Not sure whether to opt for fresh flowers or sugar flowers as part of your wedding cake design?

There’s a lot to talk about here so let’s take a deep dive into the pros and cons:

Safety First!

Let's be honest, fresh flowers are amazing and a wedding would not be a wedding without them. BUT when it comes to your cake, you may not be aware that many real flowers are just not suitable to be placed near or on your cake as they are actually toxic or poisonous!

One example which always surprises people is the stunningly beautiful hydrangea. These are definitely among my top 5 favourite flowers and aside from looking incredible, and because of their big puffy size, they really do give a big bang for your buck, adding volume and grandeur to any display. Sadly however they cannot be used as part of your cake design because of their toxicity.

It's important to mention here that even flowers that are considered ‘food safe’ must also NEVER be pushed into a cake. It’s my job to carefully and meticulously prepare them before they go anywhere near your cake! (If you have ever trimmed flowers to go into a vase you may have noticed sap seeping from the stems. Obviously you don’t want this transferring onto your beautiful cake that your guests are going to eat so it’s crucial that this doesn’t happen!). Fresh flowers are generally made available to me on the morning of the wedding so I will allow extra time at the venue for this. It’s not a quick job and it takes experience and knowledge to get it just right but the end result is worth it! So if you know someone who is having a relative or family friend make their wedding cake, they will need to know this (it's actually best to leave it to a professional Luxury Wedding Cake Designer to be honest to avoid any issues arising as a result of inexperience).

With sugar flowers, as they are (obviously) made of sugar, they don’t present the issue of being toxic and are therefore perfectly safe on your cake. Depending on the type of flower and the design, some may have wired ‘stems’, so when it comes to decorating your cake they are also made food safe before the adorning commences!

Being food safe already, opting for sugar flowers means that you are not restricted by the variety you have on your cake design which gives more creative freedom and personalisation opportunities for you as the client, and for me as the designer.

Do you want a specific variety of flower?

Real fresh flowers are of course seasonal which means that your favourites may not be available at the time of your wedding which can be disappointing for you. Roses are always a staple because there are literally hundreds of different varieties so they are generally available all year round which is one reason why they are so popular. With sugar flowers there is absolutely no restriction on what you can have no matter the time of year. I can create whatever your heart desires; any variety, and size, any colour!.

How important is a seamless colour match to you?

Speaking of colour, one of the benefits of having hand crafted blooms is that I can create and blend the exact custom shade to match your aesthetic perfectly. It can be a bit of a gamble knowing what colour fresh flowers are going to be when they arrive but that’s the beauty of them. They are organic and unique by their very nature which is why we love them.

If a white aesthetic is your vibe, then a cautionary word of warning. I often find that with fresh flowers, especially white roses, they are rarely actually white! They tend to have a yellowy tinge, some not so much but some really quite yellow and to be honest this can really detract from the pureness of a white cake, especially if the design does not call for shades of yellow!. Yellow flowers definitely have their place but it’s important that they are meant to part of the design. We don’t want any last minute surprises. Just something to be mindful of.

Creating flowers from sugar (or wafer paper) is my favourite thing to do and I have spend many many hours perfecting my own realistic style, with careful and expert shading to give a soft hue. So when it comes to designing and making YOUR flowers, you can be confident they will be completely realistic, in gorgeous shades and totally unique to you!.

Budget Consideration

It is no secret that sugar flowers generally work out more expensive than fresh flowers when it comes to your cake because they are handmade. With fresh, your florist will simply put some flowers aside for me to decorate your cake with on the day of your wedding, so this is a very cost effective option, unless of course you are having a full cascade of flowers with a huge installation around the cake, in which case there would be additional cost to your florist budget.

It’s important not to discard the option of sugar flowers because you think you can’t stretch the budget. We can discuss a number of different options so that you can choose exactly how you want to spend your budget.

Would you like to keep your flowers?

As you can tell by now, I really do love fresh flowers. I love working with them and I have a number of florist friends who are incredible at what they do. Their creativity and passion for their work is awe inspiring and they work so hard at creating amazing installations, so it makes me a bit sad that the flowers only provide a temporary wow! Sugar or wafer paper flowers however will not perish. They last indefinitely, make a wonderful keepsake and are a beautiful reminder of your big day. For many of my clients, having something so personal that holds so much meaning and that lasts a life-time is worth the additional investment. They love having their cake flowers on display. Pop them in vase like you would real flowers, in a glass cloche dome or an acrylic display case. You could even gift them to a relative or friend who played a significant part of your wedding day.

Sugar flower arrangement, handcrafted petal by petal.

I am conscious there is SO much information here and it may seem overwhelming but worry not my friend! This is what I am here for. I will guide, advise and recommend what will be perfect for YOUR big day.

What’s right for you with your wedding cake flowers really depends on what is important to you. Rest assured whether you opt for fresh or sugar flowers, I promise you they will be beautiful!

If you would like to explore your options further, please do get in touch below and let’s find your perfect match!

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