l usually deliver all my wedding cakes so l know they will be there in one piece and l can set them up they way l like. l have a very persistant MOB who wants me to do her daughters wedding cake but will need her friends to take it to the reception which is about 3 hours away. She wants a three tier cylinder cake with sugar flowers and l dont feel comfortable about this situation.
Do many of you do three or more tiers and let them take it hours away?
If so, do you dowell the cakes more than you usually would?
Well. . .not to sound harsh or anything, but I believe that if they so insist to take it, it becomes their problem. You do all the dowelling you'd do if you were going to deliver it personally. You told them it'd be better off if you delivered it; if they want to be stubborn with their suggestion then I guess they will have to pay the consequences, either good or bad.
Don't fret, just do what you'd normally do. I'm sure everything will be fine. 
First - what's a cylinder cake? I have never heard that term before.
Second - have the MOB sign a release for the cake prior to you handing it over to the friends. The release should say that, because you are not personally delivering and setting up the cake, you are not to be held for any damage or tampering.
Then have the people who are picking up the cake sign a receipt saying that they inspected the cake prior to acceptance, and that all was in order when they received the cake.
JMO
Theresa 
So it's like a 8" high tier?! l usually deliver all my wedding cakes so l know they will be there in one piece and l can set them up they way l like. l have a very persistant MOB who wants me to do her daughters wedding cake but will need her friends to take it to the reception which is about 3 hours away. She wants a three tier cylinder cake with sugar flowers and l dont feel comfortable about this situation.
Do many of you do three or more tiers and let them take it hours away?
If so, do you dowell the cakes more than you usually would?
if you're going to allow someone other than a professional baker/decorator deliver your cake...I would put 2 center dowels in the cake. just one will allow your cake to 'twist" around the center dowel.
go to u-haul or someplace like that and get a nice deep box that you will cut one of the sides down or off...
so you can make a sort of "flap" that you would slide your cake into the box...on a piece of non skid matting...
Bring the flap back up and tape it on the top...both sides..make sure that you give them a little list of "cake kit" to bring..like a small scissor..lol
but BEFORE YOU DO ANY OF THAT....
take plenty of pictures..as a matter of fact if you have a printer with a digital camera..take the card out of the digital camera..print the picture on your printer...and TAPE the picture on the front of the box...to PROVE that that cake left your shop in good condition..
all that IFFFFFF..you will allow someone else to take the cake.
I've read almost every wedding cake contract I can find online just to see what people say as I was writing my first wedding cake contract. The consensus seems to be that if delivery is refused, the cake must be inspected and signed out upon pickup at which point the decorator is no longer responsible. MOST people also say because cakes are normally transported in pieces in smaller boxes, a large box is not available for transportation and to have a clean large flat space to place the cake.
I am in the same situation but not until Aug and its 6 hrs away I am researching using the hidden pillars and plastic plates. From what I am understanding the hidden pillars are large and you can cut them it size and will attach to the plates. Something like the stress free supports. Has anyone done this before would be nice to know. The pillars are hollow and fit into the little legs of the plate I think, haven't tried it yet.
I don't see how anyone can "allow" a customer to take their own cake. If they paid for it...it is theirs! They can throw it against a wall if they want! I offer delivery as an paid option but I don't demand to take their cake to wherever. Once I've given it over, whether that be at my counter or at the reception site...they are responsible for it. Anyway, JMO and the way it works in my shop.
Dosen't bother me if they want to take the cake and not have me deliver it especialy more than 1 hr away it's all theirs, sign and your on your way my job is done once its gone. But I will try and stack it as secure as possible. If they are stupid enough to drive crazy its not my fault.
DO your part- make a gorgeous a cake, explain your delivery policy and if the customer wants to do a pick-up, I think that's fine. If you aren't responsible for delivering it then once it's paid for, it is not your rersponsibilty what happens
CAKESONDEMAND: Yes, I've used the hollow plastic dowels and fitted plates.
One way that made me feel MUCH better: I took about a 7 inch piece of clear packing tape and made a "loop"---then TAPED my cake boards down to the tops of the plates. They're SLICK! 
Other than that--the cake was pretty darned sturdy! I've only done three layers, though. Anything more than that and it's getting a center dowel on two layers and set up at the venue!
--Knox--
thanks I'll have to decide how I'm going to do it I'm also thinking of double dowels down the center.
I would be a nervous wreck those hours between when they took it and got there with it. But all the same, their cake, their responsibility.
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