Cake quandary

Even before the market theme came to fruition (holy crap! I didn't even realize it was a pun until I proofread), one of my favorite ideas was to use my grandpa's chocolate beet cake recipe for our wedding cake.

That's right, everyone. Beets. I read somewhere that your wedding cake should be the best cake you've ever eaten, and this cake* takes the... well, you know. My grandpa has been making it for as long as I can remember, and it's the stuff of legend. And many a weekend breakfast at our family's house, I'm embarrassed to say.

I gave the recipe to our caterer soon after we booked them, because I mentioned it at our first meeting and they were very intrigued. They were even more excited when they found out it uses canned beets rather than fresh ones, significantly lowering the mess factor. My first thought was to make mini bundt cakes - my grandpa always makes the cake in a bundt pan. 

source

But my life changed - seriously - when I found a certain picture, whose source I cannot find for the LIFE of me. I have become obsessed. 

With some brides, it's the Badgley Mischka dress. Others, the perfect pink peony. But me? For me, it's all about chocolate and mini shovels:

Is that not THE most perfect thing you could imagine for this wedding? I want to lick the screen every time I look at the picture.

 I really do have that impulse. What kind of deficiency is that?

A few things are complicating my mission, though. Our caterers are understandably wary of doing the vegetables because they'd be a totally time-consuming labor of love. I'd be happy to find another baker to do it, but there aren't that many options around here: one only decorates with fresh flowers, one is horrendously expensive, several won't use a family recipe - you get the picture. 

I wrote to Keavy from the fabulous Kumquat Cupcakery in Brooklyn, and she said she'd be happy to do it (and I think she'd do an amazing job), but with that option, one of our friends would have to drive them all the way from NYC. Stressful for everyone involved. I'm thinking of branching out to bakers in the Syracuse, Binghamton, and Rochester areas, but what I'd really like to do is have our caterers make the cupcakes or mini bundts and have someone else make the veggies - it would be so much less expensive! (I've looked online to purchase them, but the only things I can find are made of marzipan, which isn't my favorite.) I posted an Etsy Alchemy request and hope to hear something soon. Etsy don't fail me now...

Keavy's gorgeous creations. source

How far should I take this before I give up on it? Do you have one inspiration photo you've found, or one idea you've had, that you just can't let go of?

*Not my grandpa's recipe... that just wouldn't be fair. But it's close.