I will be decorating my first wedding cake in September for my cousins wedding. I have never had any formal training so I'm kind of scared. I can't decide whether I want to do stacked or columns....she left it up to me. Any suggestions or tips would be greatly appreciated.

Congrats! How fun! My suggestion, since she left it up to you, and since you've never done one before, is to first find a picture of a cake that YOU like. Look on this website, in magazines, do a search online... and then once you've found the one you want to do, come here for the how-to's! This website has been the greatest tool of all - real experience and practical problems answered, it's wonderful. Good luck!

Like APCakes suggested, I'd look for a cake in the galleries on here or maybe on the internet. The best thing to remember is keep your first cake simple. That way, you're a bit less nervous and so is the bride. Besides, I feel simplicity in a cake can be very elegant also ... If tiering a cake and since this is your first time, I'd suggest doing the push in pillars. They're really easy to do. Good luck with the cake and remember to post pictures of it here!!

For a first-timer, I'd go with columns! It's easy to handle each tier because it sits on a larger plate. Stacking them up is just using the columns to connect the plates. Another option would be a tiered cake stand. That way you just put each tier on it's own stand and have no worries about support! There are lots of pics of all these styles out there. See what you feel most comfortable with and go frm there! Good Luck!

Good advice peacock....That's what I'd do...one of those...
cakegal

I agree with the previous posts, there are millions of ideas online and in wedding magazines. Once you know what colors she perfers, the sky's the limit. I'm attaching a pic for you to see. . . I didn't make the cake, It's from "Cakes by Lauren" . I just wanted you to see, that if you use columns, you can use fresh flowers between the layers and it looks very classy. The flowers you use are totally up to you & the bride. Ask your florist to help you out picking flowers that can be placed on a cake (probably pesticide free). Good Luck! Make sure to post a picture of your cake afterwards.

I really appreciate all the advice. My mom and I are going this evening to get a tier stand where they kind of sit offset from each other.....the $29.99 on the Wilton site. I think this may be my best bet since I'm very knew at this. I have a question....what is the best method to get butter cream as smooth as you can....I've heard of people dipping there spatula in hot water then wiping it off. Is that a good idea?

I do that to get mine smooth...or you can let it crust over a bit by puting it in the fridge to stiffen up a bit and use a VIVA paper towel and dab at it to make it smooth. I prefer to use a hot spatula though.

The absolute best way I have found is the upside down method! http://www.cakecentral.com/article6-Upside-Down-Icing-Technique-for-Perfectly-Smooth-Icing.html
I also use a viva paper towel to finish it off. It takes a little practice, but the upside down makes sharp, beautiful edges and is the only way I will do a butter cream wedding cake.

I like the hot water spatula trick, but you can also try waiting till the frosting crusts over(15 min) and use parchment paper on the sides and top and gently rub over it with your hands or a spatula to get a smooth finish

My vote for smoothing BC is using viva paper towels. For me it is the way I get the best results. Since you have some time between now and then practice all the techniques and find which one (or combination) works for you.

If you are using 1/2 butter 1/2 Crisco buttercream, try adding 1 tbsp of light corn suryp to it. (1 tbsp per 2-3 cups buttercream). This will help achieve a smother finish and I find it is easier to work with. Also, heat your spatula with hot water, this helps with smoothing icing. One more tip, try using a spackle spatula for the sides, the one from a hardware store. I think it is easy to hold this spatula and produces a smoother, seamless finish. I hope this helps!

It helps alot. I can use any help that I can get lol. The more I know, the less nervous I am. Thanks again for everyone's advice.