Help! I am new to decorating and need help!

As a starter I think you should look into taking some wilton decorating courses. You will learn alot of useful tips. Good luck!!!

My suggestion would be to take some cake decorating courses. If this isn't an option for you, then I suggest that you read, read, read. You can also get a lot of good information on making icing, making a marshmallow fondant, and applying marshmallow fondant on youtube. You will find good info on here too. Some of my suggestions would be: practice, practice, practice. Don't wait until you need the cake to make it. Make you some practice cakes beforehand. Always add supports for every 4" you go up in height. When doing a square of rectangular cake covered in fondant always start with the corners and then smooth between the corners afterward. Allow yourself plenty of time so you don't have to rush and have time to make corrections for problems encountered. If you like, I have a blog that might help you out getting started. It is listed in my links below for cakenewbies.

Oh dear, so much about this makes me a lot worried... first hello, and welcome to CC!

But I have to be the voice of reason here - if you have very little, if no cake decorating experience, I do not recommend you attempt to make a 3D cake for your wedding, I don't care what Wilton classes you may be able to take between now and your special day! Most brides are nuts to try and make their own tiered cakes, but a 3D grooms cake? That's completely insane. Just think of all the stress you will already be under, do yourself a favor and don't add this to it! The few days leading up to your wedding you want to be spending with family coming from out of town, getting your nails done, getting your hair done, getting tan, getting lots of sleep... the last thing you want to be doing is be elbows deep in buttercream and fondant for 3-4 days leading up to your day!

I mean, if you want to learn to decorate cakes, that's great, but attempting this type of a project for such a life-changing, monumental day will, guaranteed, give you nightmares, frustrate you like no other frustration you've ever had in your life, keep you up for days, and make you cry (a lot). It will also wreck your nails.

It's a very sweet sentiment, but maybe think about making him that cake for his birthday or something that has a lot less stress attached to it.

Good luck!

Wow! 45 minutes is a bit of a drive. There are some good videos on Youtube and some good books you can download right to your computer. One I like is Cake Decorating Genius http://bit.ly/ACeIBn. Lots of recipes and decorating help.

Hi wifetobe2012, I'm new to cake decorating as well and wanted to tell you how I managed my first cake 10 months ago. My daughter asked for a Tangled cake for her 5th birthday...I totally stressed out because I had never made anything like that...and I was bad at baking anyways. So after finding cakecentral, I read and read for weeks...and read some more...and felt ok to give it a try. I had never made buttercream or heard of fondant...a totally new world to me...but I was hooked!
I made a WASC because the reviews were so great, and then I made my very first MMF and took at least a week to build a tower for the cake.
If you're still going to make the groom's cake, make sure you have a great recipe that won't let you down...have the right kind of pans, colors, tools etc...and make as much as you can way ahead of time.
I'm loving cake making so much now that I take every opportunity I can get to decorate one for a friend or neighbor. Good luck!

Aww, I started the same way lucky blue eye - 5 months ago my son wanted a superhero cake for his 3rd birthday....I knew nothing!!! I read a lot too- in fact, I put little wooden dowels in the cake like I read - - only I didn't know each layer needed to be on cardboard, I just put another layer of cake on top of each dowel---I thought it seemed wierd to do that- but that's what I read!! I made everything from scratch and was so proud - - and then super hooked after that moment! And wife to be- - all I can advise is practice, practice, practice! I've never taken the wilton course- some day I intend to get to it, but I usually pick a cake inspiration and then if I can't figure it out- I go to youtube!

The very first cake I made was a Tiffany box cake http://cakecentral.com/gallery/1550995/tiffany-blue-gift-box-cake-with-bracelet and it was fairly simple, but it got me hooked on decorating.

Make something that is simple but looks impressive. Polka dots, bows, stripes etc., on a regular layer cake all can be done easily and without the stress of making figures or elaborate piping.

You'll learn how to smooth your buttercream, how to color fondant, get the cutters you'll need, etc. All good basics to start with.
My suggestions...get an offset spatula...one large, one small.
Get a fondant roller if you can. Right now a small one would be fine if you are just doing decor. Available at Hobby Lobby or Michaels.

Crumb coat your cake when it is COLD.. you won't be pulling up warm cake with your buttercream and making a huge mess if it is. Put it back in the refrigerator after crumb coating to set it so that your frosting goes on smoothly. (check out all the Youtube videos on how to smooth buttercream).

Buy your fondant first...don't make it yet. Get used to the feel and how it rolls out. Download the usual 40% off coupon at Michaels or Hobby Lobby and buy it there. Wilton fondant is good for decor.

Buy gel colors...Americolor is the best and easiest to find at Hobby Lobby. Wilton colors work OK too if you can't find Americolor.

I am totally self taught with the exception of one 2 hour buttercream class where I learned to do basic piping (borders and such). I also worked at a bakery and observed how they did things then applied that to when I started decorating.

I agree with the others that are telling you NOT to do your groom's cake. Your wedding should be about you having fun not getting stressed. And no matter how simple a cake is, you'll still get stressed to some degree because you want it to be perfect! However decorating is such fun, maybe look to doing your 1st anniversary cake instead! Good luck!

You can find Wilton decorating classes at Michaels, Hobby Lobby and some Jo-Anns fabric stores. Supports can be wooden dowels or plastic tubes both of which you can find in the cake decorating isle at any of those stores.