There are so many choices when it comes to wedding cakes, you'd be forgiven for wondering where on earth to start. Thankfully, the more you know about your wedding already, the easier it is to make decisions (like a semi-naked wedding cake for a barn venue or avoiding buttercream in the heat of summer).
But when it comes to flowers, should you have sugar ones, painstakingly put together by your cake designer, or should you go to your florist instead?
3 Reasons To Choose Sugar Flowers
They're out of season. This one's a no-brainer. Unless you're willing to shift your wedding, you're going to have to choose different flowers or get a sugar version.
The real version is toxic. Love Lily of the Valley or Foxgloves? Avoid! Avoid ! Avoid!
You don't need to worry about them wilting. There's only so long a flower can go without water. Oasis helps (i.e. the green stuff you can push your flowers into so they last longer) but a sugar flower will keep its shape forever (provided you don't sit on it, obvs).
3 Reasons To Choose Real Flowers
Sugarcraft costs more. Sugar flowers take ages to make. And I mean ages. Some take days. So that's where the expense lies (and you may therefore wish to get real ones instead).
Sugar flowers can break easily. Brush past a real flower and the petals will swish back into place. A sugar flower's less forgiving. Many are as delicate as porcelain and will shatter if dropped.
People may guess they're not real. Even the best sugarcrafters can't get petals to catch the a breese and that lack of movement may be spotted by a keen eye.
That said, I still remember the first time I saw a wedding cake with sugar flowers on it. They were calla lilies and looked so impressive, I couldn't believe they weren't real. I actually took the bride's bouquet up to them to do a comparison (yep, that's the geek in me) and I still couldn't see the difference. And you may want the same reaction from your guests. You know, that wow factor that makes your wedding even more special.
Want to chat about what sort of flowers you should have on your cake? Drop me an e-mail!