So I have made a personal triumph! I am so excited to say that I have been paid to do a wedding cake...and I attended the wedding which made things a little more stressful...but I got some really good feedback. Please let me know what you think...and helpful criticism would be greatly appreciated!

Very, very nice! Excellent work...nothing to criticize...you should be very proud!

it's gorgous! Great job!

I have my first wedding cake order to do! I totally love your cake. I will be showing my bride your cake!

Well done!!! perfect!

It's absolutely beautiful!

It looks great. I don't like to say negative things but I would want constructive criticism (I hate that word!). The only thing I see (& it could be the pic) is the next to bottom tier seems to be bulging a little--one w/ the diamonds. If it was, next time you might want to use a stiffer dam. I also like to put a board on mine after filling it & press gently, then I crumbcoat & let it sit for an hour or two then go back to scrape off any excess around the middle that might have bulged during the settling before icining it, then it shouldnt bulge after it's iced. Does that make sense?

Again, beautiful & I hope my first wedding cake looks this good!

Nice job, its awesome and I bet it feels so good to have accomplished that cake!

My first wedding cake was for friends who had my husband and daughter both in the wedding party! Talk about stressful! I feel your pain!

You should be proud! That is an absolutely beautiful cake - job well done.

Your cake is absolutely beautiful. You HAVE to be proud of your self.

Well Done!

WOW! Great job ...... that cake is just BEAUTIFUL !!

Professional looking cake!!! Congratulations!!!
Be ready for coming orders.

Beautiful cake!

The only thing I see, as someone already pointed out, is the very slight bulging (and as she said, that could be the picture!) But it's not noticeable enough, I don't think, for any non-cake person. Even as a cake person, I'd be thrilled to have this cake. You did great!

And isn't it nice to have the first one behind you and know that you did such a wonderful job?

Beautiful cake. You did a fabulous job. They only get easier from here

Very beautiful, hon! Thanks for showing us newer ones it can be done, and so nicely as well!

Looks good Erica'. Well done!

Congrats on your success! It turned out beautiful!

I'm also one that wants true comments 'pro and con' and I also see the buldge, but not until someone mentioned it. Now you know how to correct it and your long line of brides for your cakes will come.

I give you credit! I just couldn't get into that with brides let along attend the wedding as well.

You are on your way!! It's absolutely beautiful!!

Very pretty congrats may I ask what is the cake sitting on it it glass
or mirror I love the cake and the set up very elegant I'm always looing for new ideas and I just love it

Molly2

Very beautiful! I hope my first wedding cake turns out that well!!

Beautiful! The white and ivory combination is just perfect for all the delicate floral colors. Great work!

Yes, the cake was bulging a bit on two layers I made it the day before the wedding and it all looked fine...I even buttercreamed it about an hour before I put the fondant on. The funny thing is, the bulge was on the most dense cake I had...I was worried about it ont he most moist one. I guess it was the weight of the cake that made my dam expand. Thank you for the advice about smashing it down a bit and letting it rest for about an hour...I will try that next time to prevent this. I also want to thank JenniferMI as I stole the top tier design from her, with her permission of course. In case any of you need the link to the picture here it is...

http://www.cakecentral.com/modules.php?name=gallery&file=displayimage&pid=1225754

Molly - the cake is sitting on a 5/8" glass that is on top of a stand...provided by the caterer, a mirror would have been nice as well though.

Thank you !

Also, I forgot to ask...for those experts out there - This was my first time using the CK bead maker for my pearls. It worked wonderfully, however, I made them the day before the wedding because I didn't want to be at the site trying to make them as I set up the cake. So - I have a few questions:

1) how do you apply your pearl dust????
- I tried to brush it on after I formed them, but it didn't give them a very pearly look like the ones I have seen here.

2) If I had stacked the cake at home before delivery I could have put the pearls on fresh so they would have bent a little easier, but I had to wait 24 hours and they were a little crusty from sitting out - how do you apply them when they are like this...I basically had to crack them into individual pearls as I put them on, is this what you do? Or should I just make them at the site?

Help...any advice for the CK bead maker? I hope I can perfect this for next time because I was not happy with the result..thanks!

If you had been making cakes that looked like this before, you should of gotten paid before as well. Awesome cake!

I mix my pearl dust w/ vodka & if you want it really shiny get it on the thicker side (more dust/little vodka).

I've not used the beadmaker, but have read in the past to put your bead border in ziplocs & you can put those bags in an airtight container if you want (do a small trial run to see how it works) and it helps keep them pliable.