How to Decorate a Wedding Cake with Fresh Flowers
The cake is often the centerpiece of a wedding reception. Whether the wedding cake is small or large, its design leaves an impression on guests. Unfortunately, wedding cakes can be expensive. It's time-consuming for wedding cake designers to create intricate details, and the labor involved in making edible floral decorations can result in a cake that costs more than the bride's dress. One way to save money on a wedding cake is to decorate it with fresh flowers. Another plus is the fresh flowers can match the bridal party flowers.
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Things You'll Need
- Fresh flowers
- Cold water
- Paper towels
- Scissors
- Refrigeration
- Wedding cake
- Cake frosting
- Clear toothpicks
Instructions
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Preparing Flowers
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1
Choose the flowers for your wedding cake. The best fresh flowers for wedding cakes include roses, pansies, petunias, daises and orchids.
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2
Wash the flowers gently with cold water, which prevents them from wilting. Place the flowers on paper towels to dry.
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3
Trim the stems off the flowers, cutting close to the bloom. Leave an inch or two of stem on some of the flowers if you would like to add height to your floral decoration.
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4
Put the flowers in a cool place such as a refrigerator while you decorate the cake. This makes the flowers sturdier and less likely to fall apart.
Arranging Flowers
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5
Starting at the top of the wedding cake, arrange the flowers on the cake tiers, placing a dab of frosting on the underside of each flower to hold it in place.
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6
To give height to some of the flowers on the cake, as well as to cascade flowers down the cake sides, insert clear toothpicks through the stems and into the desired locations on the cake. Do not stick flower stems directly into the cake.
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7
Refrigerate the cake immediately after decorating to prevent the flowers from wilting.
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Tips & Warnings
Using toothpicks to attach flower stems to the wedding cake will not harm the flowers.
Using flowers of different heights enhances the wedding cake design and gives added stability to the arrangement.
Ask your florist to verify that the fresh flowers you've chosen for your wedding cake are non-toxic. Some flowers (and even small amounts of pollen) are harmful if consumed. As a precaution, have your caterer place the flowers on the side of the plates when serving the cake.
Wooden toothpicks can also be used to attach fresh flowers to the wedding cake, but avoid the colored ones as the dye might bleed into the cake.
References
Resources
- Photo Credit wedding cake image by Mat Hayward from Fotolia.com
