Okay...I'll try not to ramble! 
I'm making my first wedding cake. It is NOT tiered. Thank goodness!
It will be 2 9" cakes and 1 6" cake...all 2 layers (so 4" tall + filling).
I have 2 questions:
1) This is a nightime (8pm) outside wedding in AZ...Temps are likely to be in the 80-90 degree area. How long until my buttercream icing and strawberry/whipped cream filling fall apart? I told my cousin we will be setting it up, taking pics, then cutting and serving!
2) My practice run cake fell! (The icing came out, even with a dam and the whole thing slid!) I'm thinking of adding dowels to each layer (3 in the the 9", 2 in the 6"??). Also, thickening the filling...and perhaps refrigerating the whole thing before adding the major frosting and decorations?
What are your suggestions?
Hi there! It's always nervewracking when you have to worry about an outdoor wedding with hot temperatures. Since it's in AZ, I'm guessing it's pretty dry. So even though it will be hot, the lack of humidity is definitely a good thing. Nonetheless, I think it may be a bit tricky with the heat. I think it's a good idea to use dowels (the numbers you indicated sound good!) or even hidden pillars (may create a bit more stability than dowels) as well as thickening the filling. Plus, make sure you use as little filling as you can, without compromising the flavor. The more filling you use, the more likely the layers will slide. Also, you may want to freeze the cakes before you ice and decorate them. Then, once you are done decorating them, you may want to keep them in the refrigerator until right before you leave for the reception site. I think it's very wise to set up the cakes, take pictures, and then cut and serve. You should be ok as long as they're not sitting out very long.
Good luck with your first wedding cake!!! We'd love to see pictures and hear all about it after the wedding! 
Missy have you considered using a non-dairy filling like Pastry Pride. It's like a whipped cream, but non-dairy and you can whip it up so it's nice and stiff. I buy it at Smart-N-Final. I'm not sure where you are in Arizona, but you might want to try some. I would also recommend chilling your cakes before delivering. That's what I do and it works great.
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