Did you keep her money? If the payment was via check, did she stop payment?

Was there an actual venue, or was it just in a park somewhere?

Of course I kept her money. Final payment was credit card, which she never disputed. Venue was a popular reception place, one of those places just for garden parties and large receptions. Really nice place.

From your story it certainly sounds like the bride deserved what she got, and I'm sure it was emotionally very satisfying to take the cake back.

However, when you separate emotion from the business transaction (which is admittedly much easier to do after the fact), there were two options:

1. Delivering the cake, and potentially having guests who may think you make excellent cake but so-so cupcakes (assuming the other cupcakes were not good AND the guests assumed you made the cupcakes AND no one told them otherwise) or

2. Taking the cake back, and having everyone at the reception and the venue think that you can't be trusted to deliver a cake.

You are lucky the customer didn't dispute the payment, since I'm pretty sure she would have won that one (credit cards tend to favor the consumer, and it would be difficult to conclusively prove that she violated the terms of the contract).

I completely understand why you made the choice you did, but you also need to be aware of how your actions are viewed by the guests and (perhaps more importantly) the venue.

I don't have a cake business, I only bake and decorate for family and friends who think I should. I know alot of the cakers who have businessws benefit from these forums and that is such a wonderful thing. What I wish some posters would realize is that there are many types of cakers on this site and also read the posts. The negative comments about the grocery store or big box store cakes and baked goods irritate me because there are cakers who make a living working at these establishments who are very proud of their creations and might also read these forums for help, inspiration or entertainment. I have never had a business or worked in such a place so I am not biased in that respect. I just thought that the kindergarten rule of "If you have anything nice to say, don't say anything at all" should apply.

Oh of course, but I'm ok there too. Turning down orders every weekend, and a very loyal following.

I have severe allergies and have gotten used to not being able to eat most anywhere I go and guess what, that's fine with me. Especially at weddings, I don't expect the newlyweds to cater to me at all. I do think, though, that if the bride and groom knew that there were going to be guests with severe allergies then that could be a compromising point for them to work with the baker. Perhaps it could be a different dessert that isn't wedding cake or doesn't look like the wedding cake - the baker might even make it - and if not, perhaps a sign could be made like a previous poster described...something could be worked out.

That other thread you mentioned was about a woman who felt just fine about delivering cookies to a venue where someone else made the cake, but would not allow someone else to deliver cookies to a venue where SHE made the cake.
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That is two-faced.

I think some venues also tell their brides that they dont need the same mount of slices as their guest list. I work with one alot that his this philosphy. They say there is ALWAYS cake left over. I am not sure how. I did a cake their last weekend. The cake was 208 servings (2 different flavors) but they had a football stadium grooms cake (also done by me) in totally different flavor so I told them they should be ok since the guest count was 260. The planners called me the day after raving about the cake and saying that people were lining up just to get the next flavor every time they brought a tray of slices out of the kitchen, the same people having multiple slices. Then they said there was a little leftover...my question with this venue (since none of my other stand alone brides EVER have any cake left over, seriously never, they write and tell me how it goes so fast because people loved it. It is ONLY this venue that there is any cake left) HOW SMALL ARE THESE "SLICES" THEY ARE GIVING PEOPLE??? I know the staff takes home the leftover cake and the planners always tell me how happy their families are to get the leftovers when I am the cake artist for a particular wedding. I often wonder if they cut them smaller than normal so they GET to take some home??

Back to the original question...I NEVER sell as much cake as the number of guests. Due to the fact that not everyone cuts the cake to the standard 1"x2" size, or that there are people who leave the reception early, or that there are people who are drinking and don't have cake, or that there are people who are dancing and don't have cake, not everyone has the cake.

I use the 80% rule, which is that you use 80% of the number of guests present at the reception for the number of cake servings needed. So if you have 200 guests, you need somewhere in the neighborhood of 160 servings of cake. I have NEVER had anyoe complain that there was a lot of cake left over, unless they bought more thanthe 80%. On the other hand, I've spoken to reception site coordinators who were irritated that certain bakers always sold their clients more cake than needed, and always had cake left over.

It's better to have every bit of the cake eaten and have people talk about how good it was than to have a half a tier left over and have people talk about how nobody wanted the cake.

Not to mention that I've seen how tiny people cut wedding cake servings, and if I'm estimating 160 servings they're probably getting 200 out of the cake.

Now for cupcakes, they say that you need to get more than you would if it was wedding cake, because people tend to eat more because they don't have to wait for them to be served, they can just pick it up. Personally, I hate cupcakes, so I'd be one less person you needed one for, so you don't need as many as the number of guests if I'm at your weddding

First I am appalled that STAFFERS take home leftover wedding cake!

Second, i always explained WHY the exclusivity clause was in my contract. "It's a reputation protection and liability issue." I explain how Aunt Sally's cream cheese icing may be tainted but no one is going to sue Aunt Sally ... they will sue the business that made the cake. Brides NEVER had a problem with my explanations.

i share the story (that I believe I heard on here) about the (unlicensed, worked out of her home) caterer who permitted "the family potato salad" to be brought in. Said salad sat around all night, cleaning crew ate some, cleaning crew took some home. Families ended up at hospital with food poisoning. Family sued the caterer EVEN THO' SHE HAD NOTHING TO DO WITH THE SALAD!

Court ruled the caterer was liable since she was the food expert on site and she should have made sure the salad was handled/stored/disposed of properly. She lost her business and her home.

I always concluded this story with "I luv ya, darlin', but I'm not willing to live under a bridge just so you can buy part of your cake somewhere else."

I also worked with them on certain foods they may have wanted to bring in. For example, if they wanted bowls of Chex Mix on the tables as a snack, I was good with that as long as it was purchased Chex Mix and not made-at-home-by-Aunt-Sally-Chex-Mix. I altered my contract to permit that.

I also ok'd grooms' cakes if I couldn't make the cake they wanted, and also altered the contract to permit it.

To end an already long story, I worked WITH my brides to achieve a win-win and part of that is educating them on the reasons we have this stipulation.

You can be a hard-ass without being a hardass.

Oh ... and it is true that you don't need to order the same amount of cake that is on your GUEST LIST. Debi's 60% Rule says you only need 60% of the total number invited (invite 300 ... plan for 175-200 to attend). Since I stayed and cut most of my cakes, I can tell you firsthand this formula works with hardly any cake leftover and plenty to feed the guests who are there.

I am with "angelwings1"
I was under the impression that if someone hires you, you work for them, not the other way around.

Nah, just a good old fashioned typo.

Back to the OP:

I would put "Client ordered 170 cupcakes, 100 less than confirmed guest count" on that card.
Only the venue should see it, not the guests and you have a reputation with that venue.

Thank you everybody! I met with the mother of the bride and told her it was completely her choice but, I was concerned with the shortage. She was really nice about it and said that she didn't want alot leftover but also didn't want to run short.
She ended up signing the contract for me do 200 cupcakes and a small topper cake that serves 12. So, now she isn't as far off from her guest count. I know she wasn't planning on serving cheaper sheet cakes with my cupcakes as the venue was going to charge her a cake cutting charge for any cake cutting that would add up to the cost of what more cupcakes would cost. So...there would have been no financial benefit to her.

I always explain to my couples at our first meeting (and on my website) that in order to contract with me, they must sign the contract that I am their exclusive cake person. They are welcome to bring in whatever other sweets they want...cookies, pies, candy...whatever. Have a dessert bar...doesn't matter to me. But, nothing that can be confused with part of their wedding cake.
I work hard for my reputation and definitely do not want to risk it by sub standard work, taste and perhaps even...health issues. I'm licensed and inspected and trained in proper food handling. Not that their Aunt Jane or another baker can't do as good of a job as me...I'm just not willing to take that risk that their work would be mistaken for my work.
If they have a problem with it ~ then they know right from the start. I don't mind losing business if they really have issue. I could potentially lose more business if their other cake person is sub standard. I rather lose it on the front end with a reason that is comfortable to me and doesn't risk my reputation.
Thanks everybody for your help! In all my years never have anyone ask for so many fewer servings. And it was made more complicated by being cupcakes. Cake could just have been cut into smaller slices if necessary. Cupcakes are clearly meant for one serving.

whew, glad it worked out.
I'm not sure why people don't want leftover cake.
We bought enough cake for 350-400 people for our wedding with about 75 guests, so the guests could take wedges home with them.
They still tell stories of that cake, and it was around 40 years ago!