these people own business or just hobby bake? If you were running a business do you really think you would give a full refund for a small mistake like that? Come on, I don't even run a business, but I know that's not how it works.
I also live in Anchorage. I have been to Kory's store and talked with her. She is a very sweet and honest person. I think what she has done is commendable. She is trying to make her mistake right and I think she is a class act for how calm she is taking all of this.
I am a business person and I suggested the 50% refund just because my gut tells me that's what I'd do. I think Kory did the thing she feels is correct and I don't have any argument with that. Each business person has to decide what they think is right in these situations. I do think that this custmomer is a loss regardless of what she does. A refund would be to make me feel like I'd done the right thing to make up for the mistake. More for me than for the customer, frankly. I'm sure Kory has beaten herself up six ways from Sunday already. Now she can move on with a clear conscience. Eventually, the bride will also put it all in its proper perspective. It'll probably become one of those funny stories families tell for years to come about all the things that went wrong at their wedding. They'll all chuckle and wonder why they got so bent out of shape at the time.
"I'm gonna go out on a limb here, and suggest that those of us over a "certain age" are much less tolerant of all the bride drama. "
ha! I'm 25 and I have absolutely NO patience for bride drama. You're getting married, the rest of the world isn't.
i'm 20, and though i have yet to personally experience this kind of drama, i'm already getting annoyed with it just by reading all the scary posts about it!
i'm a nonbeliever in marriage because of a lot of reasons, but all the drama that goes into a wedding for a piece of paper is certainly VERY off putting to say the least!
Now I know why we went to Vegas got married at 2:30am and had a cupcake afterwards..... 
I think it's crazy to give your wedding cake as a gift to your spouse, who the hell does that anyway??? Almost all people who have a good size wedding have a wedding cake, so why would you give the cake to your new husband as a gift anyway??? My hubby would look at me as if I'd last my dang mind if I told him that the cake was his gift!!!
Not that I've had a big wedding, but I always thought you did the cake around the colors of your wedding. Did they do the whole wedding color theme in the colors of his bike??
Also I agree with Doug, who uses something your going to cut into and eat as the "main" focal point of the whole wedding. I always thought that should be the bride and groom themselves not the cake. Yeah sure you might look at it and tell somebody it was pretty/beautiful/nice/ugly.....ect.....ect..... but other than that most people don't pay that much attention to the cake until it's on a plate in front of you while your eating it. (by the way....Doug I totally agree with you on many points that you said)
I have to say that reading the bride/cake drama makes me happy to be the proud mommy of three boys....hee hee hee hee it won't be something I have to deal with.
p.s. for you lovely ladies who do wedding cakes.......if I have a daughter n law who ever acts this crazy over a cake and let's it ruin "her" day, I'll smack her a good one for all you! 
LOL!
You are being more then reasonable...but really I was just posting again so I can tell you I think your cakes rock the shiznets!!!!!!!!!!
Wow, I go under for a typical Friday all nighter and come back to CCWWIII! lol
Still haven't heard anything else from the bride but thanks for the support and suggestions, all! I will keep you posted. I attached the cake pic so you can see that, no, it was not a monstrosity 
I wanted to take pix of the destroyed cake but there was too much going on and as luck would have it when we went to go make the replacement cake, there wasn't enough buttercream so we had to de-fondant and scrape down the first cake just to get that! (we use SMBC so it would have been no less than 40 minutes for a new batch) There wasn't much more than a pile of crumbs by the time we were done.
Okay, after seeing this cake, I think it's beautiful!! I actually think this way is prettier than it would be if it started off one color and faded into the next. I love it!
Kory your cakes rock! And Im sure whether a single fade or fade for each tier the final product you delivered would have been wonderful.
HOWEVER a single fade vs fade per tier would produce a very different effect. I can understand the bride being upset about this, its not what she planned for. I also understand her being upset about the late delivery. If I was her and went into the ceremony knowing the cake hadnt arrived I would be freaking - wondering if I was going to have cake at all.
To normal people a wedding day is just that - a day - a good day and a happy day as you are committing your heart and life to one person and accepting the same from them. But a bride is not a normal person on her wedding day. Nor will she be normal until she gets on that honeymoon and relaxes. So I understand her being upset and dramatic. This does not mean she is a bridezilla. Although I admit if any of my sisters behaved so dramatically as to not go into the store and speak with the cake decorator I would slap them silly. Some drama is acceptable but being a princess is not appropriate and does suggest she will not speak highly of you regardless of the compenstation.
I would give her the $200 gift cert or make it cash if she asks. but I would try not to part with anymore. At this stage it is compensation not a refund. She may (when she calms down) just want a monetary compensation to feel that you understand what your error caused and that you have given something for that error. Of course both of you wish it never happened and that you cannot fix that error but the $200 is like a fine for making the error.
I am sorry this happened to you and hope this is resolved quickly and without too much pain.
Nel
When I see this pic, I immediately carry my laptop to hubby and without saying anything, show him the pic. His mouth drops open and he says, "OMG, that cake is beautiful!" I said, "THis is the cake that "ruined" that brides wedding." (I've been keeping him posted on the saga all day.)
He said, "THAT'S the horrible cake? THAT'S what she's so upset about?" He then shook his head and said, "She is so fulla sh*t!"
I share his comments because this morning, as I was sharing what was delivered and what was expected, he couldn't get a visual of the delivered cake and said, "I can't envison how 3 tiers of faded color would be pretty." Which is why I showed him the pic with no commentary from me. And which is why I so wanted to share his reaction with you when he saw the cake.
After seeing the pic, $200 is way too generous and I admire you even more for how you handled this whole issue.
Whew....this thread got LOOONG!! I was all set to say $200 cash instead of a gift certificate UNTIL I saw the cake.
That is a BEAUTIFUL cake!
I've completely changed my opinion after seeing that picture.
Kory, you've handled this perfectly.
Good luck!
P.S. I was married over 26 yrs ago and my gift to my husband was ME!
OK, I just saw the photo of the cake.
About anything I said before......never mind.
Kory, the effect is beautiful, the cake is exquisite, and you were more than generous enough. Sorry for thinking more recompense was necessary.
Me, too. I'm full of crap. That cake is just gorgeous. Even if it wasn't exactly what she expected, it's lovely. You've given her enough.
Kory that cake is stunning! I didn't want to look away. I think your offer is more than generous and I love the way you have handled the situation with such humility.
I understand that the effect still isn't what she had asked for, but I wouldn't mind betting that most of the guests thought the cake was exquisite and will tell her over the coming weeks. And did I mention how jealous I am of you that you can produce something that stunning in less than an hour?!
You are doing a marvellous job and the way you have handled everything would totally have soothed me if I was your customer and would make me feel comfortable again to recommend you to others! You're a class act!
When I got married I ordered several different cakes with different frostings. My main cake was to be chocolate with cream cheese. When the cake was cut not one tier was what I ordered. I did not have any chocolate cake but all white with different fruit fillings. Yes I was mad. The next day I was on my honey moon so my mom contacted the bakery for me. They said with a smart remark that we ate the cake sobthere was nothing they could do . I was furious when I found out. I never went back to the bakery and would never recommend them. I know what the bride is feeling.
I am new to this site, but I just had to make a comment (it may have already been made, but I haven't gone through ALL the posts yet to see). I've seen a couple people suggest that if the cake was eaten, then you're not responsible anymore. How ridiculous!! What was the girl to do? Make a huge scene after already being disappointed with one of the most memorable things on the most important day of her life? "No, I'm sorry, EVERYONE I know...we can't eat the cake. I have to be able to prove my dissatisfaction to the cake lady..." WHO in their right mind would do that? No, you graciously hold your tongue and do the complaining to the person who can do something about it. Yes, it was immature to send her mother, but that doesn't negate responsiblility on the cake decorator's part. But I did read Kory's email (sorry, haven't searched for the follow-up yet) asking the bride what she would like her to do. And it sounded very professional- not petty and belittling like some of the other replies suggested :-0 Keep in mind that as hard as we work on our masterpieces, we are still SERVING someone-and(barring the occasional nut-job) in the end it IS their opinion that counts.
WOW! That's a gorgeous cake. You did a great job on it.
My DH said the same as Indydebi's-couldn't believe it was a "disaster". What a beautiful cake!
And I can't possibly imagine the groom couldn't figure out the bicycle connection, especially with that topper. I think your g. certificate offer is more than generous.
Keep in mind that as hard as we work on our masterpieces, we are still SERVING someone-and(barring the occasional nut-job) in the end it IS their opinion that counts.
I mean it's nice to get nice comments about your work and I'm not saying that blowing off complaints is good or right, they should always be addressed but frankly, my opinion of my work is the most important one to me. I rock.
You have to have a mindset like that. I see some folks on here just dying for some feedback and affirmation from people and dude, you can't control that, you can't depend on that. If you're own opinion is not the one you depend on, you're totally blown about by the wind and circumstances beyond your control.
It's my opinion that counts.
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