A Slice of Reality: When Wedding Cakes and Family Ties Don’t Mix
Let me serve you up a delicious slice of drama, straight from the virtual bakery of Reddit. Our story today revolves around familial obligations, last-minute demands, and the misunderstood value of artistry. Buckle up, buttercup, because this is one story where the icing hits the fan.
Picture this: our protagonist, a master baker who learned the art of cake-making from their grandmother, has turned those cherished memories and skills into a lucrative business. Imagine cakes so gorgeous they make Michelangelo’s David feel insecure. And yes, this hero charges a pretty penny for these edible masterpieces. We’re talking $8 to $17.50 a slice. If you can’t stomach the numbers, you might wanna stick to cupcakes from Costco.
Enter the sister, stage left, planning a last-minute wedding. Now, when I say last-minute, I don’t mean the week before Thanksgiving last-minute; I mean barely-enough-time-to-impulse-buy-on-Amazon last-minute. With two weeks to go, she waltzes in with mommy dearest, demanding a cake. Not just any cake, mind you – an elaborate, swoon-worthy cake you’d expect Cinderella to serve after dancing the night away.
Our baker hero, juggling multiple clients and deadlines, had to decline. But never underestimate a mother’s ability to guilt-trip. After some not-so-subtle pressure, especially from the mom, who probably has a Ph.D. in Guilt Tripping, our baker caved but offered a heavily discounted basic cake. Now, I don’t know about you, but discounting a thousand bucks off of a wedding cake isn’t exactly pocket change unless you’re rolling in dough—no pun intended.
Sister dearest wasn’t having it. She wanted champagne on a beer budget, and expected it as a gift no less! Well, our hero drew a line better than a pro calligrapher and said no to incurring such a loss. Instead of sculpting doughy perfection themselves, they delegated the task to one of their talented apprentices. They oversaw the project, ensuring the top tier – the one couples save for their anniversary – was up to par.
Fast forward to the big day, the cake was a hit. People clamored for pictures, and our baker got explicit instructions – do NOT attribute the cake to them. If you think that happened, I have a bridge to sell you. Well, someone squealed, as you’d expect in these fairy tale melodramas. A client, who happened to know sister dear, asked about it, and honesty prevailed.
This revelation sparked a drama hotter than a bakery oven. Sis found out her cake was made by an apprentice, not our master baker. Cue the dramatic music – what followed was a family feud fit for a reality TV special. They were enraged, feeling slighted, and undoubtedly, were typing out their rage-filled comments on Facebook right afterward.
So, is our baker the villain in this sugary saga?
Let’s Break It Down
First off, our baker is a professional with a busy schedule and other clients to satisfy. Facing family pressure, they still offered a significant discount. Let’s be real – who among us willingly loses money for an elaborate gift? And handling a project like this at the last minute while maintaining quality for paying clients is already generous.
Then there’s the matter of outsourcing to a competent apprentice. Anyone running a successful business needs reliable staff to take over tasks – it’s called delegation, people. The top tier, the sentimental takeaway from the wedding, was personally decorated by the baker. If that isn’t love and compromise wrapped in fondant, I don’t know what is.
What’s more, the cake was still a hit! It passed the taste test with flying colors; the issue cropped up only after the truth was revealed. Instead of gratitude, entitlement reared its ugly head. The sister and mom need to take a chill pill and recognize the compromises made.
Roger’s Final Whisk
Now, hold on to your chef’s hats because here’s my sassy take: the baker? Not the asshole. In fact, they’re a saint for even agreeing to the task under the circumstances. The sister? An impulsive diva wanting luxury for labor’s wage. Mommy dearest? A manipulative master-class. Next time, maybe bypass the guilt and just order from a bakery. After all, you can’t expect Michelin-star service when you’re handing out McNugget budgets.
At the end of the day, folks, let this be a lesson: family and business are like oil and water – they don’t mix. And if they do, someone’s getting fried, or in this case, iced out. 🎂
Original story
My grandmother made wedding cakes for everyone I knew growing up. I learned how to do everything from her.
I would make roses out of playdough while she made them from fondant. My sister was never interested.
I have turned my memories of my grandmother into a business.
I make wedding cakes. And I charge a fair bit for them.
As an example my base price is $8 a slice. So if you have 100 guests you will be buying an $800 cake.
One of my base models. In return you will get a delicious cake with piped decorations.
At $17.50 a slice you get my top notch work.
Hand molded flowers and the whole deal. Yes I know it is expensive.
Nobody is forced to buy one of my cakes. There are many very good bakers in my city.
My sister is getting married. It is kind of a last minute thing.
She came with my mom to talk to me about making her wedding cake like two weeks ago. Very last minute.
I said there was no way as I had other clients that were ahead of her. My mom got mean and said that I had to do this.
After a while I relented. I love my sister even though she is an impulsive pain in the ass.
I said I could do it for about $1,000 for what she wanted. That is much less than I would charge anyone else.
There is no profit in that at all. She wanted a very elaborate cake with a lot of decoration.
OH HELL NO IT’S GOING TO BE A GIFT.
I do not give gifts that expensive. I am not rich.
I will have to eat the material costs and the wages for my helpers as is.
I did not want to argue any more so I said that I would make her a basic cake. Still very nice.
I did not budge. I do not negotiate about losing money.
I actually though about outsourcing to a really great Filipino baker I know that could do it cheap. It would cost me $300 and I could concentrate on my clients.
I ended up just letting one of my apprentices do the cake. It was for my sister so I double checked everything.
And I did the decorations on the top tier. The one the couple saves to have on their anniversary.
The cake was a hit and many pictures were taken. I told them NOT to mention that I did the cake.
It was not really up to par. They did not listen.
I had a client that knew my sister. She asked and I was honest.
My sister found out she got a cake make by my helper. It has caused a huge fight.
I think it would have been better if they had just gone elsewhere. They are pissed that I did not spend days sculpting the cake just for them.
AITA?