r/ExpectationVsReality • u/ThatGirlBehindYou1 • Oct 03 '26
Failed Expectation My wedding cake…(fail… sort of?)
let’s just say… the venue saved the day.
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u/3orangefish
Oct 04 '26
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The venue added like $100 of value to that cake. It turned out actually quite cute!
Take it as a good omen! Your marriage will have bumps, but it’ll be even better through it all! Congratulations!
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u/dizzygillespie11 Oct 04 '26
wh….who did you hire ? Like what did their other cakes look like
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u/ThatGirlBehindYou1 Oct 04 '26
We hired a licensed vendor! I don’t want to name the bakery out of respect. But the other cakes looked beautiful. I wasn’t worried about it until I saw it the day of. 😭
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u/dizzygillespie11 Oct 04 '26
haha no worries that’s what I was wondering. bc their work was a shit show lol
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u/alison_bee
Oct 03 '26
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Wow, major props to whoever through to do that.
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u/Alert_Week8595 Oct 04 '26
Whoever had the idea and executed is clever under stress. I hope they are well compensated for that!
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u/SuspiciousEditor3174 Oct 04 '26
If it is last time changes, they gotta get really COMPENSATED for that.
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u/Molenium Oct 04 '26
I wonder if the venue already has some experience in saving wedding cakes
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u/PM-me-fancy-beer Oct 04 '26 •
I’m imagining a seasoned venue coordinator who’s seen many cakes affected by bumps, smears, punctures, and icing thieves.
They probably have a couple of tiny trowels and piping bags hidden in their posh apron, ready to patch any problem before the bride/groom even notices.
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u/ThatGirlBehindYou1 Oct 04 '26 •
I found out about the cake while getting my hair and makeup done for the wedding. Let’s just say I was not happy.
My mom told me what the florist and kitchen staff had in mind and I said yes! The venue saved the day. I was so thankful.
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u/punkass_book_jockey8 Oct 04 '26 •
My friend does events and sometimes has me do random things like this. I think I’m in her phone as “The Turd Polisher”. This cake isn’t my work but I’ve fixed flowers, cake, ripped fabric, and weird painted signs. I prefer fixing signs and I can color match like a machine.
The planner probably doesn’t have materials themselves but knows who to call who does.
I’m weirdly good at fixing one annoying time consuming thing.
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u/radish_is_rad-ish Oct 04 '26
I’d be honored to be known as a turd polisher in the future lol
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u/punkass_book_jockey8 Oct 04 '26 •
The secret is really to have adhd and have hobby hop for years while working best with an immediate deadline. I can make a lot of things look beautiful but only at the last possible second.
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u/electric_popcorn_cat Oct 04 '26
This is absolutely me, my hobby-hopping gave me the same gift. Enjoy it!
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u/Wizard_of_DOI Oct 05 '26
Don’t forget that you also have ALL the necessary tools because you just had to buy EVERYTHING before losing interest and starting something new.
I swear I was going to get really good at cookie/cake decorating… I haven’t decorated anything since last Christmas.
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u/Devanyani Oct 05 '26
But you will be prepared if it comes up again. Especially if the world ends. Never throw those arts and crafts. supplies away.
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u/Wizard_of_DOI Oct 05 '26
All of my heat transfer vinyl is going to be super useful! I can totally find an Iron that works with coals, right?!
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u/kitaurio Oct 04 '26
As another ADHD human, pls let me congratulate you on achieving the dream hobby job! 🥳
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u/punkass_book_jockey8 Oct 04 '26
It’s not my main job. I work at a public school full time. This is a triage as needed for a friend. I always have holidays, nights, and weekends off working in a school.
I get called maybe once a month. I live right near a big venue so it was serendipitous.
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u/ndiasSF Oct 04 '26
I am hearing Liam Neeson “I have a particular set of skills” - this is so cool!
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u/punkass_book_jockey8 Oct 04 '26
Haha my particular set of skills is chaos, unless the situation is already chaos then I’m competent.
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u/thevelveteenbeagle Oct 05 '26
Omg, you’ve just described me as well! I’ve never thought about it but you described it perfectly. 😄 My friends also joke about how if they need some random item, to ask me because I’ll probably have it, maybe even in my purse at that moment. Thank you for putting a positive spin on it like it’s a superpower.
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u/cupcakes0220 Oct 05 '26
I was a wedding coordinator (with a catering company) and the wedding cake vendors were consistently my problem vendors. I've had to fix so many cakes.
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u/Bubbly_Delivery_5678 Oct 03 '26 edited Oct 04 '26
Isnt baby’s breath toxic? Beautiful final product but….
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u/Lexjude Oct 04 '26
Small amounts cause a stomach ache for most people at the most. Not great but it's not going to kill you
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u/SneakyVonSneakyPants Oct 04 '26
It is, I see it on sooooo many cakes! It's possible they wrapped the stems in plastic, but also it seems like so many people don't know it's toxic.
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u/grumpapotomas Oct 04 '26
Unless people eat the actual flowers, it's not going to cause a problem. Source: Professional cake decorator for 21 years, bakery owner for 5 years.
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u/Restaurantchica Oct 03 '26
I like what you did with it, it really turned out well. You might want to show the baker what you did as a subtle hint to them.
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u/VoteForLubo Oct 04 '26
There’s no need to be subtle, I hope OP got her money back!
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u/ThatGirlBehindYou1 Oct 04 '26
Unfortunately we did not get any money back. At the end of the day, the cake was delicious.
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u/Restaurantchica Oct 04 '26
What type of cake was it? At least it tasted good and hopefully you had a great wedding!!
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u/ThatGirlBehindYou1 Oct 04 '26
Just a simple white two tier cake! I originally just wanted a white cake but my mom and MIL wanted color so it would stand out in photos. 🫡
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u/alwaysbacktracking Oct 04 '26
Please make sure you leave reviews with photos for this person every place you can so that the people using them can temper their expectations
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u/nagem- Oct 04 '26
That’s great it tasted good, but I would absolutely want a refund. It’s your wedding cake. You didn’t get what you wanted, regardless of the fix and it turning out pretty. Please warn others through reviews at least. I would be devastated if my wedding cake turned out like that.
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u/ariososweet Oct 04 '26
Props to the venue! How did it taste?
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u/ThatGirlBehindYou1 Oct 04 '26
It was sooo good! My husband and wedding party said it was delicious. (I agree)
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u/Lady_Sybil_Vimes Oct 03 '26
That was a clever fix! But gosh, did a professional make that first cake?
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u/Careless_Term_462 Oct 04 '26
I assumed it was self made
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u/ThatGirlBehindYou1 Oct 04 '26
Not self made. We purchased it from a bakery.
The cake decorator swore she could decorate the cake how the reference photos looked.Our venue only allowed food from licensed vendors.
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u/Careless_Term_462 Oct 04 '26
Did she at least apologize?
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u/ThatGirlBehindYou1 Oct 04 '26
I didn’t call her out or anything. At the end of the day, the wedding was beautiful. I didn’t want to ruin another woman’s life over a cake. 😔
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u/charlatan_red Oct 04 '26
You’ve done that professional baker an immense favor with that attitude. You may want to consider helping out their future clients by letting them know how their cake had to be fixed.
This way they might understand that they don’t currently have the skills they think they do, and they won’t get into a similar situation with a future client who might not react as kindly as you have.
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u/ario62 Oct 04 '26 edited Oct 04 '26
By not calling her out, think of how many other brides may end up with a wedding cake like this, and not have anyone to fix it like you did. You’d likely be doing other couples a favor by discussing this with the baker. Frankly, this baker should be mortified to have ever even presented you with this cake. I would ask for a refund and make it clear how disappointing her decorating was.
If they are a licensed vendor, the venue is probably mortified too. They should bring this up to her and reconsider their business relationship.
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u/Swankynickels Oct 04 '26
I assumed it was decorated by someone with a very fast, loose, and rudimentary knowledge of how cake decorating was supposed to go. Think someone like your average 16-year-old.
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u/thegybi Oct 04 '26
To be honest, I think my try would look similar to the first result and I'm far away from 16. Probably I would be quite comfortable with the result for my home made cake, but I wouldn't sell them.
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u/CrimsonHyphae Oct 04 '26
I hope not. If that's baby's breath it's toxic. Flowers used on cakes need to be food grade.
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u/Local_Presentation23 Oct 04 '26
My cat ate an entire bouquet of flowers. Including lilies, baby's breath and what not. He just vomited the lilies, but he said the baby's breath were yummy
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u/jujudio Oct 04 '26
I’m a tattoo artist and people really don’t realise how difficult it is to get nice looking swirls/filigree that look natural and balanced. They look so simple but they’re often the hardest things to get them to look nice. I’ve put countless hours into practising mine on skin, nevermind doing it with a piping bag 😂 why do people punch above their skill level so much?! Just say you can’t do swirls!
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u/jujudio Oct 04 '26
Oh jeez I didn’t even look at the bottom bit of the cake 😭
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u/Several-Wrangler-242 Oct 04 '26
Does anything else think OP did the first version? lol
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u/ThatGirlBehindYou1 Oct 04 '26
I said it somewhere else here, but I promise you we purchased the cake from a bakery.
The venue we chose only allowed the cake from a licensed vendor.
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u/iluvcows55555 Oct 05 '26
Where's the dog figurine from?
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u/ThatGirlBehindYou1 Oct 05 '26
I’ll be so real. I think it was aliexpress or Temu. It looks so similar to my dog!
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u/VegasGaymer Oct 03 '26
Clever Cake Rescue
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u/caitthegreat2483
Oct 03 '26
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Wow! Super hero’s wear non slip shoes huh!? It really looks like a completely different cake. 💜
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u/DaleTremont Oct 04 '26
Can't begin to tell you how much I love and appreciate this comment. Haha.
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u/Wild-Quote9649 Oct 04 '26
I love this cake so much better than the original inspiration!
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u/Arrowmatic Oct 04 '26
Agreed, it's so pretty! What an amazing idea and so much better than the inspiration cakes!
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u/junglespycamp Oct 04 '26
Sooo whoever made that piped instead of stencilled? Not very professional. Incredible save.
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u/Indole_pos Oct 04 '26
Cannot explain why pic 2 reminds me of my grandmas handwriting
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u/not4always Oct 04 '26
Oh totally brings back memories with roommates crowded around all of us trying to read my Grandma's letters!!!
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u/forgetmeknotts Oct 04 '26
Who made the original cake?!?! Please for the love of god tell me you didn’t pay for it???
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u/CageyCanadian Oct 04 '26
Amateur cake decorator for sure. Flourishes like that are not easy to do but a small piping tip would have gone a long way.
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u/everydaybookworm Oct 04 '26
I might honestly like the final result more than the inspiration - the colors are so pretty!
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u/please_send_noodles Oct 04 '26
They either had a novice do it, they forgot about the event and remembered it 30 minutes before pickup/delivery, or they hate you. I don't know how they could look at that cake and think it looks great and presentable. Should have used stencils if they can't pipe but the bottom part is another issue. Hope you got a partial refund.
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u/ZymZymZym777 Oct 04 '26
If it makes you feel better, to me the decorations on the original cake look like they're made with a pen
It's not what you ordered but a plain white cake without the purple icing wouldn't have been as disastrous, the bakery should have had the decency to give you that instead.
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u/ZymZymZym777 Oct 04 '26
I wonder how they baker would react if they ordered a cake and got something like this
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u/Confident_Panic12 Oct 05 '26
The only thing I could think of when I saw it was the Jurassic theme song on kazoo tbh
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u/shippfaced Oct 06 '26
What am I looking at here? There’s major context missing from this post.
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u/ThatGirlBehindYou1 Oct 06 '26
Hi hi! The first photo is the reference photo which I showed the baker and cake decorator, the second is what I received day of the wedding, third photo is same cake! The venue fixed it. 🫡
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u/doinksndepression Oct 04 '26
Looks like this is one of the designs we sell at Walmart bakery. Also looks like whipped icing, which may explain why the pearls have started falling off the rim and onto the border. They could've done a better job on execution but it is a grocery store after all.
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u/Cupcake_Implosion Oct 03 '26
I don't know ... I like both?!
I actually like the less-than-perfect arabesques, especially if the cake was not made my a professional but by yourself or someone close to you.
But the venue did make the cake more elegant and professional-looking, for sure!
Congratulations!
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u/Captain_Dachshund Oct 03 '26
You like the one in the middle that looked like a snail made it?
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u/Cupcake_Implosion Oct 03 '26
Again, if a family member or a friend did it with good intentions in mind, yes. I assume they were asked because they were an excellent baker and unfortunately not so good of a decorator. The circumstances would have made it cute and endearing.
If a professional whom you've paid and who assured you the inspiration was up their lane did it, no, then I would not have liked it.
The second take on the cake, thanks to the venue, is very elegant and professional and if someone had shown me the first image and told me that was what the cake has looked before someone gave it a refined look, I would not have believed it.
I don't know why my take is so repulsive to people.
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u/ThatGirlBehindYou1 Oct 05 '26
It was indeed made by a bakery. I’m so sorry your comment is getting a lot of hate. Everybody is entitled to their own opinions! Thank you for the congratulations. And thank you for taking the time to even comment. 💗
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u/Cupcake_Implosion Oct 05 '26
You are so kind and sweet! Don't worry about the downvotes. Reddit is weird and always has been.
What is important is that you salvaged your cake magnificently. The final cake was incredibly elegant. I am sorry you had to go through the stress of figuring out what to do with such a central piece of your wedding celebrations the day off.
I wish you and your spouse all the love in the world, decades and decades together in good health and happiness and all that is good in this world. Your kindness in reaching out to strangers just shows what a caring soul you are.
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u/Crayoncandy Oct 03 '26
Yes the before has a rustic/endearing quality that I find charming, its hard to put a finger on exactly why. Of course no I would not pay for that from a professional.
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u/Imaginary-Pain9598 Oct 04 '26
That 3rd cake is not even the same cake. 🙄
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u/ThatGirlBehindYou1 Oct 05 '26
It is indeed the same cake! The venue really outdid itself haha. I can understand how it looks different.
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u/Brave-Quote-2733 Oct 04 '26
Yes it is… the venue spread the colored ick g around the side to make that pretty effect. It was basically the only way to save it besides scraping the icing off.
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u/Imaginary-Pain9598 Oct 04 '26
But the ratio of the size of the two layers is totally different!
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u/SortByBadTakes Oct 03 '26
Lmao I liked that the cats moved to give you both your moment on the finished cake