Hey, guys.  I have a design dilemma and I would appreciate your advice.  A bride has contacted me requesting a wedding cake with a design similar to this one by Jen's Cakes.  Here's my dilemma:  I'm NOT a great piper and I definitely know that I won't be able to turn this out.  How would you go about it?  Frozen buttercream transfer?  Royal icing piped onto wax paper, left to dry on round dummies and applied after it dries?  This is obviously a buttercream cake but another option would be to cover it in fondant and use a royal icing stencil.  I've looked into silicone onlays but so far my search hasn't turned up any results.  I would love to hear any other ideas I haven't thought about.  Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

When I am faced with a cake that I don't think I can confidently pull off (or don't want to try to pull off!), I just tell them that I am unable to create that particular cake for them.  You can give them some alternates or just leave it at that.  We can't do everything!

AYou can use the pin prick method. Cover your cake in fondant/BC then print out templates (google mendhi patterns) cut out designs similar to what you need, measure circumference with wax/parchment paper and trace pattern on paper, place against the cake and take pins and punch through for your design. Then you have an impression to pipe over. Definitely charge accordingly! The cool thing about these designs is you have some leeway so mistakes can easily be fixed. Hope I explained properly lol, early morning for me!

AI am in agreement with erin2345. If you know you can't do this, don't say that you can. Give the bride some other options, including finding another decorator who can do what she is looking for.

Thanks so much for your responses.  The bride cancelled on me so I guess I did all my research for nothing.  I appreciate your idea, smckinney07 - maybe I'll get the opportunity to use it in the future.

I recently had some thick sturdy lace, that I pressed against my crusted buttercream that left a bold impression that was easy to pipe over.