Real Problems: Vendor (Dis)Honesty
Real Problems is a spin-off from our Real Etiquette feature where we discuss real-life problems couples are facing as they plan their weddings. This is our first post in the series.
Dear DIY Bride,
My fiance and I recently met with a baker that we saw at a bridal fair. Her booth was busy on the day we went but we got a small sample of her cake and picked up a brochure that had some beautiful designs done by her company. Fast forward to a last weekend. We met with the cake lady in person. She was friendly and said that she could do all of the things we wanted for our cake. She had some good ideas and was enthusiastic about working with us. Then she handed us a scrapbook of her work.
Most of the cakes were pretty basic. Nothing wrong with that but I wasn’t seeing anything like what we were asking for. What bothers me most is there were a few cakes I recognized from some websites and magazines. I think she just copied and printed on photo paper to make it look like they were real shots of her work. (The reason I recognized one of those cakes is that I tore out the exact page from a magazine for my inspiration board.) To my fiances horror, I called her on it. The cake lady claimed that the magazine copied it from her and that she’s using their shot because it’s better than the one she had. It kinda sounds plausible. What do you think?
Trust your Spidey (bridey?) senses here. If you have reservations about the authenticity of a vendor’s claims, it’s probably best to move on. My understanding of your situation is the cake designer is using photographs of cakes that are not hers and is trying to pass them off as her creations. Yeah, that’s a big red flag.
Also, her portfolio isn’t reflecting the kind of work that you’re wanting. Not all cake designers can do every kind of cake. If she’s promising things outside of her normal skill set, you may want to reconsider. Do you want to be her cake test dummy? Finding out on the day of your wedding that she’s no good at intricate lacework (or whatever it is you’re seeking) is not a good idea.
Still confused? Hop on Google, Yelp and WeddingWire and do a search for your cake lady. It’s pretty easy to find reviews and background info on vendors. If you can’t find any info on her — and if she’s claiming to have done a significant amount of cakes or has been in business for more than a year — please be suspicious and act accordingly. You can also ask for a small sample cake of your design. It’ll cost you some cash but at least you’ll know what you’re in for.
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18 Responses to “Real Problems: Vendor (Dis)Honesty”
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I wouldn’t trust it either. How terrible! Honestly, whether the “magazine copied her work” or not, most people would want their OWN work to be photographed and shared. Plus, seeing as she does wedding cakes, I can’t imagine that she wouldn’t be able to track down a great shot of the cake. I mean, professional photographers are just about every wedding. There’s the chance that she might just not want to pay the photographer to use a particular shot, but that’s a mistake on her part. Don’t let it be yours.
Plus, to echo the response a little bit, if you aren’t seeing pictures of the cakes she’s done personally, then how do you know the skillset? I’d move on.
I would say that what this woman maybe did is copied a cake from a magazine but didn’t photograph it well, so is using the photos to say that they are pictures of cakes she /can/ do. The easiest way to really call her on it is source the picture from the inspiration board and find out who made the cake. This is suspicious enough that it’s worth checking into.
My sister spoke with a photographer at a bridal showcase who had a beautiful album on display. At a meeting with him, they found his pictures were mediocre and he was showing off the “sample album” he bought from the company! The fact that he was showing it off as if the photographs were his was very offensive and frustrating.
And don’t even get me started on the bridal shops that copy designer dresses and sell you “their” dresses for inflated prices.
With so many cake bakers out there, I would find someone that you are more comfortable with. Even if the story was true about the cake in the photograph, you weren’t inspired by the scrapbook of her work and that should be the most important issue. Move on and find a baker that you trust to bake the cake you’re envisioning.
As a hair stylist, I always insist on a pre-wedding trial run for the bride. What a great idea to have a sample cake made! (unless you are absolutely certain of the baker’s skills)
I work a lot of weddings and If something does not feel right, don’t do it. It’s that simple. You must be careful a lot of people are trying to cash in on the wedding industry right now. I had a client who told me her florist was going to shoot her wedding for her! Just remember ask a lot of questions. Thanks
I totally agree with DIY bride. If you feel that you do not trust her and that there are some flaws to her story, then go find another baker. But still do look on yelp first to see if she really is what you think she is not.
I agree with the advice you gave – and I think the fact that she doesn’t have anything like what the bride wants is already enough reason to move on. It’s the same thing I tell brides looking for a photographer: if their portfolio doesn’t show the style you want find someone who’s portfolio does. You might get lucky and be the first successful event they do in that style but more then likely you will end up with results that are more like their past work and not at all like your vision.
The same thing happened to me. We chose a cake from the baker’s website thinking she made it. When we saw it at our wedding it was a bad copy of that, it so obvious that she did not make the one on her website and I saw the one on her website in a Martha Stewart wedding magazine errr =(
Really if you are not satisfied with your baker then you should look for a change..I agree with you completely…
I totally agree with your advice!
I had a make-up artist do the same thing. I pulled a randmon pic from a magazine and found it on her gallery of work. I double checked the pic and they sited the true make-up artist.
I say beware.
Great post. 100% agree that the best way to find out more about a specific vendor is to hop on Google, Yelp and WeddingWire and do a search. Asking around on Twitter might be a help too. – Rudy
I think it is completely unprofessional to use the resources of another for self promotion. I would ask for references, however, the baker would probably give you only persons that she knows will verify her credentials. I would check out reviews online, if you can;t find any, there is no way she can be that good. And, there are tons of bakers who can and will do exactly what you want……Search a little more
If a professional writer were to do something like this, it would be called plagiarism. So, is this “bakerism?” No matter what you call it, it reeks of unprofessionalism and is probably foreshadowing of troubles to come. I agree with the others–do a little digging and find a reputable baker who can give you exactly what you want and has the real portfolio to prove it!
That’s just awful! To think that anyone would use someone else’s work to sell their products is just terrible. It’s a good thing you noticed it. I’d at least follow it up with the magazine.
An important thing to remember is that the best work should be in a portfolio. If it underwhelms you I’d go elsewhere.
I think in todays environment anyone who is not honest about what they are doing will end up exposed and out of business. In only a matter of moments we can spread the BAD word about how we were treated. As a matter of fact I can likely just do it right from the palm of my hand on my iPhone and BAM. “I hate ABC Company because” and it’s all over my facebook page and twitter account.
May anyone “DIS” Honest pay the price.
CJ
Hiring companies that have testimonials to back up their portfolios is always a good idea!
How sneaky!! I’ve found that the best way to find vendors is through referrals from friends/acqaintances who have used them before.
I wouldn’t trust anyone who tried to pass off someone else’s work as their own. It’s one thing to say you are capable of creating this style of cake and another to say I created this cake myself!!