Does she still want it to LOOK like cake? You could do rice-krispy treats to look like cake.
Someone here has a picture using the Tall Tier Cake Stand that is so clever--brownies, donuts, and sugar cookies on the bottom tiers, and then just small cake layers on the top. I'll try and find it--I thought it was quite brilliant.
Edited to try and this link: http://cakecentral.com/modules.php?name=coppermine&file=displayimage&meta=favpics&cat=0&pos=-13381
Edited again to say that when you click on the link it says "no image to display" BUT if you scroll down, it's there by some miracle.
Hi...I have seen a picture of a "strawberry cake". It looked like they used stands you would use for a cupcake cake and placed chocolate covered strawberries on the stand....some where dipped to look like the grooms tux and the others were dipped in white chocolate to look like a bridal gown. Just an idea.....
I saw a wedding cake made completely from Rice Krispies Treats in a magazine once. It was decorated just like a formal wedding cake.
I forgot to add if you search the gallaries for strawberries you can see lots of ideas on how to dip and decorate the strawberries. Good Luck!
Maybe someone knows how/what I am talking about but not to long ago someone posted a picture of a cookie cake. It looked just like a cake but it was choc. chip cookie instead. Not sure if the bride likes icing... but it looked great and I am sure tasted the same! I thought the person did a forum or article on how to make it but I am having no luck finding it. 
I think doing different layers of things sounds good. That way all the people that love going to weddings for the cake (me!!) can still eat cake but the bride can eat off the layer without cake and have a cookie.
Taresa, how about doing a 'brownie cake'. It would give you the look of a cake and you could decorate it just like cake, but of course, it eouldn't be cake!! With the cookie idea, you could also do a cookie bar recipe so that the cookie comes out more like a cake thickness and that would also give the appearance of 'cake' when stacked and decorated.
The cookie cake here was done by eden cakes...here's the thread - http://www.cakecentral.com/cake-decorating-ftopict-20047.html
There's also a cookie cake done by Geoff & Drew's Incredible Cookies that's completely decorated with orchids and all...would never know it wasn't a traditional cake under that icing...it's beautiful.
In the most recent Martha Stewart Kids magazine, there's one...but it's not decorated. It just has whipped cream between the layers.
Below are pics of both edencakes and Geoff & Drew's cookie cakes. HTH! 
We had pie at our wedding. Yes, PIE! Yummy!!! We had a fall wedding so we had Apple, Pecan and Pumpkin pies. My poor mom couldn't stand the thought of not having the official "cutting the cake" pix, so I had the bakery add a single 6in Banana Cake with whipped cream filling that I put on a cake stand so we could cut the cake and feed each other a bite. The great thing about that was there was cake avalible for the handful of people that REALLY wanted cake.
Also if your friend likes it there is also that wedding cake that was made into a tower of krispy cream doughnuts....
and then there is the twinkie wedding cake of course..http://www.twinkies.com/twinkiewedding.asp#ribbon
sorry if that link didn't work but it's Hostess.com
For my cousin's wedding 7 years ago we made centerpiece cakes (25 of them) for each table.
The main wedding cake used for cutting and for the bridal party was a bottom layer of brownie, middle layer of fudge cheesecake and top layer of 1/2 layer of brownie with 1/2 layer of cheesecake. The whole thing was frosted with a whipped bc-like topping and decorated.
All of the table cakes were different desserts shaped and frosted with the same frosting to look like two- tiered cakes.
(She used brownies, chocolate chip cookies, white chocolate macadamia nut cookies, rice crispy treats, layered pies (blueberry, apple, peach and cherry), tiramisu, cheesecakes, and pumpkin dessert.)
No one knew until the dessert menu was presented that they weren't cake. When they were cut at each table she received quite a reaction. People were encouraged to mill about and sample stuff from each of the tables. I don't think anyone minded that there was no cake. Everyone was really surprised and thought it was really neat. (But it was a ton of work and I will never do it again unless paid a small fortune, lol)
It really helped to get people up and mingling--the two sides of the family didn't know each other, but they all loved desserts, lol. So, it really helped ease them into mingling with each other.
Instead of "just" cake, we are doing a dessert table. Would she go for that? We are using a cascade setup, and are decicing on ideas for desserts. So far, we have:
cheesecake with dipped strawberries
strawberry/peach/raspberry shortcake (my recipe)
5-alarm chocolate cake (my secret recipe)
small white wedding cake
the stand is below
I did my own cake, so there was no question that we wouldn't have cake. But, my husband wanted pie...his grandmother's pecan pie, specifically. So, that's what we had for the groom's "cake." People loved it. We stacked 3 for the initial presentation in one of those silver three-layer things...I don't know what they're called..."dessert trays" maybe? Anyway, we kept the rest back and brought them out as needed. People loved it.
I have a friend who is getting married and does not "like" cake. Can you think of any good ideas for a wedding cake that is not cake. Maybe a large cookie cake? I don't know...
Taresa
Taresa
What about doing miniatures?? You could do chocolate collars, and fill them with chocolate mousse, cream and fresh fruits or chocolate truffles.
Nati
CROQUEMBOUCHE
Light puffs of choux pastry, filled with creme patissiere and held together with a delicate cobweb of caramel to form a breathtaking centrepiece.
Although traditionally decorated with sugared almonds the croquembouche also looks stunning with tiny fresh flowers, fine curls of ribbon, a drizzle of dark chocolate, or a web of spun sugar.
The croquembouche is transportable and does not need refridgeration.
http://users.bigpond.net.au/paris/Graphics/piecemonee2.JPG
http://images.search.yahoo.com/search/images/view?back=http%3A%2F%2Fsearch.yahoo.com%2Fsearch%3Fp%3Dcroquembouche%2Bgallery%26ei%3DUTF-8&h=339&w=227&imgcurl=www.guides-for-brides.co.uk%2Fimages%2Fchoccycroqueyextr.jpg&imgurl=www.guides-for-brides.co.uk%2Fimages%2Fchoccycroqueyextr.jpg&size=12.7kB&name=choccycroqueyextr.jpg&rcurl=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.guides-for-brides.co.uk%2Fcroq.htm&rurl=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.guides-for-brides.co.uk%2Fcroq.htm&p=croquembouche&type=jpeg&no=3&tt=229&fr=slv1-adbe
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