Sugar, fresh or silk flowers on my wedding cake?
Flowers are synonymous with cakes, and it can be overwhelming what type of flowers to have on your cake.
Whether you choose sugar, fresh, silk or pressed flowers they are all beautiful, colourful and elegant and are sure to add a touch of romance to your beautiful wedding cake.
90% of wedding cakes we make have flowers on them. Some cake makers will insist on you having sugar flowers – we’re not those cake makers. It’s your day, your budget and your choice.
Below, we outline our advice on which type of flowers to have on your cake and the advantages and disadvantages of each.
Sugar Flowers
Sugar flowers are the most traditional (and usually the most expensive) option. Because they’re made from sugar, they blend beautifully with the cake’s look and feel, and everything on the cake remains fully edible.
We stock a wide range of premade sugar flowers in-store, available in lots of colours and styles to suit most themes.
If you’re after something we don’t carry, we can also hand-make custom sugar flowers for you, just keep in mind this will add to the overall cost.
Sugar Flower Advantages
- They look beautiful!
Sugar flowers have that “wow” factor. Many couples choose them because a wedding is the one time you can truly splurge and go for something extra special — and sugar flowers definitely deliver that luxury look.
Sugar Flower Disadvantages
- Not every flower can be made from sugar.
We can hand-make (or buy premade) classics like roses, peonies and gerberas. But some flowers — such as tulips, alliums, bluebells and hydrangeas — simply can’t be crafted realistically from sugar, so you’d need to choose silk or real flowers instead. - They’re not cheap.
Larger sugar flowers are handmade and very time-intensive, so the cost reflects the hours of work, materials, specialist tools and expertise involved. If you want lots of flowers (for example, a cascade down the cake), the price increases quickly. - They’re not really meant to be eaten.
While small pressed sugar flowers for cupcakes are soft and edible, larger blooms (like roses and peonies) are made from gum paste, which dries very hard. Many also have a polystyrene centre or wires in the petals, so although they’re technically edible, they’re not enjoyable to eat.
Fresh Flowers
Fresh flowers have become increasingly popular in recent years, especially with couples choosing a natural or rustic theme.
Simple foliage or fresh blooms look absolutely stunning on cakes, and they pair perfectly with the rising naked cake trend, complementing its clean, minimalist beauty.
Fresh Flower Advantages
- They look absolutely stunning — because they’re real.
Silk and sugar flowers are beautiful, but nothing quite matches the natural beauty and texture of real, fresh blooms. - They’re more budget-friendly.
Fresh flowers tend to cost a little more than silk but far less than handmade sugar flowers, making them a great middle-ground option. - They can match the rest of your wedding flowers.
You can coordinate your cake flowers with your bouquet, centrepieces, and venue décor for a seamless, cohesive look. - Flexible sourcing options.
We can supply fresh flowers from our trusted wholesalers, or you’re welcome to have your florist provide them to ensure a perfect match with your bouquet.
Fresh Flower Disadvantages
- Some flowers are toxic and can’t be used.
Even though we wrap stems in florist tape so they don’t touch the cake, petals and leaves will make contact — and certain flowers are unsafe.
No-go options include: foxgloves, hyacinths, lily of the valley, rhododendron, and gypsophila. - They don’t last long.
Some flowers simply won’t survive a full wedding day. Blooms like tulips, daffodils, bluebells and iris wilt very quickly and aren’t suitable for cake decoration. - Fresh flowers are seasonal.
Just like fruit and veg, flowers peak at certain times of the year. Although many can now be imported year-round, this often increases the price. Lilacs, for example, can be very expensive outside their natural season.
Artificial / Silk Flowers
Artificial and Silk (fabric) flowers are the most economical option. They come in a huge variety of options and the quality has improved significantly in the last 10 years and they resemble real flowers with surprising accuracy.
Artifical Flower Advantages
- You can buy them well in advance.
There’s no time pressure — silk flowers can be sourced early, and they come in an enormous range of colours. If you want blue roses, you can absolutely have blue roses! - A great value option.
Weddings are expensive, and silk flowers allow couples to achieve a dramatic, luxurious look — including large or exotic blooms — at a more affordable price than sugar flowers. - Some flowers are only realistic as artificial.
If you’re dreaming of a woodland theme with bluebells, for example, real ones wilt quickly and sugar versions are extremely difficult to make. Silk solves the problem beautifully. - No seasonality, no wilting, no toxicity.
Silk flowers aren’t affected by the time of year, they don’t droop, and they’re completely safe to place on your cake. - You can get creative with alternatives.
Paper flowers are another option — we once decorated a cake with paper flowers made from sheet music the couple provided. And we have created a cake with edible wafer paper flowers. Both totally unique and looked incredible.
Artifical Flower Disadvantages
- Depending on where you buy them, some silk flowers can look cheap, but there are lots of high-quality realistic-looking silk flowers. Quality Cake Company always use higher quality flowers which look more natural and are still cost-effective.
Pressed Flowers
Pressed flowers are real flowers that have been dried, flattened, and preserved to create a colourful, modern, rustic decoration for your cake.
We use a trusted supplier, Nurtured in Norfolk to source our pressed flowers.
Pressed Flower Advantages
- On trend
They have that effortlessly modern, rustic vibe everyone loves right now. - Colourful
The colours stay really bright and eye-catching, even after pressing. - Natural
They add a gorgeous, natural look without feeling too “flowery” or over the top. - Lower Cost
They’re fairly budget-friendly, so you get impact without overspending. - Great all year
You don’t have to worry about seasonality – pressed flowers are available all year round.
Pressed Flower Disadvantages
- Limited Choice
Sadly, not every flower presses well, so the choices can be a bit limited, but there is still a wide variety in lots of colours available. - Limited Layout
Because they’re already pressed flat, there are usually only one or two design layouts that look good on a cake, making them less flexible compared to other decoration options.
Your choice!
So, what type of flowers should you have on your wedding cake? Honestly — choose whatever you love. Don’t let anyone else sway your decision.
Whether you prefer sugar flowers, fresh blooms, silk or pressed flowers, we’ll make sure your cake is absolutely beautiful, perfectly styled, and completely photo-worthy. At Quality Cake Company, your vision always comes first.
