I'm making a four tiered wedding cake for this Saturday.

It will be a 14" and a 10" stacked and then an 8" and a 6" stacked these will be seperated by 3 " pillars.

The whole this will be set over the Wilton Fancy fountain on 13 3/4 " pillars.

I will be using wooden dowels for support.

I can't decide if it would be better to stack each set of two tiers and dowel or just assemble all tiers on site.

If I assemble on site should I dowel or not.

The cake will be set up at 9 am and the wedding begins at 1 pm.

Thanks so much for your help.

I'd say seeing as you have plenty of time to set the cake up, don't take any chances and keep each cake separate 'till you there.

If these are separated by pillars I would stack on site, you have tons of time to set up, why risk it.

as you will have plenty of time to set up I would assemble on site,and yes I would still use dowells you don't want all that weight sinking into the bottom tier ruining your hard work

I am, so far, the only one that thinks you should stack the two sets of two cakes together before you get there. I just don't think you will have anything to worry about. You will have supports in there and you have plenty of other things to take care of when you get there.
I always like to know the placement is all set...and I like to fix my finger marks at home...I don't know about you but I always seem to get my fingers in the way when I stack...and then the scrape across the cake below...I hate that...

Assemble on site. Yes, dowel ANYTIME you stack one cake on another.

Have fun and GOOD LUCK!

Beth

If they are just stacked, I would stack the two each at home. If there are pillars betweet each, I recommend waiting until you get there. I always stack all of my cakes at home. 3 tier and four. I never do it at the site, as I worry about not having enough room to work, or dropping them. I always place the 4 dowels in each cake, then one long one down the middle. I have a skid mat layed out in the car, and they never move. You should do what you feel comfortable doing though.

I just want to make sure I was clear in my response.. I would have the 14" and 10" stacked and separately the 8" and 6" stacked and done at home. I would not save that for later. I would transport like this and assemble them onto pillars when I got there.