I'm making my husband's niece's wedding cake for this coming week. I'm always nervous when I have a big cake coming up, but thanks to information I got yesterday, I'm even more anxious than usual!
At the bridal shower, my sister-in-law told me that the groom's mother decorates cakes and had been hurt when my niece told her I was doing her cake. I had no idea! So the groom's mother is apparently making a groom's cake. Again, news to me. Groom's cakes aren't the norm around here, so I never even brought it up.
I hear the groom's mom is a nice lady, but I'm still nervous! For one thing, we'll have waaaay too much cake now. I'm making a 14-10-6 square with 5-6" tall tiers. It's an open-house reception, so by the time the cake is cut, the majority of the guests won't be there anymore. I was expecting to have leftover cake with just a wedding cake. Now with a groom's cake, we'll have cake coming out of our ears!
Now I don't blame the groom's mom for wanting to do a cake for her son. I would probably feel the same way. But I have paranoid visions of my cake sitting uneaten while the groom's cake is devoured. 
I wouldn't say I'm angry, just a little nervous and unsettled. 
I can imagine how you are feeling, but try not to think of this as a competition. I think its fantastic that they have found a way to share the cake making honours between two people who are obviously special to them. Just make the best cake you can, knowing that yes, she will be checking out your work (just as you are no doubt checking out hers!!) I'm sure that neither of you will be intending to try and out-do the other.
And as for left over cake - where I come from too much cake is never seen as a bad thing! My own wedding cake (not made by me unfortunately) was a perfectly gorgeous white chocolate mud cake, we were eating left overs for days. Believe me it was no slight on the cake maker!
No worries, if you can cut down your cake to make it 4 inches tall on each layer you might think about that but if you dont want to then don't. Just remember that you are doing this for you family and that the left over cake will always get eaten.
My SIL had a huge cake and we took home a full 8 inch round and we cut it up in individual slices and coverd seperatly in saran wrap and put it in the freezer and was able to eat it for months.
Its not a compitition its a gift and I think if you keep that in mind you will be great!!
DONT WORRY!!
Hell, yes it's a competition and you better get your game on! 
Have fun with it and make it into a little friendly competition. Make sure you take a pix of the grooms cake along w/ yours and we'll all have fun, too. 
Wow, I can see how that would make you nervous! I bet she's been decorating for years...then again, her style is probably different from yours. If I were her, I would definitely have been hurt that my son/daughter asked someone besides myself to do the cake. Then again, she'll probably be busy enough with wedding stuff. Does she really want to do a cake on top of the mother-of-the-groom stuff???
I understand how you feel. Are they having both cakes at the wedding. Normally the grooms cake is served at the rehearsal dinner. I just did a grooms cake for a friend of my daughters and that is when they served it. And they had just the wedding cake at the wedding. If it would make you feel better see if they can do that. If not, just take a deep breath and try and relax. You will do fantastic.
Sorry I had to chuckle about this one. Not because of your situtation but because I just hope the mil doesent belong to this site lol afterall with all of us using nics who knows? Otherwise just relax and enjoy the day. Grooms cakes are not heard of here in Montreal that I know of but from what I've seen on here they are usually done in a theme meant to represent the groom where as the bride usually gets the big fancy cake so I dont see where there will be a problem it's just like having two themes and it will make both the bride and groom happy to see that they have two special cakes made with love.
HollyPJ, I am not sure where you are located, but here in the south, in Arkansas at least, a groom's cake is served at the wedding and is usually a humorous cake, or sports or some type of vehicle, and most often chocolate cake. At most weddings I have attended, many guests have some of both cakes.
It doesn't have to be a competition or stressful. And making the cake makes the groom's mom feel useful. The Bride's family does most everything at a wedding usually. Just ask the groom's mom what she is making, and for how many.
There is no such thing as "too much cake"
I would just do the cake as planned..........your cakes are beautiful.......and I would guess that as someone else said, her style is different than yours, so don't look at it as competition. I had this same situation back in early June, when I did my daughter's 5th grade graduation cake..........one of her classmates grandmother also did a cake, and I tried to get ahold of her for weeks, so we could coordinate flavors, servings, etc.......we never touched base, so I made cake for 100, she made cake for 150, and there were about 100 people there........we had two completely different cakes..........mine (in my pics) was a little more contemporary and fun for the kids, hers was a traditional white cake decorated all white with tall pillars and roses in the school colors in between the tiers........not my style, but a beautiful cake as well. But, because I brought chocolate, and we are talking 11 and 12 year olds here..........well, I could not cut it fast enough........so, you can both do this.........make the special cake that you had planned, and I would guess that you will have two completely different outcomes.
Here in the South, groom's cakes are the norm and are served at the wedding along with the wedding cake, but they are not on the same table, the wedding cake is ALWAYS the center of attention and groom's cakes are not as big as the wedding cake either. They certainly are not in competition with each other. The groom's cake can be chocolate (and usually is) with fruit on it, or it can be something that represents him.
Don't think of it as a competition. You'll be fine, maybe you can swap cake tips!
Hell, yes it's a competition and you better get your game on!
Have fun with it and make it into a little friendly competition. Make sure you take a pix of the grooms cake along w/ yours and we'll all have fun, too.
LOL I had a good chuckle out of that response LOL
I think (hope) this will be great. First off, your cakes are lovely- I have one of yours in my very short favorites list. So you don't have to worry about your abilities. Both you and the grooms mother will have a chance to check out someone else's work- maybe even talk cake.
P.S. Even if you don't care for her work find something to praise about it.
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