I have a 4 tier wedding cake that I am going to do the final assembly at the reception hall using plate and pillar construction method and 5 satellite cakes.  I can either get into the reception hall the evening before and do the set up (it is air conditioned) or I can get in the morning of the wedding and do the set up.

I am baking and decorating the cake at my sisters house which is not air conditioned, so I would also prefer getting it set up the night before to have the peace of mind that it is safe and in an air conditioned environment. 

Logistically it would be easier for everyone if I could do it the evening before.  The cake will be heavy and I'm just wondering if it is fine to leave it overnight in its finished tiered state?

 Thanks 

Technically the cake should be fine, but I would personally never, ever leave a cake at a venue overnight.  You don't know what's going to happen to it - the table gets moved, fingers poke at it, insects, a mouse, whatever.  Plate and pillar construction is not the most stable option and I wouldn't trust it for that long, but I'm a SPS gal.

 Exactly. Do it the morning of the wedding. The less time it sits out the fewer chances it has for something to happen to it.

This is for my nephew and not a sale, not sure if that makes a difference on other opinions, I still want it to be great. I think that the conditions of it sitting out at my sisters house in non-air conditioned space worries me more than being at an air conditioned venue that nobody will be in until the reception.  I'm not worried bout table moving or people poking it, I was more worried about the overall weight of the cake once set up, will be about 150 pounds and I don't want it to cave in the table or fall over. 

I can alter the construction to make it stacked and doweled and only use the pillars to raise the bottom tier so that it sits above the satellite cakes, I want it to be structurally sound, but easy to take apart and serve.

I appreciate any input from anyone. 

Has anyone used the Wilton separator plates with the feet sticking down and the hidden pillars?  Do you think that would be more or less stable?

Thanks! 

I just did my first wedding cake in May...4 tiers, 12-10-8-6...I stacked it at the venue at around 2pm for a 6:30 wedding and we didn't cut the cake until about 9:30...it was absolutely fine...I think if the table is sturdy and you've constructed level cakes with sufficient support, you should be fine.

Can you just leave the cakes boxed at the venue the night before but go back and set up/stack the morning of?  That way you get the a/c but you're not worried about the cake falling.

That is another possibility Jinkies, and one that I have thought about too.

I agree with the others, I would not feel comfortable leaving a cake set up that long.  The mouse thing alone makes me cringe.