I have several questions for anyone who has done wedding cakes with spaces between each tier, for flowers.

What have you used to make the spaces.

If using spacers that are not locked into place, is the weight of the cake o.k. just sitting on the spacer or pillars?

Is 4 tiers too high when not using spacers or pillars that are locked into place?

If using Gerber daisies to fill in the spaces do you think they will last about 2-3 hours without water, (before the cake is cut)?

Any tips would be appreciated!

I read that I should use two cake rounds under each cake to help with the weight of the cake. How does that look at the bottom edge. Maybe that will be covered by the flower tips?

Thanks!

I have done this design a few times. I usually use hard plastic plates and just rest the cakes on the extended hidden pillars. I would be afraid to use cardboard to support cakes sitting up like that. It would be o.k. on a stacked cake, I just don't think they would be supported enough. I have placed roses in between cakes and they last for a few hours. I keep them in water and take to the venue, and set up an hour before the reception. I haven't tried the gerbera daisies, but they are a pretty sturdy flower, you could buy one and leave it out of water and see what happens.

Thanks Cathy!

I dont know much about the topic, ive never made a multi tier cake!!!! but i read forums religiously!!! heres a thread on using the SPS. THey basically explain that you use taller pillars. So if you have a 4inch cake you use a 9 inch pillar so that you can place the flowers in that gap. Hope that helps.

http://cakecentral.com/modules.php?name=Forums&file=viewtopic&t=603925&postdays=0&postorder=asc&&start=0

I use regular smooth-edged Wilton plates, a size larger than the cake which sits on it, and Wilton's Hidden Pillars, which are 6" tall. This gives me about 1.5-2" between cakes for the flowers. And the Hidden Pillars lock in to the feet on the plates, quite snugly. (Don't drive with it assembled though, stack on-site!)

This set-up does require a lot of flowers, so make sure you'll have enough. You may want to use some filler flowers or leaves also, to help with any little spaces between the daisies.

The gerbers are pretty sturdy, but keep everything in a cooler as long as you can, and do set up fairly close to reception time.

HTH!

ACK! I use SPS ALL the time, but would *not* use those 9" pillars for a separated cake.

Instead use the multi-piece pillars that come with a 5" leg plus 2" extensions. A 7" leg looks perfect for a separated cake. 4" of cake plus 3" of airspace is the perfect ratio of cake to flowers IMO. You want this to be cake with flowers, not flowers with cake.

omg..i just noticed my typo after reading leahs post....so sorry...i didnt mean to type 9 inches!!!! your right leah that would make for more flowers than cake!!! i really need to start re-reading my posts!!!!

...I guess I could use the 9" pillars if the cake tiers are 6" tall, and they might be.

Thanks for the help everyone!