Hi.  I have been asked to do a wedding cake like the one below.  Any suggestions on how to achieve the look?

How did they get the navy on the bottom of the base cake?

What would you use for the gold dusting on the sides?

This looks like fondant.   Can it be done with buttercream? 

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yes it could be done in buttercream -- spray or brush on the blue -- it's so dark you might want to do both -- or at least darken the icing first then brush on more color like an edible matte dust -- 

then the gold is sugar crystals aka sanding sugar -- you can purchase gold then just smoosh them into buttercream before it sets up -- apply it by the hand dup to cakes that are sitting on boards the same size -- i use a pedastel turntable -- put a pan underneath to catch the drippings

and looks like some edible gold dust brushed on the top tier too under the sugar -- might be a little juggling to do with getting the sugar to stick before the buttercream sets up and needing it to set up so it can be brushed with the colors  -- think that through before you begin

Having done this cake in black, white and gold; my first response is to say NO, NO, NO.  It took me four tries before I was happy with the results. LOL LOL  The bride and groom were thrilled with the results.  I did my cake in fondant (as requested). The bottom tier was black fondant, middle tier faded into grey and then white and the top tier was white fondant.  I used the yellow sanding sugar (purchased at Wal Mart) and added a drop of gold airbrush color and shook it up together.  I used lemon extract and painted a small section at a time and while it was wet I pushed the sanding sugar onto the cake.  I did use a wire rack and cookie sheet under the cake to catch all of the dropped sugar to be reused.  This makes a mess.  If using buttercream I think I would airbrush or use one of the Wilton spray cans for the navy blue on the bottom tier.  When it came to placing the sanding sugar on the darker tier; I did use a paint brush dampened with the extract and picked up the sugar and touched it to the tier.  Hope that makes sense.

I wish you the best of luck and remember to breathe.  You'll fuss and fret while making this cake; but there will be a sigh of relief and a proud moment when you have finished.  Good Luck and Happy Caking.......