Ok, so I have to make this cake, exactly as is. Any suggestions? I've seen the technique with the dowels and doing it on the table, letting it set up a little, then moving it to the cake. My concern is that the fondant will then crack as I try to bend it over the edge of the cake up the the top, flat surface. Why couldn't I fake pleats? By this, I mean, to make strips the appropriate width and length for this style of pleating and then simply fold under one edge to achieve a pleat look and then put the next strip under the folded under side and continue like this. Or even lay the next folded under strip right down on the unfolded side of the previous strip. I'm not sure how the end once I've made my way around will look, but I'm thinking this would achieve the pleats? I may need a second pair of hands to help hold up the edges as I slide the next strip under, but that's ok.
Again, any suggestions would be greatly appreciated! Thanks!

I think you could easily just fold the fondant and then cut it and attach it. To be honest, I can't even see the pleating. I just see stripes all the way around.

that doesn't even look like pleats to me........it looks like they drew a string of royal icing in a striped pattern down each tier.

if they want that look with pleats.......I would say cut yourself some strips of fondant and lay them on the cake slightly overlapping each one as you go around! Very pretty cake!

In fact, you can totally see the ends of the little snakes.

You can cover the whole thing in individual pleats if you want to. Just make a pleat on one end and fold the edge under. Stick it on the cake and work your way around backwards so that you are putting each pleat over the flat side of the strip you put on right before. When you get to the very last one you will need to nudge the first pleat over a little bit so it covers the flat edge of the last one, that's all. I did a pleated tier recently and I used strips with five pleats each...you couldn't see the edges at all when it was on the cake.

That's a really pretty cake...are you making the callas from gumpaste or using silk ones?

This is probably the easiest wedding cake design ever. Beautiful and looks like a lot of work, but eaaaaasy peasy. Love this cake!

it's like an optical illusion.........I clicked on the link for the photo underneath and got a little bit larger pic to come up and if you stare at it long enough.......it almost looks like a white fondant covered cake...and then it looks like they made a fondant ribbon and turned up the very edges of the two sides ever so slightly and laid it on the cake down the side like a stripe........then left a space......and added another one.......look at it really closely.........so weird how your eyes mess with you.

doesn't look like pleats to me either, i think they rolled fondant and attached it, it would be impossible to lay it out fold and put on cake, i say strips to. when it comes down the cake you can see where the layers meet it look's blunt, it is beautiful cake you could maybe do it like a swag the way you put a stick under it and pull out so it has the more rounded look, but strips sound good to me.

Ok, tara, if you need to make this cake exactly as is, you need to get an extruder, like Makins, figure out which round die to use, and you're good to go. No pleating necessary.

Ok, now I'm gonna look at it real hard. I saw an episode of one of those cake shows on WE and they were getting so frustrated trying to do real pleats because the fondant was ripping, that he got mad, threw down the dowel and said "just stripe it!!" I knew then, there had to be or had been some optical illusions going on with previous cakes I'd seen. I thought this seemed easier than some might think, which is why I took the order, but then I started questioning how easy I thought it was going to be! Thanks to all for the great advice! I think I'm going to try the fold and tuck technique first and see what happens. I, luckily, don't have to do the flowers because they are putting different, fresh flowers on themselves!

That's JenniferMI's cake...she used fondant panels: http://www.cakecentral.com/modules.php?name=gallery&file=displayimage&pid=1174759

Maybe this might help also: http://www.venuscakes.com/blog/brown-ribbon-wedding-cake/

You guys! That is strips of fondant that are slightly overlapped in the same direction all the way around. No snakes, RI piping or pleating there. Wanna bet...?

That is just so weird. Yeah, zooming in on it again I can see the pleats. Cool! Really cool!

IF you go to JenniferMI photo page its her cake and she talks about the cake. It's paneling (sp)

Send jen a pm and I'm sure she'll help you out. She's answered a lot of questions for me.

Thanks Flourpots and to all! I checked out all the suggested sites and resources and I think I can do it. It's seems relatively straightforward. I only hope I don't ruin too many pieces from trying to lay it straight and then it touches the buttercream and I put it on crooked!! I am a little worried because the bride now says she doesn't know if she'll even put any flowers on it because she LOVES this cake just as is, no flowers! I know the top cake will be ugly where all the pleats meet! Something's gotta go there!

You're welcome

My guess is KHalstead's 2nd response "I would say cut yourself some strips of fondant and lay them on the cake slightly overlapping each one as you go around!" But I think the strips of fondant have to be fairly thick so that the parts that slightly overlap can stick out. And if you look at the left side of the cake closely where the light isn't hitting, it looks as if between the overlapping, the strips are kind of pressed onto the cake. Did I make sense? That's my guess, IMHO. I would bet money on it LOL.

This is what I ended up with. This was done less then 24 hours after running a fever! My cakes always bulge a little even with dowel supports because they are too fricken moist! But my customers LOVE them, so I am not changing them, even if it would make my life easier and my work prettier! I thought it was a little plain, but the bride liked it! This took a lot of time!

Looks great! Did you end up doing it with strips of fondant overlapping each other?

Great job!!!