Well I am in a little bit of a pickle. One of my best friends is geting married and she has asked me to do her cake! The thing is I am not by anymeans a professional, I love to do cakes and they are so much fun but I don't know if I am ready for that or not. She is anticipating on 300 people I have never done that big of a cake.(most of the people I don't even know!) She is not getting married for a year but I just dont' know what to tell her? I love her for thinking that I could do it but I am just not sure, the biggest cake I have done was for 150 people who knew me and it was not one of my best. So any advice would be great.
I agree......you've got heaps of time to practice, experiment and play with ideas...You'd be surprised how easy and how much confidence you get with a little practice.... and another thing ...... ask heaps of questions.....everyone here is always really happy to help.....baking, decorating, constructing even designs....there is always someone on CC that can help you out!!!
and don't forget ......laugh and have fun....you can always eat your mistakes!!!!!! 
I agree with the others -- you can do it! Practice makes perfect. And if you don't feel comfortable with such a large cake, you can always do a smaller cake (for 100-150, perhaps -- which is still a large cake) and make up the rest with sheet cakes in the kitchen. 
I agree 1 year is a long time to prepare. Pick something simple and elegant, practice, practice, practice and you'll do it no problem. I like the idea of a smaller cake and sheet cakes for the rest. Wish I had thought of that when I turned down a cake for 300.
I ditto kelleym... Make the size cake you're comfortable with, and have minimally decorated sheet cakes in the back to help with serving so many.
But definately practice the techniques you'll be using on her cake. You can do it!!! And I'm sure you'll have fun doing it too!!
I totally agree a year is plenty of time for you to work on it, and down sizing the cake is such a great idea, but most of all this is the place to come for the support you'll certainly get it. Good luck and don't forget to post the pics.
Well, that she wants you to do it, means that she has confidence in you. My best friend is to blame for my increasing cake interest. I made just a few kid ones (as can be seen in my photos) that were NOTHING special, but she thought they were great. I had about 5 months to prepare, so I signed up for a Wilton's class and got through three classes and then the instructor didn't show for the last class. Fortunately, I was able to do roses before the rest of the class by her introduction, so the only real thing I didn't learn was to make a rose bud (still don't know how to do that!)
After that class, I told her what I was comfortable tryign and what I wasn't. We both looked at photos online (we were 1/2 a country apart) and she wanted simply anyway. She was having her reception at a lodge and was having natural decor. It was a winter wedding, so she was going to be carrying red roses and brides maids (of which I was one) would be wearing deep red dresses in velvet and the other navy blue velvet.
We decided on three layers (way too much for 50 people, but she wanted a real wedding size of cake) 12, 10 and 8. Each layer would have a few roses and leaves and the top with roses. If time permitted, she wanted fleur de lis in white on the sides, but we ran out of time for that detail...
I never had a chance to make the whole cake before the real deal, but I did make a practice cake the week I went out there of the top layer to test flavor and the decor. My friend was SOOOOOO impressed and she made everyone who came over (and you know that is a lot of people a week before a wedding). Two days before I made the layers, day before I made the icing and put it together. Stuck in in the fridge and got it out for the reception. EVERYONE was so impressed and I had sooooo many people say it was the best wedding cake they ever had.
I look at that photo in my photos now and think to myself, "boy, now I could do so much better - it would be smoother, there would be more detail, etc.." but the fact is, my best friend was THRILLED with it and she didn't need more than I provided and even then, she kept thanking me profusely (that was my gift to them for the weddign too)....
If she really is a good friend, she'll be happy that it's personal and made for HER.. don't worry.
Melissa
You can do it. When my sister asked me to make her cake I had never done a tier cake or played with gumpaste (she wanted calla lilies) but I pulled it off. It wasn't a perfect cake but I was pretty pleased when I considered that it also had to travel 6 hours.
I agree with the practice theory 
I am in the same situation being asked to do my first wedding cake and canot decide whether or not to say yes---I'm scared!!!!! 
But you have plenty of time to practice and get more comfortable,confront and conquer possible problems etc.... GOOD LUCK!!! 
I understand completely!! I want to do my son's wedding cake next year (Sept. 0
. I'm pretty new to cake decorating so I'm practicing, practicing....reading, practicing, looking at pictures, practicing. Everyone in the family and a few friends are getting B-day cakes from me this year!!! I totally agree with the sheet cake idea. That way, the actual wedding cake doesn't seem so overwhelming!!!!!!
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