Transporting large wedding cake...Professional help needed!

If this was my first 5 tiered cake and I was driving 1 1/2 hours away I'd be nervous, so I'd transport the tiers separately and stack it on site. You could just use regular dowels and not worry about a special support system then, because it wouldn't be moved once it was set up. It would also totally eliminate the possibility of a tier shifting during delivery if it wasn't stacked.

When you use something like SPS, you stick each cake tier down onto its plate with a good gob of buttercream.  You can also consider the Wilton hidden pillars, they make more of a hole in the cake but the separator plate feet give you lots of finger space underneath for carrying. 

I would NEVER transport anything more than a 6" tier stacked onto something else. With single tiers, you drive at a constant moderate rate and at a double distance from cars, and there won't be any damage.  You drive and finish five separate tiers the same way you drive one or two cakes--DO NOT be nervous. Take a deep breath and work carefully but confidently. 

Then you stack onsite after correcting any finger marks from carrying tiers into the venue.

You might consider starting with the two smallest tiers frozen solid for your long drive. The larger tiers need to be chilled overnight but they will stay cold long enough.

I used SPS for the 1st time today and it was amazing! I finally found cake separator plates and 4" high legs in the cake store and it allowed very safe delivery for 2 hours on very bumpy roads! Leah_s has been recommending this for so long and I finally got a hold of the set! You will want to look up some videos on youtube on how to assemble it if you are a visual person. I find it easier to assemble than having the cut dowel roads. It is also safer. Just make sure to charge your customer for the pieces in case you don't get them back. They were very expensive for me to purchase the cake separator plates and legs. Costed me $100US+
 

$100 - woah.  Where do you live, Pearl?

BakingIrene, DH always drove normally with cakes assembled with SPS.  Normal speeds, too much braking, whizzing around curves., etc.

Quote:

Originally Posted by leah_s 

$100 - woah.  Where do you live, Pearl?

In the Caribbean. Yal wouldn't believe how expensive it is to ship here from the U.S. I order almost all my cake equipment, cutters, tools etc on amazon now because we don't have everything here. I have double S&H to pay. S&H from the company's warehouse to my Miami skybox. Then shipping costs from Miami to my island. Worse, cake decorating tools are hit hard with very high customs and duties and VAT. So yes, I spent just over $100US to buy Cake separator plates and legs for a 3 tier cake. Was painful. Right now I'm looking to import 10lb buckets of fondant and dreading the final bill to ship in.

Oh Pearl, I am so sorry that you have to pay such high prices for cake items.  This is just horrible that they charge you that kind of money for shipping.  It sounds like someone is taking advantage of anyone who lives in the Caribbean Islands by charging that kind of money for shipping.  It is not right that they do that.  Sorry to hear this is happening!!!  Have you always lived in the Caribbean? 

I spent $307 on SPS supplies from GSA a couple of months ago. Shipping was $70ish. Customs here was another $70ish. Oh and it took 4 weeks to get it delivered to my door. It's painful but I personally find it necessary. Even transporting a 6"/8" setup makes me nervous if I don't have SPS.

You guys need to vacation in the US and bring a big, empty suitcase.

Leah, I was thinking the same thing!!! Instead of packing extra luggage a big extra empty suitcase!!!!