Flowers: Fresh, Sugar, Or Fake?
Decorating By ChoueiriCakeCo Updated 28 Mar 2010 , 5:46pm by ChoueiriCakeCo
Before I started making cakes (when I was only watching and had no idea all of the work it takes to make elaborate cakes), I thought "Everything must be edible!!". I knew that I wanted to learn how to make sugar flowers, but since I'm self taught, that's going much more slower than I hoped. I've seen cakes with beautiful sugar flowers, and cakes with fresh flowers that look just as good. For those of you who work with flowers, which do you prefer? Do your clients prefer fresh, sugar, or fake? And is there more of a demand for sugar flowers these days?
(My apologies if this has been asked before, I couldn't find anything in a search).
Before I started making cakes (when I was only watching and had no idea all of the work it takes to make elaborate cakes), I thought "Everything must be edible!!". I knew that I wanted to learn how to make sugar flowers, but since I'm self taught, that's going much more slower than I hoped. I've seen cakes with beautiful sugar flowers, and cakes with fresh flowers that look just as good. For those of you who work with flowers, which do you prefer? Do your clients prefer fresh, sugar, or fake? And is there more of a demand for sugar flowers these days?
(My apologies if this has been asked before, I couldn't find anything in a search).
Hi!
I pride myself in only selling cakes with sugar flowers. I don't like fake (silk or plastic) and I don't find real flowers very sanitary.
I attract my clients mainly with my sugar flowers. They can have custom cakes at many places but only few cake decorators here, make elaborate cakes with beautiful sugar flowers. These flowers are so special and you give the wedding couple a keep sake for life!
Yes, sugar flowers do take a lot of time to create. That is why my cakes are more expensive than 'regular' custom cakes. But my clients don't mind paying a high price for a cake with a unique flower arrangement.
My business has been growing steadily since I decided to only do flower cakes!
Before I started making cakes (when I was only watching and had no idea all of the work it takes to make elaborate cakes), I thought "Everything must be edible!!". I knew that I wanted to learn how to make sugar flowers, but since I'm self taught, that's going much more slower than I hoped. I've seen cakes with beautiful sugar flowers, and cakes with fresh flowers that look just as good. For those of you who work with flowers, which do you prefer? Do your clients prefer fresh, sugar, or fake? And is there more of a demand for sugar flowers these days?
(My apologies if this has been asked before, I couldn't find anything in a search).
100% SUgar flowers..... look at all the sugar flower tutorials here.... keep practicing.... and this is my motto (well this is RON BEN ISRAEL's Lecture, what he thaught me)
1.You always have to be the one in control of the wedding consult....
2.You will tell/show them why their best option IS sugar flowers.
3.Explain that for example with real flowers.... they are loaded with pesticides and you don't know what that might do to you cake when it comes to taste and/or anything that can affect the taste fo the cake... Ron Ben will NOT use real flowers at all in any of his cakes....
I have had the predicament and I always change their minds so they get sugar flowers... specially when you tell them about the pesticides...
Good Luck and practice practice practice.... you will get really good at making them... I promise you that...
HTH
3.Explain that for example with real flowers.... they are loaded with pesticides and you don't know what that might do to you cake when it comes to taste and/or anything that can affect the taste fo the cake... Ron Ben will NOT use real flowers at all in any of his cakes....
Wow, I'd never even thought of that! That is definitely something that I don't want coming into contact with any of my cakes. Sugar flowers are a lot of work, but it's worth it. Maybe I'll try watching some video tutorials and practice a lot more.
Thank you both for your responses 
When it comes to cakes, it has to be 100% edible. Sometimes brides ask me whether I can arrange fresh flowers for their cake. I always say to them that I only do sugar flowers and if they want fresh flowers ask their florist to do them. But I get everything written and signed on the contract from the bride. 
And I hate fake flowers!!! 
I don't sell cakes but I made a wedding cake as a gift for a friend who insisted on fresh flowers. The cake was one of my better ones but I ended up being disappointed in it because of the flowers. I love making the flowers and think that sugar flowers really make the cake special.
I just made my first gum paste flowers this week. (My Tahitian Shower cake) It was SOOO much fun! And I do like that everything is edible on the cake (even if you don't actually eat them!) I definitely need to practice lots more...so I will be looking for excuses to make cakes with flowers on them! LOL! 
mireillea: Your flowers are GORGEOUS!!!! It's great that you are able to totally specialize in something like that! Way to find your niche! 
mireillea: Your flowers are GORGEOUS!!!! It's great that you are able to totally specialize in something like that! Way to find your niche!
Ah, you make me blush! Thank you so much for the compliment.! Making sugar flowers goes beyond enjoyment for me, it is my true passion!
After a long working day it really cheers me up. Flowers make me happy!
I find it so inspirational to try and make different kinds of flowers: from exotic ones to garden flowers. And it offers something wonderful for the client as well: they can choose any flower they like!
I avoid using the terms "Have to" or "never' when talking design with a bride. No, a wedding cake does not HAVE TO be almond flavored, like her friend told her. Flowers do not "have to" be sugar, or silk, or real. There's always a preference ... .on the part of the designer and the part of the bride, but I avoid using the absolutes.
I like having sugar flowers available from suppliers. I've used these with no problem. When a bride asked "do you hand make them?", I told her "No I don't. They're hand made by somebody, just not by me." She was fine with that.
I prefer to use and make sugar flowers, although i know many don't have the patience for sugar flowers, i personally find them very relaxing to make and a joy for me to see a cake come together knowing that i did it all. Of course i'm not high volume, if i were i would have to look for a supplier cause i just wouldn't have the time to do it all.
I like doing what makes my bride happy. It's her vision for her cake that's important, not mine. I've seen both beautiful and ugly cakes with fresh, silk, and sugar flowers.
As a designer, if you don't want to do anything but sugar, that's your prerogative if you feel you can afford to limit your business to that. I'm not willing to limit myself that much. A lot of my brides can't or don't want to pay the extra for sugar flowers.
I think it's smart to discuss the pros and cons of each (and there are pros to fresh and silk). I don't think it's appropriate to overstate the "loaded with pesticides" argument to try to terrorize your bride into buying your sugar flowers. There are often ways to create barriers between flower and cake that can work for real flowers. The only absolute I have is that I will not put poisonous flowers on cakes regardless of the barriers used. That's just crazy.
I like having sugar flowers available from suppliers. I've used these with no problem. When a bride asked "do you hand make them?", I told her "No I don't. They're hand made by somebody, just not by me." She was fine with that.
Everyone has a lot of good points. I have a local cake supply store that sells pre made sugar flowers, so If I don't quite get the hang of it I could always pick some up from there.
Your poll makes me chuckle. Fresh, sugar, or fake? Sugar flowers ARE fake. Silk flowers are just that. Silk.
hehe...that's what I meant 
(now if only I could somehow edit the poll!).
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