My sister is getting married in May 2007, and I am going to see if I can make the cake. I have made a lot of celebration cakes, but this will be my first wedding cake. We were unsure as to whether or not I should make the cake or not for a number of reasons.....I am the maid of honor, so my sister does not want me to be so wrapped up in the cake on the actual wedding day; I have never done a cake like this (stacking tiers, support, etc);however, I really want to do it for the experience and for the sake of getting my name out more. SO......I need help!!!!! 
Do you think, with a LOT of planning, that I can pull this off? I am planning on starting now, learning to work with tiers, practicing the design she wants (i will post a pic later of the cake she wants me to make), etc. I know I am going to lose a lot of money in this cake, which is fine because its going to be like my gift to them and it will be worth it for the 200 people at the wedding to see what I can do. When I first decided that I maybe could do this, I knew you guys would be there to help me out....thanks for any help or advice you can give!
Courtney
I have never made a wedding cake. I am a guy (so I've never been a maid of honor 
).
That said, here is my opinion: I wouldn't do it. I think the time and energy you will spend being the maid of honor is enough pressure. Add making a wedding cake and all that goes with it (delivery, set-up, etc.) and you are asking for trouble.
This is just my opinion. Some people work better under pressure than others. In the end, the decision is your. Good luck! 
With proper planning you should be able to pull it off. My sister made her son's wedding cake and I did my daughter's.If you can bake on Wenesday or Thursday and decorate on the Friday you would have it done and only have to set it up for the wedding. Find some one to go with you to help you set it up at least 3 to 4 hours before the wedding and you should be fine.
I wouldn't.
I made a good friend's daughters wedding cake. (I make the dresses, I made the pew bows and hung them during rehersal, I helped make the centerpieces) "Mom" was upset because I didn't get to enjoy the rehersal dinner like she wanted me to because I HAD to work on the cake (6, 8, 10, 12, 14, 16). I was there til 3am then night before the wedding...and who was sitting there right beside me....the bride's mother. I had to run to the reception before the wedding to set up the cake............ then run to the church ........then run back to the reception.....
Your job as MOH is taking care of the bride - that should be your top priority that day. Let someone else worry about that cake!
I struggled with this very same thing last year. My SIL was getting married, asked me to be the MOH and wanted me to do her cake. I also decorated the church and the reception site. I was able to work a full time job, do all of my MOH "duties" and make the cake. There were stressful times, but it worked out. Good luck with your decision.
Thanks for the fast replies! I personally think I can do it, but then again I do realize that I have never done tihs before and therefore do not know all of the stress involved. Keep the suggestions coming.....I appreciate it!!!!
With planning it can be done. Some suggestions. Keep it simple but elegant. Since this is your first cake, you might try the modular set-up. It is the easiest to do with the least amount of stress. You can still make it very pretty. If you have to stack or use the columns, you could still have the cake decorated on Friday, it will not hurt to sit out providing you do not have any cream filling in it. I would keep the tiers to 3 and do a sheet cake for your extra servings that you can keep in the kitchen or back-up area. Good Luck.
I was just recently in the same position. My sister got married a couple of weeks ago and I was MOH. I ended up opting not to make the cake and I wish I had. 
I wasn't that impressed with the cake that was made, I think I could have done better(a friend of my mother's made it). 
In January, we decided that we were going to move from CT to NJ (dh's job change). Although hubby moved the end of January, we didn't know when we were going to be moving (could be 1 month could be 6). Not knowing when, I decided that I couldn't do it, allowing her time to get someone else. I am disappointed that I didn't make it. It would have been tough but, do-able. I did promise to make her an anniversary cake (and I made her bridal shower cake). The one upside - Since we are now in NJ and the wedding was in CT, I didn't lose out on potential customers/business that could have been gained from making the cake.
Moral of the story, if you think you can pull it off (plan, plan, plan) then don't pass it up. Otherwise, you may end up regretting it. 
Is there anyone that you would trust to help you transport the cake and help with the set - up? That could make a big difference for you. Best of luck with your decision.
Why not make a fruit cake? They're traditional in the UK and they keep FOREVER so you can do it well it advance and then on the day all you have to do is get it to the venue - you might even be able to do that a few days before, I usually do this and hotels and wedding venues are happy to store it in their kitchens. I'm doing my sister's wedding in Feb and I'm bridesmaid and I'm going to do her cake in my Christmas holidays (I'm a teacher so I get a few weeks)
I think it is doable, and if you really want to do this, then start planning now.
I am making my daughters wedding cake (first wedding cake ever) in Sept. I have been practicing, and practicing different cake recipes, and fillings, and I have done 2 trial cakes already. She chose to have a 3 tiered stacked cake, and then we are going to have (4) 10 inch cakes displayed around her main cake. All different flavors, with different fillings.
I have practiced the recipes, and also the refrigeration and freezing of each recipe. I am a such a freak when it comes to planning every detail.
I am going to start baking next week, and wrap REAL WELL and freeze, the week before the wedding I am going to make all my batches of buttercreme, and store it in an air tight container in the fridge. My fillings will be shelf stable (fillings from peserves, or a sleeve).
I will decorate on the wednesday before the Sat. wedding, then refridgerate. I will transport on Friday (I have an hour and half drive) Saturday morning I will set up the cake, and leave someone responsible to watch over it until the reception starts.
YES, I am stressed, but I know by all my planning, it will all turn out. The yellow cake in my pictures was her bridal shower cake, and I made it on a wed. and then refridgerated it, and traveld the hour and a half with it in the back of my van. It was a 105 degrees outside, and the humidity was about 75 percent. I had it boxed real well, and it made the trip just fine. And EVERYONE LOVED the taste of the cake!!
I am confident that you can do it too, just takes lots of practice cakes, and planning.
My sister is getting married in February and asked me if I would make the cake, and be the host couple, I told her one or the other, not both! She told me she would find some other couple to be the host couple. 
GL to you! Cindy
I would say make the cake, but tag with the venue or caterer to do the set up and serving part....that should leave you freer to honor the MOH duties wthout the worry of the cake. If you're planning a bridal shower, it is a good venue for a practice cake...
Hi Courtney,
I made my sisters wedding cake and I was her MOH too. You just need to plan properly. If you are making gum paste flowers you can start them now and then that will be out of the way. Luckily for me, the reception site (grandmas house) was where we were getting dressed. I dropped of the cake before (i think) then on the day of, I set it up. Asked two strong men to carry out the cake for me just before the guests started to arrive. All went well and I still performed my MOH details. 
Just plan. I will try to post a pic. Oh and it was my FIRST VERY FIRST wedding cake too.
Ok here is the pic.
The cake is a fruit cake covered in marzipan and fondant. The flowers are gumpaste. The butterflies are royal icing. There are lace pieces on it too. Its a floating effect cake.
I just had the same situation. My brother got married in May and I made the cake. I wasn't in the wedding but I was very involved in the details and my son was the ring bearer. I am SO GLAD i was not in the wedding because it was hard enough taking care of my duties and the cake. Being Maid of Honor would have been impossible. Remember Murphy's Law.
I was always taught that being Maid of Honor has a bit of responsibility, you're supposed to be there for the bride. Just take into consideration all of the things you'll have to take care of in those days before the wedding. Dressing, hair and nail appointments (possibly), pictures, rehearsal...and during all of that you're supposed to be helping the bride get ready. I didn't even get to go to the rehearsal because something went wrong with the cake and I had to start the bottom tier from scratch. My husband took my son.
It can be done, but why take on so much? You want to enjoy the wedding, not be stressed out from pulling yourself in too many directions. I hope I don't offend anyone, but we ladies do have the habit of taking on too many tasks sometimes, all with good intentions, but then we burn ourselves out. One thing I am finally starting to learn is to stop trying to do EVERYTHING.
I'd say, let someone else do the cake, you'll have other business opportunities. You just enjoy the wedding and the day. Or, if doing the cake is that important to you (it was to me) then opt out of the wedding party and do the most beautiful cake ever. JMO.
Mickig
I just made my sil's cake at the end of June and it was very stressful for alot of reasons (not just cake related) but here are some things I would look at when making this decision:
-Can you afford the cost of the supplies, etc to make this cake and the cost of being MOH? The cake I made was for 250 and was way more than the gift we probably would have given them money wise (cake started out for 150 and went up from there! I could afford a cake for 150, 250 really pushed it but I digress....)
-What time of day will the wedding be? If it's in the morning for early afternoon will you have time to get your hair done, get ready, do your makeup after you've set up the cake because you will most likely get hot and sweaty just from stress and it's warm that time of year. You have to factor in driving times, set-up time, etc.
-Are you going to want your nails done? They'll probably get trashed while getting everything ready for the cake.
-Do you have time and money to make practice tiered cakes? I learn something new everytime I make a tiered cake it seems
-Are you an organized person who can make out a list/plan for what you'll need and the timeline you'll need to do it in?
-Will you be able to take off time from work to bake and decorate that week or do you have space in your freezer to bake ahead and freeze?
I don't want to be discouraging but just realistic. You want to be able to enjoy the wedding and celebrations that lead up to it too. It's a wonderful family celebration![/quote]
I would say make the cake, but tag with the venue or caterer to do the set up
I would never trust someone else to set up one of my cakes. If they aren't experienced with cakes you have no idea what you might end up with. Maybe I'm too much of a control freak!
I think that it is a wonderful idea, however if I were in your shoes I wouldn't make the cake. The day before and the day of the wedding your sister is going to be relying on you for so many other things and the last thing you or your sister needs to be worring about is the wedding cake. I have never made one, but I can only imagine how time consuming they are. Why not offer to make her shower cake and/or the rehearsal dinner cake? You could still do a nice tierd cake for her shower.
Personally that is what I would do!
Good Luck and let us know what you decide to do!
I made my sister's wedding cake last summer. It was my first wedding cake, I was also the MOH, and there was a lot of traveling involved. My sister lives in Boston, I live in VA, and the wedding was in NJ! I was extremely nervous about making the cake and being in the wedding, and I almost turned down her request to make the cake. That being said, I did make the cake and I am so glad I did. It truly was an honor to contribute to their wedding in a way not many people can. I did get some help from my family with moral support, extra hands when covering the cakes with fondant, and with transporting the cake from my parents' house in PA (where I baked the cake) to the reception site in NJ. All in all I am quite proud with the results... here's a picture! Good luck!
Courtney
ccsweetness, I think you know what you want to do already. If you really think you can do it and you handle pressure well (and are organized) yes I think you can do it. Keep a calendar and a time break down of what you need to do and organize yourself. Is it a big wedding?? you mentioned 200 people. How about a nice simple elegant sized tiered cake with extra sheet cakes in the kitchen piped and ready to be cut and distributed. fresh flowers on the actual cake will save lots of time also and are so gorgeous. that willl help alot. ALSO as your duty as MOH plan the bridal shower at least a month before the wedding so that its not too close to the day of the wedding. And one more thing....remember that you can call on the brides maids to help out. I'm sure they'll be happy to. Good Luck!
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