I'm making a cake for my parents' 40th anniversary. My sister and I had planned to take them out to dinner and then have the cake...kind of a mini party, because my parents don't have any friends to invite to a party and all the relatives live too far.
Anyhow, my parents just got done with a Marriage Encounter weekend...it's a church-related retreat for married couples, not something kinky like it sounds like. Now they're supposed to find a share group to join, and my mom has decided she wants to take the cake to a BBQ that one share group is having on their anniversary. She says that way she'll have people to celebrate with and she won't have to buy anything to bring to the BBQ. Of course, because there are going to be a lot of people there, she needs a bigger cake than we had planned on, and because she wants to impress her new friends, it needs to be a wedding cake. She doesn't know how many people, because she doesn't really know the people having the BBQ and she doesn't know any of the people who are going to it.
I was working on the flowers for the cake this morning and it just got me thinking how weird it is to show up with a big cake celebrating one of your life events at a party where you don't know a single soul. I mean, what are these people going to think of her? And I wonder if it only seems weird to me.
I would never allow someone to tell me that I have to join some group. That doesn't make sense.
But it also sounds like your parents have a need to be with people their own age, and this might be a good way for them to find some friends of their generation.
I would send them with my blessing, and have a family dinner for them later on.
Theresa 
I think they just want to show off their daughters talents. I don't blame them, your roses are beautiful!
It would be a good focal point and great topic of discussion. Probably help them spark up conversations with strangers and avoid those awkward silent moments.
Well, I made the cake...just finished it actually. I haven't posted a picture but it came out pretty sharp looking.
I think maybe my feelings were a little hurt that my mom was going to celebrate with her friends instead of with me.
Take it from a mom that is close to your mom's age. The main topic of all of her conversations will be you and your cake. She will do a lot of bragging on you and your sister. I only have one child so I know everyone wants to run when they see me coming lol I know the marriage encounter you are talking about and they feel so renewed and younger and want to keep that feeling and being around their new friends helps. It has nothing to do with you and your sister ( they still love and need ya'll ) it is just getting out of the rut of not having friends and other family around. They know they can call on ya'll anytime because ya'll tell them to but sometimes parents feel like they would be bothering their kids so they hold back and with new friends it will fill the gap not the love that they have for you. I am only telling you this because you have helped me so much with my cake things and I feel that you are a good loving daughter and you love your mom, like my daughter loves me.
I'm familiar with Marriage Encounter and after the initial weekend, you're invited to join a share group so you can stay in touch and build on the values/realizations/commitments you hopefully had during the weekend. Some people join some people don't. It can be a fun place to be with like-minded couples and families. The weekend can be very spiritually/emotionally exhilarating so no wonder your mom is keen to join the barbecue. Good for her for making new friends!
As tarochip said, I'm sure your name will come up plenty at that barbecue. Even though she may not yet have met anyone at that party, the fact they share similar experiences could make them feel like kindred souls. 
She said it went well. There were only 10 people there so she has lots of cake left over.
Here's the cake: http://cakecentral.com/modules.php?name=gallery&file=displayimage&pid=1459277
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