I am feeling very behind on the wedding cake that I'm doing. I've had major setbacks (Not getting the e-mail from ISAC that teh 20 inch square styrofoam cake layer was out of stock and would not be arriving, Wilton Gumpaste going FUBAR, etc.) and last night I was up til 1 AM making pearls for the cake and I have maybe enough to go around the bottom of the smallest layer (8 inches).
The wedding is in 6 days and I have a ton of roses, pearls, mmf, and a cake plateau to make. I keep meaning to make Nick Lodge's gumpaste recipe, so it can sit overnight but it keeps getting pushed aside with other distractions, which are no less worthy of my time (family stuff). I'm at the point where I'm just going to make gumpaste out of fondant and the stuff you mix into it and make the roses out of that. I'm taking the day before and the day of off to bake & decorate the sheetcakes to go with the wedding cake.
I just feel very very overwhelmed and yet, strangely calm. 
Any ideas to help me get back on track?
Rachel
First.... Big Hugs to you!!
Take a very deep breath. Now another...
Do you use lists? I have to live by them. It helps keep my mind in check. It sounds as though you are still doing fine. Put on your favorite music and keep going. It will all work out and they will love it!
More hugs!! 
I've not done many wedding cakes, but I hope this still helps.
I make a list of everything that needs to be done. I know, you've heard that a million times, me too, but if anything it lets me see that there isn't as much as I thought. When it is just in my head - everything gets very big and overwhelming.! 
You don't sound too too far behind to me, but then again I'm the procrastination queen!
Also, I don't know the specifics of your cake order, but maybe there are things that you can scale down or use less of.
Take a deep breath... keep that "strangely calm" feeling!
The roses on the discounted flower site thingy just dont' look right to me. The good part about that is that I think I can do just medium and buds now and that I've doen enough of the big ones.
Rachel
I've not done many wedding cakes, but I hope this still helps.
I make a list of everything that needs to be done. I know, you've heard that a million times, me too, but if anything it lets me see that there isn't as much as I thought. When it is just in my head - everything gets very big and overwhelming.!
You don't sound too too far behind to me, but then again I'm the procrastination queen!
Also, I don't know the specifics of your cake order, but maybe there are things that you can scale down or use less of.
Take a deep breath... keep that "strangely calm" feeling!
Oh yeah, know the feeling of being overwhelmed- not for cakes cause I have never done one professionally. My heart goes out to you. You'll do fine. What works for me is to take a break- even if that sounds absurd and no time for that, I take a break from my work, for an hour, go for a walk, watch a movie with a hot cup of tea, relax, bike ride, anything to recharge your batteries. Then come back and make a list, which Im sure you already have. Think of some of the things you can juggle around, not sure about the 'family stuff' you mentioned. Sometimes when work happens and stuff with work goes wrong, we have to rearrange schedules at home. Not like you do this every time, again I don';t know what you mean by family stuff, but I know for me when I'm running a 'normal project schedule' I have time for everything else too. Then some glitch happens, computer crash, printer, blablalba, so I have to cancel some family obligation thing or some other obligation, and postpone and explain that I really want to blablabla. If it means ordering out, or asking for help with family obligations. It's ok to do that 
You give so much of yourself all the time and it's time to pull in a couple of favours and get people to chip in around you for the next few days while you sort this out.
Cause you know what? When you have the little detail work to do, like mixing gumpaste or whatever (total novice so I'm makin this up as I go lol) and you're stressed, you probably TRIPLE the chances of something going wrong.
So my advice, 1) Take a short break (from EVERYTHING) 2) make a list and delegate some responsibility, phone up friends/family, to ask for help with other things), 3) put on some relaxing music maybe while you're working. I know music is my nirvana anyway but when I'm working and I'm stressed, I pop in Enya or Chopin or something mellow and that's like an instant chillpill for me
Good luck! You can do it!
I do have a list, adn it's coming along - it's just I had hoped to be completely done with the fake cake by now. Ahhh... life has a way of getting in the way of what you really wanna do.
LOL
Rachel
plus remember, if you do your best, then all you can do is your best and whatever happens happens, I know I know in the midst of stressing out that something didnt turn out or worrying that it wont, that doesnt make much sense, but maybe that's where your sense of calm is coming from 
Here is my list: (items in bold are done)
Fake Cake:
Make 20 inch square layer
Make Marshmellow Fondant for 8 inch layer (2 1/2 lbs)
Make Marshmellow Fondant for 12 inch layer (4 lbs)
Make Marshmellow Fondant for 16 inch layer (6 1/2 lbs)
Make Marshemellow Fondant for 20 inch layer (9 lbs)
Roll out MMF for 8 inch layer & cover cake
Roll out MMF for 12 inch layer & cover cake
Roll out MMF for 16 inch layer & cover cake
Roll out MMF for 20 inch layer & cover cake
Roll out a 5x36" sash of black Fondant, dust with super pearl lustre dust, attach to 8 inch cake
Roll out two 5x12" strips, dust with super pearl lustre dust, attach at the same place other sash meets and arrange flowing down the cake
Finish roses
Arrange roses on top of 8 inch layer and cascading over the sash seam down to the top of the 16 inch layer
Randomly place a few roses on remaining layers
Finish making pearls
Hand place around the bottom of each layer
Sheet Cakes:
Grocery shop for ingredients
Measure out dry ingredients into gallon ziploc bags (10 bags total)
Make MMF for 10-9x13x4 sheetcakes
Make White Chocolate Strawberry Mousse
Make Milk Chocolate Ganache
Bake sheet cakes
Fill cakes with Mousse and layer with fresh sliced strawberries
Ice in Chocolate Ganache
Cover with Marshmellow Fondant
Gently mark cutting lines
Deliver to Cake Decorator
Honeymoon Cake:
Make MMF for a 6 inch heart Cake
Fill with White Chocolate Strawberry Mousse
Ice with Chocolate Ganache
Cover with MMF
Add pearls and Flowers
Write Bride & Groom's Name on cake
Wow! That is a lot to get done, but I believe you can do it. Just take one item at a time. I would have a tendency to look at the whole list and be exhausted just by reading it, so just look at the next item and focus on that. You CAN DO IT! Take care.
Do you have to put fondant on the sheet cakes, or would it be okay to just frost them with b/c? Most people want fondant for the look, not the taste, and no one will see those sheet cakes anyway, right?
Just a thought, naturally you know what the order says specifically.
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