I have a bride who wants her cake displayed  on a platform that will HANG from a TREE.  In June.  In the South.  This will be a 5-tier fondant covered cake with two of the tiers separated by columns.  The columns will all be hidden by greenery.  

I had a cake on a swing once before.  It leaned.  :-(

I had a 5 tier fondant with separator columns once before.  It leaned.  :-(

I'm thinking I need a center dowel. 

AND I'm thinking I need some good advice from CC!!  Thanks in advance, y'all!

I have no advice, just astonishment. WOW...

i used to tell my brides that they can serve their cake from a barbeque grill at high noon but my responsibility ends when i walk away from the cake table er grill --

 center dowel is not going to help but sps would  as Leah_s would sagely advise -- you just need to build a secure cake and the bride needs to provide a secure platform --

y'know and advise her about bugs and tree and bird droppings, gnat swarms 

Thank you K8, I do have SPS.  I was trying to figure out if I could somehow center dowel WITH the SPS.  Drill holes in the plates or something???  I've only used SPS a couple of times, without any drama, but each time there was still this slight teetering aspect on the upper tiers...

Ha.  You're right - - I hadn't thought about things dropping out of the tree!  But yes, that all will happen after I walk away.

There's nothing that will end well with this one. Sometimes it's the decorator's responsibility to tell bridey that she can't get what she wants.  Unless the platform is built to hold a lot of weight and not move, disaster will occur. This is a "just say no" scenario. You know that if you do go along with it you'll get to the reception site and have the platform be a 12"x12" balsa wood board hanging from a branch by twine. Oh hells to the no.

^ What Costumeczar said.  I probably would have actually laughed and asked, "No really, what do you want?"

she's already done one -- there's swings and there's swings -- if it's a round seat with the rope tied through a hole in the middle -- y'know probably not -- you'd just about have to have someone stationed there so nobody got crazy with it -- it's do able under the right circumstances 

Well I DID laugh, leah_s , and then I did my job, which is to agree to *most* things and then figure out how to make some young girl's dream come true.  

You're right, K8Memphis, apparently it is doable, just ask our good friend Pinterest!  Hanging cakes are not exactly common around here, but they are being done, so it is what it is.  I work for a hospitality group and there are event rental companies and tech people who are in charge of the structure and making a suspended cake platform that can hold the weight of several men - - - or one big a$$ fondant cake.  ;-)  

I just want to make it as strong and sure as I can, and leave the rest to mother nature.  

A DUMMY cake is looking awfully good to me right now!!!!

Well, if you're determined to do it, I have to says..."release of liability form." Make sure the bride knows that you're not responsible for whatever happened to it after you put it on the platform that you didn't build, can't monitor throughout the reception, and might just take one little shift to send her cake to the ground. A hanging platform might be able to hold the weight of several men who are standing on it and adjusting themselves to balance when the platform moves, but a cake can't do that. The cakes that are supported on a hook and that kind of stunt decorating are supported, but a cake sitting on a platform is at the mercy of the law of gravity.

And yeah, a dummy is looking good. June heat in the south isn't the friend of any cake, let alone a 5-tier cake on a swing.

oh gosh what a good time to be retired from cakes -- what's next -- cakes being hovered around on drones -- hahahaha 

omg my nerves -- gimme some colorado brownies quick hahahaha

but another little thing about pillars -- they need to be very firmly affixed/secured to the plate -- to avoid any leaning -- they are usually made to fit tight so it's easy to have them be a bit off -- ideally you'll want to secure them into place before they come in contact with the cake to be sure that there are no little gaps that create big problems 

pillars are no worries especially since you have some 'history' with them -- that won't happen again! they are easy really

center dowel is moral support -- just not necessary

Use a dummy with a cake for cutting :-)

https://www.facebook.com/CakeZone/videos/10153136537017219/?video_source=pages_finch_main_video

Thanks Natka81, one more thing to add to my "Sorry I'm booked that weekend and can't help you with your "Are you freaking insane" cake", that and putting cakes on a swinging platform, outside, in summer.  There you go, two things on my own personal NO, just NO list.

No kidding...

:-D  Thanks everyone!  That video is TOO much!

K8Memphis, you are a wealth of knowledge and I so appreciate you.

I am going to STRONGLY recommend bottom tier of actual cake and the rest dummy.  Sheet cakes in back.  I feel better.  See me again in June...

thank you, jessicake -- can't wait for pictures!

.....and here it is[postimage id="4314" thumb="900"]

If the bride wanted spectacular you certainly gave it to her! Gorgeous.

You did it!  WOW! WOW! WOW!  So impressive!

You gave her a very nicely done cake.  Personally I find the 'swing' overpowering and distracting from the beautiful cake you made.

Who made the swing and all tiers are real cake?

I like the idea. The cake is beautiful and goes well with green leafs.

WOW!!!!! What a beautiful cake, you are amazing. How did you get the cake on the swing?

Really great job!!!

wow wow wow -- what a cake first of all -- that middle tier looks frosty in this view, so cool -- stunning sophisticated work -- then the swing wow what a tremendous display for your gorgeous creation -- long lean and so elegant -- and the chandelier the chandelier (jumping up and down :)

this was a happy and very lucky bride to have found someone willing to make her dream come true -- insert >wildly clapping hands smilie face standing o<

brava!

That is crazy!  Wow! You did it! Congrats!

is it anchored to the ground hidden in the vines underneath -- 

But then if I saw it in person I might not feel the same :)

What about something like cake frame?