I have grooms cakes for Friday, and two wedding cakes for Saturday.
The cakes are baked and in the freezer. I have a full cutting sheet cake in the freezer too. Both brides requested I do the grooms cakes for the rehearsal dinners. (2 quarter sheets, total),
One wedding cake will be 150 servings plus the full sheet to cut up in the kitchen, the other is for 70. I'm not worried about the wedding cakes, I want to get the sheet cakes done the day before.
I work by myself! What was I thinking?!

Here's my questions:
1. Can I fill and crumb coat the sheets with buttercream and pop it back in the freezer?
2. Can I ice the sheet cakes with buttercream and pipe a border and place them in the fridge for a day or two?
3. Has anybody done this successfully?

I would appreciate any advice, but I would really like to hear from someone who has successfully done this.

Thank you very much in advance for you help,
tokazodo

I don't do sheet cakes, but I routinely take up to three weddings for the same day, and that can include both the bride's and groom's cakes. I also work alone. Just get organized. Have all your fillings and icings made up a day or two ahead.

Since the groom's cake are for the rehearsals, you've actually got two days of deliveries so not everything is due on the same day anyway.

I'd do the sheets and the groom's cake on the same day and then knock out those two bride's cakes. One's pretty little, so you got a break there. The sheets can just sit in a box on the counter for an extra day and be fine.

Don' know what you promised for the "cutting cakes" which I'm assuming are kitchen cakes, but I don't promise even a really smooth icing. They're quick and that's way they cost less.

1. Can I fill and crumb coat the sheets with buttercream and pop it back in the freezer?
Yes, no problem - depending on the filling offered. Is it freezable? Some are not, most are. Since the cake is already fzn you will have to defrost before cutting it to fill. You can even completely ice and decorate it before re-fz'ing if you'd like

2. Can I ice the sheet cakes with buttercream and pipe a border and place them in the fridge for a day or two?
No need to put in fridge. Leave boxed as leahs said.

3. Has anybody done this successfully?
YES many times

leah_s and kakeladi, thank you so much for your expert advice. It is much appreciated! Thanks tons!

Like she said, get organized. Make a quick timeline/schedule for your week, because something invariably will come up on the last-minute-get it done day and slow you down.

For a busy weekend like that I schedule on my BB calender like this:

Monday: Details like wrap any boards with foil, covering with royal, glueing ribbon trim, etc., make details (gp or royal icing work etc)

Tuesday: Make fillings and icing (you'll always find you're making more later, but this will at least get you a head start).

Wed: Defrost cakes early a.m. Make more icing if needed while waiting. Confirm delivery details with brides or venues. Fill and crumb coat all cakes and keep in fridge (I don't re-freeze but you could) Pull any cake boxes, cutting guides, or other things to go with each delivery.

Thursday: Decorate Friday cake, box and put in fridge (again I fridge mine cause it's IMBC).

Friday: Decorate both Saturday cakes, box, label, and fridge.

Saturday: Two deliveries. And I always, almost without fail, find myself still working on decorating one of the Sat cakes ON Saturday, which I HATE, but my weeks are super busy running two businesses, tastings, kids, etc., so I give myself that extra time on Sat, just in case, to get finished.

It's the little things that hold me up, so I try to think of everything small, way ahead.

Good luck. You can do it!

I can not thank you all, enough for your help and I am taking your advice to heart.

Thank you, thank you, thank you!

crumb coat and fridge, just like that. If I'm leaving them overnight, I'll wrap them, otherwise it's just long enough to set them up nice and firm, then back out to ice them.

You also don't have to defrost a cake to cut it. It's sometimes easier to cut a frozen cake. It's certainly easier to crumb coat one!

great forum! how about for fondant covered cakes? i've made tons of cakes but i've never been certain about how far in advance is safe to finish the cake. ya'll are the best

Three down, one to go, and I want to thank you all again.
2 grooms cake, a full sheet 'kitchen' cake and a wedding cake is finished. Tomorrow I have the big wedding cake to work on.
I used your advice and it work and of course like Chef Stef said, Murphey's Law occurred.
I found myself sick on Tuesday and calling out sick on Wednesday (My real job, not caking, it's a second job and new business venture)
I went to the doctor and I am suffering with allergies and allergy induced asthma!
I took Wednesday off an it was very tempting to hit the bakery, but I knew I needed to rest for this weekend.
I've uploaded 2 of the grooms cakes. I will upload the wedding cakes tomorrow or later in the week.

One thing I did before I froze my cakes: I torted them! Boy oh boy, it was a big help to take those little frozen discs out of the freezer (I separated the layers with wax paper) and throw them together with buttercream!
Thanks again for all your advice, I am able to relax a bit and I might even make it to the wedding tomorrow afternoon!