I am doing a wedding cake this weekend covered in sugar crystals. I plan on applying them directly to the buttercream before it crust. If I apply them the day before will they be okay? I don't want them to melt. Should I wait and apply them the morning of the wedding? I'm just nervous so advise is appreciated at this point.

Thanks - Lisa

If you use the correct type of sugar crystal, no it won't melt.

leah_s what is the correct type?

I would also love to know what type?

if you dont want to color your own sugar crystals, then you can get them here. http://www.kitchenkrafts.com/product.asp?pn=CD0102-BLK

they are sanding sugar. very course.

with that said, I made my tombstone cake by using regular course sugar i picked up at walmart.

to color it, you simply put some sugar in a baggie, add some of your GEL coloring. and keep rubbing the bag around in your hand until al the color is absorbed to the right tint that you want. It is really easy and I used it with medium wilton buttercream, (pwd sugar and crisco kind.) It never melted. I made black, brown, and mixed with white. and the cake looked like real stone.
HTH

coarse (not course)

Anyway, sanding sugar is one of the finer grains of coarse sugar.
Then there's coarse sugar.
Then there's sparkling sugar. It has a very large crystal. It works great for covering cakes. Amazingly, (don't faint, I'm about to deliver a compliment) Wilton makes it.