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EEEWWWW!!! and i only say that b/c i super stink in the kitchen - all my guests would end up with tummy aches if i attempted this!! hahaa
but it's going to depend on how many guests you have?? is your mom going to be up to it??
i'd just cough up the $$ for the cake and enjoy the time you have with your mom the week of...
This is something I myself have been contemplating. I am pretty good in the kitchen and think if I did a practice run, I could do it. My FI says that I'll have too much going on that week to do it. If you do decide to do it, I would make a practice cake ahead of time to see how long it will take you, and to work out the kinks! I have been looking at a couple websites to help me decide. the first one is the wilton website. They have all kinds of books you can order and not to mention you can order all the supplies straight through them. Here's a few other links:
http://recipes.howstuffworks.com/how-to-make-a-wedding-cake.htm
http://www.wikihow.com/Fondant-a-Cake
http://weddings.about.com/od/weddingcakesfoodmenus/ss/decoweddingcake.htm
I hope some of this helps you!!! good luck with your decision, I know i'm still contemplating mine!
P_5283_2_122090.jpg (26.5 KB, 66 downloads) 2 years old 
I made my own cake, and I have to say I learned quite a bit. I had taken three Wilton classes before hand, so I had the tools and the know how, but I wasn't as prepared as I thought I was.
First, the cake to guest ratio...I made way too much. I'd recommend the Wilton cake chart. It would have saved me time and some money.
Secondly, I didn't manage my time. I should have made the frosting and the filling a week in advance. My cake was finished at 1:30 in the morning the day of the wedding, and I ended up using canned frosting instead of my scratch recipe.
Next I didn't have boxes to transport it in. My MIL had to run to the grocery store and get some from their bakery.
I saved so much money though...I think I spent all of $50.00 and I probably could have saved even more if I hadn't made it so huge (I had four teirs for 65 guests!). Do a test run to see how long it takes you and how many ingredients you have to buy. I bet everyone would be happy to be your guinea pig. :)
When my friend got married at her parent's house (they own a large house with lots of land), her mother baked the cake. The mother is super talented in the kitchen and has done stuff like this before. Her mom slaved away for 3 days in the kitchen (but it wasn't just for the cake). If you are having something just as casual, then let your mom bake the cake. If you have guests coming from out of town, a church ceremony, a reception location (and I assume hair and makeup) - that type of wedding....you are much better off not worrying about this stuff. Transporting the cake alone while juggling all the hectic things on the day of is pretty stressful. Also, if you plan on having a tiered cake, do you have the room to keep the cake fresh/refridgerated (I assume at least overnight).
I'm doing a Vienesse Sweet table and my MOH is making me a small cake for the cutting and to serve to a few who really want cake. I don't like cake and I can't see the sense in spending so much on cake when I can have a dessert table that people can choose from for almost the same price.
My mom is making a fake cake - she's taking cake decorating classes and is pretty good. But I've had her cakes - they're OK but her focus is definitely on the icing(and she'll admit it). So we're going to make our own styrofoam one, that way it can be done well in advance and its not a big deal if something disastorous happens. I'm serving ice cream cake (which I'm purchasing). Seems like the biggest ice cream cake issue was timing - so I figured I'd keep it in the kitchen until its ready to serve. Mom wanted to do a cake for my sister's wedding (but she was turned down) so I figure I'd let her give it a go.
Making a fondant cake would be the best as it can hold up to transport and outdoor weather if your location is outdoors. I made a multi-tiered cake for a swanky party my parents were having over the holidays and it wasn't too bad. I'd suggest you keep your decorations simple, e.g. no fancy piping work. Something like a ribbon around the base of your tiers (you see this on theKnot a lot) and maybe some fresh flowers. The only thing I can see as the biggest problem would be storage (fridge) and assembly. It's easiest to transport the cake unassembled (I'd highly suggest it) and assemble it onsite. But here's the problem, you're getting married. How are you going to assemble/decorate the cake if you're busy primping and getting ready? If you have someone you know is pretty good in decorating etc and NOT in the bridal party, perhaps you can ask them. If you 1) keep your decorations simple and 2) do a lot of prep work beforehand, your "sous chef" will just have to place the layers on top of each other.
I say go for it! What a great way to spend time with your mom - by making the cake together! I'm sure it will save lots of money, too.
I'd agree with LisaL and say keep the decor simple and use fresh flowers to jazz up the design if you decide to do your own cake. However, if it were me, I would you consider getting a pre-made cake from a deli or grocery store and decorating it with flowers. By the time you buy ingredients, take a cake decorating class (!), and pay for decorations, you might end up spending quite a bit of money anyway, and it sounds like a stressful last minute job. Why not give yourself one less hassle before the wedding and have the store deliver it or a friend pick it up? I think lots of round chocolate cakes (or the more traditional white) displayed on different level cake stands with bright flowers or sugared fruits (which you can make yourself for cheap)-- would look beautiful. Your florist should be used to decorating cakes with simple flowers or fruits. Check out this pic:
http://www.publix.com/food/catalog/ProductDetail.do?id=128
I also recently went to a wedding where dessert was a whole table of cakes and pies that the family brought it. Much tastier than 95% of all the wedding cake I've eaten!
I would love to make my own cake (I love baking), but I'm afraid of not having enough time the week before to do it. My mom is already nervous because I'm not planning on taking the entire week before off of work, just maybe Thursday and Friday.
If you do decide to go for it, I think it would be reasonable to make the cake layers a week ahead of time and freeze them until you're ready to decorate. That would make things much easier time-wise because you wouldn't have to worry about baking, cooling and decorating all in one long session.
I am making my own cake!!! You can do it!!! It's funny - most people tell me I'm crazy, but they also *never* bake. I've made a lot of wedding cakes and as long as you are not doing it all the day before, you're set. Make the frosting and filling ahead of time. I have 70 guests, so I used the Wilton cake chart to determine how much to make. My FI loves my banana cake, but I don't know if that would be popular with everyone. I love Angel Food cake, so I am trying to think of how to incorporate that. Good luck!!
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I'm considering making my own cake, but I'm note sure if it is more work than it's worth in money savings. I will have my mom in town the week of the wedding and she is pretty talented in the kitchen. Any thoughts or stories?