Anyone have any thoughts on whether it's ok to use real seashells (cleaned and sterilized of course) on a wedding cake?
It's for a family member and I will be at the reception cutting the cake for them...not getting paid to make this for a stranger so no worries on getting sued if anyone bites into one!

I don't see any problem if they're properly cleaned. People eat raw seafood that comes out of them right??

But chocolate seashells are quite realistic and yummy!

I made a beach theme wedding cake last month and used white chocolate shells brushed with pearl dust and they looked and tasted great. So I agree with leah_s on this one and go with the chocolate. That way you don't have to worry about any problems that could arise from using the real ones.

I wouldn't - not only because of the cleanliness side of things - but i know a family member who is highly allergic to not only seafood but the shells they live/lived in.
Its all in the dyes of the creatures - and shells

An allergy is an allergy - and allergies can and are fatal.
Just the same as many fresh flowers can be fatal.

Can you not make them out of fondant?

There could be more than a chipped tooth at stake.


Bluehue

I would go with the chocolate. I made seashells out of swirled white chocolate and they turned out really cute. You can adjust the colors to match the wedding's colors. There's a photo in my profile if you're interested!