I have a wedding in 10 days where the bride wants to have real flowers cascading down the front of the cake. Wondering if some of you would share what techniques you have used for real flowers. I will use a flower cake vase thing for the top, but they are so big that I don't want to stick them all the way down the cake. I'm afraid it will make the cake fall apart. So, I was thinking of wrapping a wet paper towel around each stem and then covering in plastic wrap. ??? Also, how do I put plastic wrap down to keep the flowers from touching the cake without it being seen? The cake is going to be covered in buttercream - no fondant. Don't want flower pollen and parts stuck in the icing. Starting to worry a little. Thanks in advance for the help.

That does sound like a challenge to me. Jennifer Dontz has a great DVD on arranging flowers and talks about the challenges of using real flowers. You might contact her for some advice. I know you must be sure that none of the flowers are poison if eaten and you can probably cover some florist foam in press n seal and stick the flowers into that. You will just have to be sure that they are not too heavy for each tier. I used this method for some gum paste flowers on a buttercream cake and then attached the flower filled foam with skewers. Hope that helps some.

Questions for you, the florist nand the client ..

1. are the flowers chosen non-poisionous
2. have they been sprayed with chemicals such as insecticides and fungicides ?
3. are they allergenic?

As you are attaching them to the cake, regardless or the customer's brief, you are responsible for food and consumer safety ..

A bit of research is needed ..

CC Article on non-toxic fresh flowers:

http://cakecentral.com/articles/78/list-of-non-toxic-flowers-for-garnishing-your-cake

Wilton flower spikes, flower ring, flower cups:

http://www.wilton.com/store/site/product.cfm?id=3E312C10-475A-BAC0-5D34A3D6D0BDDF27

HTH

Thank you for your posts. The flower is food safe, but I haven't been able to find out about pesticides. So, I'm going to arrive early to wash the flowers off as much as I can. And, thankfully, the client has asked me to be there to cut the cake; so I think I'm going to drap a line of fondant down the cake to attache the flowers to. Then when time to cut, remove flowers and fondant. The bride doesn't want any fondant at all, but I'm trying to convince her now that this is the best way to ensure everyone's safety. Thanks again.