The Wedding Cake Begins

A couple of months ago, my niece asked me to make her Wedding cake.
I said yes!
The Wedding is in June.
This year.
Soon.
We chatted about ideas and she looked at some of the pictures of some of the cakes I have done previously(although a Wedding cake will be a first for me!)
She decided on a cake done in tiers and I am hoping that it will not all end in tears as I have never balanced cakes before on pillars.
She wants pillars in between the layers with fresh flowers in the bridal colours laid on top of each layer.
Lovely!
I did a little practise over the Easter holidays to see how it might all go together and remain balanced and upright and if the Bride to be liked it!She loved it and so this weekend I have begun.
The base cake is a huge fruit cake.
I used a recipe from this recipe book.
You can check out the author's blog for other fabulous ideas too.
So, today, I had a smashing time.I came up with an ingenious bowl to use.I am glad I have recently joined a gym as the cake was really heavy!My niece wants a cake topper Bride and Groom with a surprise for the Groom!
I have begun making the Bride and Groom today too.
I used the same design as for my Merry Monk I did a few months ago and am trying to be creative with colours and clothing, as the Bride would like the groom to be wearing something like this.

So I mixed, purple and blue and the Bride is coming together nicely. Just have the roses to attach next for her bouquet.
The Groom is still in pieces. I used some denture fixative powder to strengthen him. I am leaving him in pieces to dry before clothing and sticking him together.
I really really hope that he will be upright in the end - or he could look very drunk as a cake topper, photographed like that for years to come. Imagine.
Friends suggested helpfully that he could be kneeling in prayer or leaning on the Bride but I fear he might end up flat on his face!
I will keep you posted with how this project develops over these next few weeks.
The remaining layers of cake will be sponge cakes, so I will do those in several weeks' time.