Cake 911

Well, well, well.

I spoke too soon when I said I was calm, cool, and collected about this wedding.

I got a phone call at 8 am yesterday morning from mom, who had just spoken with our florist Cathy. She had done a wedding last Saturday where the cake simply never showed up. No call, no advance notice, and none of the phone numbers the baker gave the bride were being answered. She then remembered we were supposed to use the same baker....

A quick Google search for "The Cake Lady" now reveals dozens of angry brides who have been scammed and left stranded, some only hours before the wedding. Apparently, some time in October the Cake Lady filed for bankruptcy, emptied out her storefront, and disappeared, but not before cashing all her checks from clients. She never contacted any of the future clients whose cakes she had promised.

One thing she did do, however, was post a sob story on another wedding website. She said she had transferred all orders and money over to another bakery, and left a phone number. Unfortunately, a call to that number will get you an angry man who says he does own a bakery, but never received any money or orders from the Cake Lady, and is very angry that she's now given out his personal cell phone number on the internet.

Now, a little humor for the situation.

How does mom handle the situation? She starts calling friends to get new baker ideas, and within hours had a long list of recommendations and a new tasting scheduled for the next day.

How does dad handle the situation? He calls a law firm, and by the end of the day they've got letters drafted to the baker, the Constable's office, small claims court, the Better Business Bureau, and the credit card company with which we paid her.

Thanks, corporate dad:)

The moral of the story? Get agreements in writing, confirm and re-confirm often, pay by credit card when possible, and always be prepared for a backup plan.