Cake Flowers..

FutureMrsSchramm · June 2011

I just met with the cake vendor today, and we discussed cake flowers. I like the idea of having real flowers on the cake (lillys and roses) but the cake guy told me I should get sugar flowers put on. His reasons were because the flowers wont look fresh. Also, you have to stick them in the cake to stay in place and you would be wasting cake since they would have to throw away the pieces that had the flowers stuck in them.

Can anyone let me know what you have done and the outcomes??

FaithCaitlin · June 2011

I agree that your baker is probably just trying to get more $$. Sugar flowers are time consuming and pricey. That said, if you have the extra money, I'd spring for the sugar flowers- they're pretty AND edible. Fresh flowers, however, would be perfectly fine on your cake. It really just boils down to which option you want but don't feel like you have to go with sugar flowers because of what the baker said.

keeferwedding · June 2011

We are having sunflowers for our cake topper and when I mentioned this to the lady doing our cake she actually recommended this because she said it would look better and be cheaper for us to do this. I'd go for the real flowers

Temmith · June 2011

He's probably trying to get you to spend more. Actual flowers are cheaper and probably wouldn't wilt before you cut the cake.

I personally dislike the idea of real flowers on wedding cake because most florists get their flowers from wholesale stores that aren't always organic (meaning they use chemical pesticides and the like). You don't know if the flowers were sprayed with pesticides beforehand. Unlike food, the government doesn't regulate the levels of pesticide residue on imported flowers. Actually, custom agents looking for invasive pest species inadvertently encourage growers to heavily spray flowers. Roses are among the most heavily sprayed. A simple rinse by your florist might not be enough.

I might just be paranoid, but that's my reason I don't like real flowers in food. You CAN get flowers specifically marketed as being edible, however. And if you can get your flowers locally or from a friend with a garden, those flowers are probably best to use. Or, if you're super crafty or interested in cake art, you can get kits to make gumpaste flowers for $20 or so.

But it doesn't bother you, then going with real flowers is fine.

jenna burkett · July 2011

a TON of brides choose fresh flowers for their cake over sugar flowers - here are a couple of cakes that I think are gorgeous with fresh flowers. http://www.ilove-you-too.com/2011/06/cake-toppers.html

KatiScarlet · July 2011

I want to use fresh flowers, but I'm worried about chemicals too. I found this trick to keep the flowers from touching the cake at all.

Cut off the flower stems.
Cut clear celophane (the stiff kind) into circles the diameter of the flower base.
Put a toothpick through the center of the celophane circle.
Insert toothpick into base of flower however you want it to sit.
Insert other end of toothpick into cake as desired.

I haven't tried it and I don't know if I will do it or not yet, but it's an option. Good luck!

janicejab · July 2011

I agree with PPs and think this guy is full of it. If the flowers are going to wilt, then wouldn't your bouquet, corsages and boutonnieres also wilt? Florists know what kind of flowers wilt quickly and would or would not be appropriate for what you need. As another PP said, florists typically use a little dish with floral foam in it to create a small arrangement on top and a disk around the container to protect the top of the cake and make it more stable. They order the flowers unsprayed or even get them from a local organic grower if possible and use different handling procedures when doing cake flowers.

Cake Flowers..

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