One of my best friends is getting married next year, and I was planning on doing her cake as her present. She was planning on a small affair, something relatively informal (her parents both passed away years ago and she really only wanted her close friends and family to come). They were doing everything on a budget, but her twin sister really wanted to give her more of a big bash than she wanted, so she (the sister) started making arrangements for all sorts of wedding-y things. My friend was okaywiththat because her sisters are her only real family left bow that her parents are gone, and she wanted to please her, but stillkeep things modest.
Well, naturally, things got out of hand, the guest list grew out of control, and this weekend my friend an er fiancé decided they had had enough, and they just wanted to elope. I'm thrilled for them becUse it's what they really wanted , and it's the smart decision instead of getting in over their heads an paying out the nose for something they don't want. But secretly and selfishly, I REALLY wish I could Have done her cake! I've never done a wedding cake, but this was (at least originally!) going to be something small and low-stress, so I could practice some of the beautiful things I see on here, without worrying about all the perfection (the venue was to be another friend's home, so it would have been okay to serve homemade cake). Wedding cakes are just prohibitively expensive to make just to practice for me, and though I can grab a cake dummy or pipe onto a small cake till the cows come home, I was excited about putting it all together and getting to be such a part of her special day. I'll still do a shower cake for her an a contests cake or sobering along those lines ... And I truly am happy for them that things have gone this way ... But I'm allowing myself a self-indulgent little sigh here . I'll jus have to wait for my next really-good-friend to get married in some low-key way that would allow for a hobby baker to play a little .

Maybe they would love a little reception at a later date..

why not make them a small wedding cake for them to share on the night of their elopement? My husband and I went to the JP to get married but still shared a 6" cake on our wedding night...it was very lovely.

We did the same thing, went to the JP and had a reception later. We couldn't afford(nor really wanted) a big wedding so we opted for the small wedding and big part

They're going away for the elopement, to kind of roll the honeymoon into it (they weren't going to be able to afford a honeymoon the other way, so this way they just so a super quick wedding on the beach and go have their honeymoon. So I can't really send them a cake to brig with them. I will make a cake for the dinner her sisters are having when they get back, but itll be at a restaurant, where they don't allow outside food ... So it'll really just be for them. Which I am more than happy to do, however she wants it. But it won't exactly be the cake we'd discussed ... Maybe I should strong-arm my husband into renewing our vows to get to do a whole wedding cake then! ... Um ... I mean, to reassert the undying love we have for each other!

Could you please show me the cake!

I read everything you are all about the cake.

How about doing a mini tiered cake when they get home? You can do it small enough that it doesn't have a ton of servings, and they can always freeze part of it to eat next year, or share with family/friends/co workers.

I have lots of kids, friends, grandkids, etc. to make cakes for - and love it. But I really wanted to do some larger stacked cakes. I connected with Birthday Cakes 4 Free and got hooked up with a non-profit in my area. I now bake birthday cakes for the kids once a month... about 100 servings of cake. Sometimes I do two cakes, sometimes one big one. It gives me a big range of learning opportunities - stacking, figures, cakes for little kids, fancy cakes for teenaged girls, sports cakes for boys... sometimes they give me ideas; sometimes I just figure something out. The wonderful thing is that they always think my cakes are beautiful and perfect - even when they're not! I've learned so much and my time with the kids each month is the best hour of my month! I've also volunteered to do anniversary cakes for friends parents parties and 80th birthday parties, etc. Bottom line is that I've gotten very comfortable doing larger cakes and had lots of fun!