Maybe it's just me...(and I'm not trying to be rude -b/c I know I still have imperfections when it comes to cake decorating) but has anyone ever seen a sloppy wedding cake - one that hasn't been given any TLC?
This afternoon dh and I attended a friend's wedding...and unfortunately I couldn't help but wander over to the cake area 
I looked at the grooms cake (store bought) which was cute...then took one look at the wedding cake - and the first thought I had after I saw the brides cake was "perhaps it can be fixed via paint shop pro".
It just seems that whoever may have made this cake, really "rushed" the cake...and didn't really do a good job.
The cake could have been so much more lovely had additional time been spent on it. (The cake design was Wilton's "Lace flair"...but to get an idea of the cake design look at the following cake - which BTW is a gorgeous cake- http://www.cakecentral.com/modules.php?name=gallery&file=displayimage&pid=460703
So now after seeing that lovely cake - remove the yellow and white carnations, remove the "50th" anniversary topper, remove the gold ribbon from the cakes, and then don't use any support dowels
Okay NOW...
Replace the white seperator plates w/ foil covered cake boards. Then take away the BC bead border -and leave it that way...w/o any frosting border of any type - just so the foil cake boards are noticeable.
Then instead of finishing the arc points w/ three varying sized BC bead balls, and decorating the arcs with the bead border...leave it barren.
Then make sure that the arcs are not uniform size
Then - don't sift the ps when making the frosting -b/c everyone knows that a grainy frosting is the latest rage.
Next, don't make any attempt to smooth the BC frosting, and don't worry if parts of the cake are showing through, and the result will be...a sloppy looking wedding cake w/ very noticeable cracks in the bc frosting, then the cake starts to tilt b/c it has no dowels to support it...and when it's cut into, it comes very close to toppling over, b/c once again no dowels are supporting it. 
I recognise this post may strike a nerve for some people...but I am guessing that anyone who has made wedding cakes/tiered cakes are aware of the need to use dowels as support, as well as cake seperator plates, but furthermore they take the time to deliver a product they would be proud to have their name associated with...in other words, they make sure it's not only appealing to the appetite but visually appealing as well.
I guess if anything I get bothered b/c I know how special a wedding is, and the cake is one of the things people will look at, plus for the couple - if they hold to tradition- it will be something they may look forward to on their 1 year anniversary.
Sad to say, the store bought grooms cake was devoured...and forgetting the look of the bride's cake, but just focusing on the taste...lemon cake that was too tough in some areas, w/ a grainy feeling BC didn't suit my palate...but dh managed to get a slice that was underbaked and gummy.
Perhaps I just know the time and care I give to the cakes I make...but I'm halfway tempted to re-create their top tier for them, and just give it to them on their 1 year anniversary...simply b/c once the tiers were removed...they put the top tier in a box that was way too small...and it crushed the sides of the cake/frosting 
I wish I could find out who made it...the first thing I would do...send them a link to CC 
at the least they could learn the melvira method, plus a lot more other useful stuff!
did the bride and groom seem to notice? was it a bakery or a professional? who made it?
Sounds like this may have been a first wedding cake for the baker. Like the rest of us, you live and learn.
I can't say much, my very first wedding cake (1992) had Tuk N' Ruffle under each tier, and the cornelli lace...well, lets just say it has gotten much better. 
my guess is that a family member who had never baked/decorated thought she/he could magically do it just for this wedding. i mean, really how hard can it be??? i've seen some ugly wedding cakes and tasted some worse ones. the best you can do is keep your mouth shut. if the bride was happy and you imply in anyway the cake was bad, you may make her happy happy special day not so happy in her memories. if you want to bake her something for her anniversary, that's cool of you but don't mention why you are doing it.
That would've been so sad had the person who done the cake been a friend or family member who wanted to help by doing the cake. I try not to be critical of anyone's attempts at cake decorating anymore. I used to be bad about judging grocery store case cakes....I don't even do that anymore....it took working at one to understand...just like it took doing a cake as a favor for a wedding to understand that not everything is what it seems
I was thinking the same thing that it may have been a family member helping out or giving it as a gift. I think if you mention it to the bride you could hurt a lot of people's feelings. Even if it were store bought there is nothing they can do about it now but by you mentioning it they may start to feel bad that perhaps theire guests were all talking behind the bride and grooms back about how bad the cake was. If you really want to make them an anniversary cake I would say go for it but just tell them that you noticed their top tier got a little squished or that it's an anniversary gift cake for them and leave well enough alone.
Alot of people noticed...the bride walked up and looked at it...and it was the straight face look....no "oooohh or ahhhh" -she just kinda looked disappointed -but tried to mask it.
No it wasn't a professional bakery or a grocery store cake...and I actually just found out who made it...and the person who made it doesn't do cakes on the norm day to day as a profession (nor as a hobby)...but is the type to tell people "I can do cakes like..." and the results are umm a bit lacking. 
You just never know about things. Unless you are a decorator, most people think it is all pretty simple. With my first wedding cake, I didn't know anything about support systems ..it never crossed my mind. Luckily I only made a 2 tier cake. I also tried not one but 3 techniques I didn't know how to do because I niavely thought there would be nothing to it. The cake was for my SIL. I am sure if it had been a more costly wedding and she had been pickier she would have purchased a cake. Looking at it now, I know it was an awful cake 
but at the time I was sooooo proud . I would hope and assume the decorator did the very best she could in her current situation. I would hate to think that maybe she is already a member of CC. 
It is the thought that counts. I know that's cliche. 
I was so dissatisfied with the wedding cake that I did. I had such bad anxiety over it I had to clean my garage to get my mind off of it. Come to find out no one noticed that I had to do some repair. NO ONE NOTICED!!!! The bride said the cake far exceeded her expectations. WOW!!!!!!!!!!! Her mother couldnt' stop raving about it.
We all have our own visions of perfect. I frankly would never ever take on a cake especially for a wedding with no experience. Of course my first wedding cake was for my BIL/SIL and I had taken a wedding cake construction class prior too. Without that class, I would never have offered to do the cake.
Who knows why this person did the cake. Hopefully it was not a pricey cake.
Amy
Repair?!?! I saw the photos, and that is one powerful magic spatula you must have! Gorgeous cake, Amy!!
Back to our regularly scheduled topic...
Don't be so quick to judge. 
Ya know... if a member of CC had done that cake and posted the pic and said... Oh look, I've done my first (or second or third or eightieth) wedding cake, all y'all would be like... Oooh that Is so pretty, I love the flowers/arches/border/stand etc.
Think about it.
Don't be so quick to judge.
Ya know... if a member of CC had done that cake and posted the pic and said... Oh look, I've done my first (or second or third or eightieth) wedding cake, all y'all would be like... Oooh that Is so pretty, I love the flowers/arches/border/stand etc.
Think about it.
Umm actually no I wouldn't...I don't believe it's right to make comments if you don't mean it, and I never have done it, and never will.
For me I wouldn't expect anyone to try to "fluff" up any cakes I've made...esp if there are noticeable problems. For me, I would rather have the truth.
The majority of my cakes I know when I've had problems, and in fact I welcome honest opinions -and tips on how to improve any technique that may be lacking, and I would never get upset for someone saying "you may want to focus on ____" or something like that.
Quote by @%username% on %date%
%body%