I have a bride that wants ALL of the following on her wedding cake and still it needs to look elegant

cars
photography
flowers
butterflies

the flowers and butterflies I can envision on an elegant cake, but the other two??
Can anyone help me?

I guess I'm pushy, but I'd tell her that it will look goofy trying to "marry" all of those disparate elements--more like a birthday cake than a wedding cake. I'd be very diplomatic in my approach, though.

I'd STRONGLY suggest dividing the servings into a traditional wedding cake with the butterflies & flowers and a groom's cake with the cars & photography.

If she still insisted, I'd pass on the order. After all, it's my name & reputation that will ultimately be on the schizoid travesty...........

JMHO
Rae

I would do photography and car as groomscake..Rae is right..start a new trend!

I think it looks cute to have a traditional cake, you could do your flowers and butterflies, and then along the edge you could have a car coming out from under the fondant, like its driving out of the cake, in an inconpicuous place. The hobbies kind of peeking out from under the fondant. I saw a wedding cake online with spiderman peeking out under the fondant, but you could do anything.

I agree in pushing a new trend! Having a grooms cake would make her wedding one-of-a-kind since they're not usually done there! I mean, grooms cakes were a Southern tradition that took off all over the US as a result of the movie Steel Magnolias. How cool would that be for you to be able to be the one to bring into fashion in South Africa?

There's a wonderful old fashioned 30's type car wedding cake topper. Can't remember what the groom is doing but I do remember that they're kissing - either near or over the vehicle and the bride has one foot elevated in back of her. So cute. Tell them that if they want a car, that's the topper for them. And that solves most of the problem.

I think to design it right you have to know WHY she wants these.
Is she a photographer?
Is he a auto salesperson, car collector, etc?

Once you know why, its easy to design. Until then, you are just guessing and that always leads to disaster.


cars
photography
flowers
butterflies

I agree with that idea of bride and groom in a convertible car edible topper (whimsical). Put a camera around the brides neck. Put flowers and butterflies around the car - dainty cute flowers and delicate wired butterflies.

I pictured a tiered cake with edible images around the sides of the cakes in frames. One tier could be cars. Another photography. The cake is then easily finished with flowers and butterflies.

I think we sometimes impose too many restrictions on a "wedding "cake and forget what we are doing. Cakewrecks had an elegant sweets cake last week with a patriotic theme. It had edible images of historical photos incorporated the same way.

Personally, I think artistic photos, depicting cars and photography, could be placed on the sides of the cake and create something stunning. Flowers and butterflies could easily be placed on the tiers and make a beautiful cake.

I don't see why it can't be done.

Here's another thought...

Make a tiered cake with flowers and butterflies.

For the same table, make a vintage car with a photographer (camera in hand) hanging out of it rushing along towards the tiered cake. Maybe build a roadway of petals towards the cake?

OK, here's my idea:
Decorate the tiered cake in traditional flowers & butterflies.
Then, Why not make a small GP figure of the bride/groom (whoever is into photography) leaning out of their (small) "Just Married" getaway car to photograph a (relatively large) flower or butterfly on the cake?
I think if the size of the car/photography component of the cake is kept very small, you would still have an overall elegant look to the cake. Its all in balancing the elements.
HTH
-j

I have read a lot of great suggestions here. But the groom may hate vintage cars. He may be a sportscar kind of guy.
The groom or bride may be into photography. That's easier since you don't have to pick an era (like you do for a car).

The bride and grrom in a car with camera in hand sounds nice. But I wouldn't waste time working on a car without knowing what the couple likes.