So I had a consult with a bride a coupld of weeks ago and was told that he colors were watermelon and yellow and that she wanted the majority of the cake watermelon. She was supposed to get me a flower that was going on top a week before the wedding so I could match colors but she ended up giving it to me days before so I went out and got what I THOUGHT i needed for "watermelon". I got the flower and it was a dark pink color that she kept calling "watermelon" but she wanted me to try and come close to the color (here's where I mess up) so I don't do the color until the day of the wedding since it was a late sunday wedding, I put the pink and the yellow together to get "watermelon" and it wasn't dark enough so I do just about everything I can to get it darker even start over and it just was not happening... I then decide that it is as dark as it's goign to let me get and the colors were really pretty together so I needed to press on so I could get this cake and hour away to the wedding on time. BIG MISTAKE.. I get to the wedding and her colors are nowhere near watermelon.. they are friggin pink pink pink... I felt so horrible the second I saw those bridesmaid dresses that I could have crawled in a hole and died! So I go get the mother of the bride and tehy love the look of the cake but .. the color WAS off so I appologize abotu a hundred times and tell them I will make it right and although the bride and everyone else loved the look and taste of the cake I feel obligated to reimburse something back to the bride... how much would you reimburse back for something like this?

I would love any suggestions on this that I could get!

TIA

here is a pic of the wedding cake oh and look... it's nowhere near pink

I wouldn't reimburse anything! you poor thing

the bride brought you the flower that you wanted matched...NOT the color of the dresses. You tried your best and you got it as close as you could with what you had.

IF you told them them you give them something in return for the mistake then I would say like 10% off another order...but not money back on the cake that they received and probably ate.

For the future, I would not promise exact colors. I have in my wedding contract that I try to get as close to a design as possible but I don't promise an exact replica of ANYTHING.

So sorry this happened to you...but you were dealing with a silly bride

ok...NOW i see your picture...WTF!!!! this is the epitome of PINK/WATERMELON! The cake is sooo pretty too!

I think you did a picture perfect job on it...I don't see any mistake in this cake. NO REFUND FOR YOU! NEXT!

I was told that I knew it should have been darker and yes I did and although I did everything I cold to get it darker by using the color combination for watermelon in the book it just didn't work out.. I think that's why I feel so obligated because I did know it should have been darker.

that's what I keep getting told by everyone else.. this IS watermelon! she didn't have ANY watermelon in her wedding! lol oh well.. so she's color blind.. lol

yes, you do have the color of watermelon in here. I can tell by your color combination of red and yellow that you were going to get a lighter red then the flower. But, they said watermelon and the flower is NOT watermelon!

I think you should say to them that you followed a color chart for the watermelon but that you were given a flower that is considered "berry" in your color chart. (whatever, they don't know colors so they will just duhhh lol) you can say sorry for the misunderstanding but you went by your chart and that you feel a 10% credit for another cake is fair. OR a free anniversary cake...or just a few bucks.

You didn't ruin the wedding and they ate the cake!

You've said that the bride etc loved the look of the cake, you seem to be the only one who is worried about the final colour (the cakers perfectionist curse I think!!). If the colours were meant to be matched to the BM then you should have received a swatch of fabric not a flower. That cake looks fab.

Since you are feeling a sense of guilt (not justified though) I would perhaps offer them an occasion cake or send them some welcome home from your honeymoon cupcakes as a goodwill guesture.

Wait...Were THEY upset by the cake?? Because it sounds like bride, MOB, and everyone else were all fine with it and YOU'RE the one worrying. We can be our own worst critics. I can remember one of the first cakes I made, the top tier slid a LITTLE bit during delivery (you almost couldn't even tell) and I was devastated. I immediately told the customer I couldn't accept any money for the "ruined" cake!! She thought the cake was beautiful (and that I was crazy!) and had to convince me to accept payment! I quickly learned not to point out flaws because most people don't notice them.

Yours is a beautiful cake and in the pink family. Don't beat yourself up and don't offer a refund!!

Ok, I'm confused. So were they unhappy with it and asking for a refund or are you just upset that it didn't match her colors exactly? If you matched the flower the bride gave you, then thats on her. Was she thinking the whole cake would be the color you did the piping in? And looking at the pic again, if you'd done the whole cake the color of the flower then it would have all blended in. The cake is BEAUTIFUL and would compliment any pink color-schemed wedding. Wonderful cake, stop beating yourself up, case closed.

what a pretty cake....I cannot believe they didn't tell you no reimbursement was needed........what jerks

This sounds like a case of creating a problem that doesn't actually exist. If the bride liked the cake and hasn't requested a refund, I don't know why you would open the subject. I agree with a previous poster that you should offer a discount on a future cake rather than give a refund if you feel like you need to offer something.

I don't quite understand why you'd stick with a color chart that obviously wasn't producing the color you needed. If it kept giving you baby pink when you needed a pink that's almost red, it seems like it would have made sense to abandon the chart and start mixing some colors (like a little red) that would have approximated the flower regardless of what the chart said.

The cake you made is really beautiful It definitely doesn't look like watermelon, which by the way I've never heard referred to as pink anyway.

[quote="Ruth0209"]This sounds like a case of creating a problem that doesn't actually exist. If the bride liked the cake and hasn't requested a refund, I don't know why you would open the subject.



Ditto

Get a color wheel, it helps! I also have a blurb about not matching colors perfectly in my contract. If there aren't any complaints, do not bring any issues you may have up with anyone! (for future reference)

The cake is lovely!!

What the hell color is watermelon anyway?!? That's a fruit, not a color! She should have just said bright pink.

Are you kidding me? Without having a swatch to match, this turned out beautiful. Looks like light watermelon to me.

upon delivery I was pretty mortified so I mentioned something to the mother of the bride that I would "make it right" she said probably three times while I was there that it was definitely the wrong color but it was a beautiful cake.. she then called me the day after the wedding saying that her daughter should be compensated something for it being the wrong color.. had I not opened my mouth I don't think it would have come up but I did so.. I'm thinking the free cake on another occasion sounds good to me!
I know us decorators can be out own worst critics and the lesson I have learned here is to not open my mouth! lol I should have just dropped the cake off with a smile and said "congratulations!" see ya later! lol
Thank you for everyone's input and wonderful comments about the cake.. I do kinda really like it so.. who cares what color it is hehehe...

It is a beautiful cake.

Watermelon is a David's Bridal color. It's definitely a deep, deep pink. David's sells swatches of their colors for $1. I ask all my David's Bridal; brides to bring me a swatch. I happen to have Watermelon on my desk right now.

most definitely... 10" round comin up lol

Leah - For future reference, how would you achieve that color? I loved the color and would like to try it on a cake I am doing for Saturday.
Also, so you can see I screwed up - would you offer some kind of reimbursement? if so what kind of percentage?

I don't see how you screwed up, if the bride never returned a swatch to show the color, or am I wrong on that point?

I think that is a beautiful cake. I understand wanting to keep a good reputation and wanting the bride to be happy but I think there's a point where the Bride needs to take responsibility for not getting the ACTUAL color to you in a reasonable amount of time

Sort of OT, but was the bride expecting the base icing to be watermelon, or just the ribbon/accent piping?

If you were to make the base color of a cake watermelon, as it seems may have been requested, what would all of the guests' teeth look like after eating a slice? I can see using a deep color as an accent/ribbon/topper color, but definitely not the base icing. I don't make wedding cakes, though, so I could be really wrong here.

I agree that the bride should have actually got the colour swatch to you WAY before the day before the wedding. I accept that "watermelon" is the name given to that specific colour at Davids Bridal but unless she gave you an actual swatch, how were you to know that that is the type of pink she meant. Because in most people's book , watermelon would be much closer to the colour you made for your cake. Rather cheeky to ask for a refund - you're not psychic. But I understand how you offered one, it's a horrible feeling when you think you've not done the right thing. I would suggest free cake, not money off this one.

I also want to jump in and ask how you mix DB Watermelon. I recently had a wedding where it was the main colour and I could not get an icing match to save my life. I did manage to get a ribbon that was close and just added pink gumpaste flowers.

I tried rose pink with burgundy....rose pink with black....rose pink with black and a touch of red and many other iterations before I gave up out of frustration.

http://cakecentral.com/modules.php?name=gallery&file=displayimage&pid=1767731

I'd only need the color in fondant, as I'd never ever dye icing that color for the entire cake. I'd start with SatinIce's hot pink and add a pinch of dark chocolate and a pinch of red and this and that until I got there.

I would have done a little rose petal pink with a little burgandy for david's bridal watermelon.

I also make a point of telling my brides that "I will get a close as I can to the color swatch, but let's face it, we're talking about frosting here. " Sometimes that helps put it in perspective for them.

Many times I suggest to my couples to bring me paint swatches of the color they want. I have them pick out 4 different color swatches of basically the same color and label them 1, 2, 3, 4 in order of which shade they prefer the first, second, third and last. It gives me a better idea of what they are looking for and what they would be happy with. And when I'm mixing my colors it gives me a few different shades to achieve and know they would be happy with. Mind you the color swatches are all just so slightly different. ~I hope I'm explaining that clearly enough.