Photographer: Emma Tarn Photography
Flowers provided by: Windmill Flowers
Flowers provided by: Windmill Flowers
This can be a tricky one to decide. Do you adorn your cake with fresh flowers or sugar flowers? In this article I am going to guide you through the different things to think about, so that you will be able to make a decision and be happy with it.
Expense
You may ask: ‘why do sugar flowers cost SO much money?’ The reason is that much time and skill go into making individual flowers, petals and leaves to make them sturdy enough for transport but beautiful and realistic to display on your cake. The process is quite time consuming, so you can imagine if you want your cake to be covered from top to toe in cascading flowers, it will undoubtedly increase costs. If money is no object, then you will be fine, but if you are on a budget then you may want to consider having just a couple of large blooms on your cake.
Fresh flowers are no different when it comes to costs, as many factors can affect it such as whether the flowers are in season at the time of your wedding, and how elaborate you want your floral arrangement to be.
Longevity
The great thing about having sugar flowers is that they will last long after your cake! They will keep their shape and colour if kept out of direct sunlight, and will be a constant reminder of that special day.
Fresh flowers do not fare so well. You can have them dried and framed (Yes you can frame your flowers - I framed my bouquet), but they will lose their colour and obviously their freshness. Depending how you look at it, it will still hold it’s beauty in that it now has something it didn’t have before, and that’s sentimental value.
Ambience
Sugar flowers can really give that wow factor because you can be as creative as you want. However, nothing compares to the smell of fresh flowers (sorry hay fever sufferers). The smell of your bouquet and the flowers you use on your cake will never escape your memory, and will be forever etched in your mind. This is where the sugar flowers can’t compete - unless you love the smell of sugar!
Creativity
Creativity knows no bounds when it comes to sugar flowers or fresh flowers. Although, with sugar flowers, you can create blooms that do not occur naturally. For example, you could have roses with pearl stamens, peonies with gold petals or Cala lillies made from sugar lace.
With fresh flowers you can really get an interesting variety that may be costly but will add something special and different to what your guests have seen before.
I don’t know if I have made your decision that much harder because the truth is that both sugar flowers and fresh flowers fight a good case. What do you love most? Are you naturally drawn to beautiful floral arrangements or out of this world sugar work? Do you want a keepsake that will last for the rest of your days or do you revel in scents that take you back to a time you could relive again and again?
I’ll let you decide.
You may ask: ‘why do sugar flowers cost SO much money?’ The reason is that much time and skill go into making individual flowers, petals and leaves to make them sturdy enough for transport but beautiful and realistic to display on your cake. The process is quite time consuming, so you can imagine if you want your cake to be covered from top to toe in cascading flowers, it will undoubtedly increase costs. If money is no object, then you will be fine, but if you are on a budget then you may want to consider having just a couple of large blooms on your cake.
Fresh flowers are no different when it comes to costs, as many factors can affect it such as whether the flowers are in season at the time of your wedding, and how elaborate you want your floral arrangement to be.
Longevity
The great thing about having sugar flowers is that they will last long after your cake! They will keep their shape and colour if kept out of direct sunlight, and will be a constant reminder of that special day.
Fresh flowers do not fare so well. You can have them dried and framed (Yes you can frame your flowers - I framed my bouquet), but they will lose their colour and obviously their freshness. Depending how you look at it, it will still hold it’s beauty in that it now has something it didn’t have before, and that’s sentimental value.
Ambience
Sugar flowers can really give that wow factor because you can be as creative as you want. However, nothing compares to the smell of fresh flowers (sorry hay fever sufferers). The smell of your bouquet and the flowers you use on your cake will never escape your memory, and will be forever etched in your mind. This is where the sugar flowers can’t compete - unless you love the smell of sugar!
Creativity
Creativity knows no bounds when it comes to sugar flowers or fresh flowers. Although, with sugar flowers, you can create blooms that do not occur naturally. For example, you could have roses with pearl stamens, peonies with gold petals or Cala lillies made from sugar lace.
With fresh flowers you can really get an interesting variety that may be costly but will add something special and different to what your guests have seen before.
I don’t know if I have made your decision that much harder because the truth is that both sugar flowers and fresh flowers fight a good case. What do you love most? Are you naturally drawn to beautiful floral arrangements or out of this world sugar work? Do you want a keepsake that will last for the rest of your days or do you revel in scents that take you back to a time you could relive again and again?
I’ll let you decide.
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