Woman's Reason for Leaving Brother Without a Cake on Wedding Day Applauded

A newlywed couple has been slammed online for expecting a family member to make a cake large enough for 75 people, for free.

In a now-viral post, u/ilovebaking22 explains she bakes as a hobby and never charges friends and family for sweet treats made on special occasions like Easter. But they usually compensate her with money, a gift card, or a dish in return.

Recently, her 23-year-old brother asked her for a strawberry shortcake-flavored cake that would feed 75 people for his wedding.

She wrote: "I was hesitant at first but agreed to make the cake, under the condition that I was compensated for it. I explained to them that this was the biggest order I've [ever] had, and was going to take up a lot of my time, [and] labor and be costly. I gave them a VERY fair price for a cake of that caliber. They agreed. I also made it clear that I wanted to be paid before the wedding."

The 25-year-old points out she provided multiple sketches and a cake sample to ensure the couple was happy with the taste. However, as the wedding approached, the agreed $400 payment was not forthcoming.

She states her brother went "MIA" when it came to the day she was supposed to receive her payment. She said: "I offered to drive to their house and pick up the cheque, [but] they made an excuse that [it] didn't work with their schedules."

The average cost of a wedding cake is around $500 with most couples spending between $300 to $700, according to the wedding resources site Wedding Wire.

The day before the wedding, the couple expressed their anger against the baker.

She wrote: "They blew up on me telling me that I'm a selfish b**** for charging them when I don't charge the rest of the family and that they refused to pay but demanded me to make [the] cake. I said no, and explained my terms again."

In the end, the sister didn't attend the wedding and the newlyweds didn't have a cake.

Newsweek spoke to Larissa Banting, a wedding expert, who advises her clients to refrain from using "friendors"—family or friends—to provide a service.

She said: "Both parties can end up in uncomfortable situations, such as this one, where expectations are worlds apart, causing misunderstandings. If you must use a "friendor," treat them as a regular vendor and insist on a written contract or, at the very least, a signed agreement so that everyone is clear on what is being provided and for how much.

"No one should be expected to provide their services for free, as there are hard costs (in this situation, the ingredients, gasoline for the car, electricity for the stove/refrigerator/mixer) as well as their most precious resource, time."

The popular post has received 11,900 upvotes since it was shared on January 12.

The top comment has received 19,500 upvotes. It said: "They knew exactly what they were doing. For anyone who is giving you a hard time about it, tell them, 'You're certainly welcome to make a free wedding cake for them!'"

"NTA [not the a******]- you agreed a price with them, they tried to trick you into not paying it. If they didn't like the price they should have just said so rather than pulling that crap," concurred another.

A third user said: "NTA these weren't funfetti cupcakes you were making. Wedding cakes are a whole different ballgame. Bro and sil [sister-in-law] need to get a clue. How selfish they are."

Another user commented: "NTA- I'm so glad you stuck to your guns. In the future- require full payment at least 4 weeks before, no tasting or sketching till it's made (offer a refund if they don't like what you can offer). Just print out the texts, and mail them to all the family. F*** them all."

Newsweek reached out to u/ilovebaking22 for comment. We could not verify the details of the case.

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