More Couples Are Choosing Sugar Flowers For Their Wedding Cakes - Here's Why

Couples have been choosing to adorn their wedding cakes with florals for over 100 years - and for good reason. Depending on the variety, color, type, and quantity, florals can simply accent a wedding cake design as a supporting element or stand entirely on their own to create a stunning floral statement.

Photo by Caroline Stephens Photo

When it comes to choosing florals, couples typically have three options: fresh, artificial (such as silk), and sugar. While many couples default to fresh florals, sugar flowers are rapidly becoming a top choice - and for very good reason.

Here are four big reasons couples are turning to sugar flowers for their wedding cakes:

1. Toxicity & Food Safety

Did you know that a surprising number of popular florals and greenery used in weddings are toxic to humans if ingested?

Many beloved flowers - such as hydrangea, tulips, baby’s breath, and peonies - can cause everything from stomach upset to serious health risks. Even florals that aren't inherently toxic may be treated with pesticides or preservatives that are not food-safe. And many florists may not be familiar with food safety guidelines for cakes specifically.

Bottom line: If fresh flowers are going anywhere near your wedding cake, they must be non-toxic and handled with care. Sugar flowers eliminate this worry entirely.

2. Customization Without Limits

Photo by Caroline Stephens Photo

One of the biggest challenges of fresh florals is unpredictability. Weather, seasonality, and supply issues can drastically change what flowers are available on your wedding day - even if you chose them months in advance.

Sugar flowers? No surprises. Your cake designer can create exactly what you want - even florals that are hard to find, out of season, or purely imagined. Want something wild and whimsical? Done. Want to match a floral pattern from your grandmother's china? Absolutely doable!

It's important to note that creating sugar flowers is a highly specialized skill, not something every cake designer offers. Among those that do, artistic style and technical skill can vary significantly. If sugar flowers are a priority for your wedding cake, be sure to review your designer's portfolio of handmade flowers to ensure their style, color approach, and craftsmanship align with your vision.

They're crafted in advance and remain photo-ready all day. Your wedding album captures the cake exactly as you envisioned it.

3. No More Seasonal Stress

Many of our favorite florals and greens are only available during specific months, making it difficult (or costly) to source them year-round. Add in supply-chain disruptions, climate impacts, or last-minute shipping delays and your florist may have to swap in substitutions you weren't expecting.

Sugar flowers are immune to all of that.

With sugar flowers, you can choose exactly what you want. No worrying about what's in season or what might be available at the flower market that week. They're ready when your cake is, no guesswork involved.

4. Artistic Value

& Handmade Keepsakes

Photo by Elevated Elopement Experience

Every sugar flower artist brings their own approach to color, texture, and detail - from delicate buds to lush, full blooms.

They're handmade, almost always petal by delicate petal, to achieve a level of realism that fools the eye. Guests may lean in closer to admire them, unaware they aren't fresh. That's the magic. (And this happens all of the time during my deliveries!)

Even better? They're keepsakes. Many couples choose to preserve a few select blooms in a shadow box or glass dome as a meaningful heirloom from their wedding day - a piece of their cake, frozen in time.

Final Thoughts

Fresh florals will always have a place in weddings. But sugar flowers offer something truly different: artistry, control, and peace of mind.

Whether you're envisioning something bold and colorful or soft and romantic, sugar flowers let your cake vision come to life without compromise.

Planning a wedding?

Which matters more to you: affordability with lower-cost fresh flowers or the benefits and artistry that come with sugar flowers? Leave a comment and let me know where you stand on sugar vs. fresh flowers for your wedding cake!

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Obsessed with sugar flowers?

Not every cake designer offers them - and even fewer specialize in the sculptural detail work that sugar flowers require. If custom florals and artistic craftsmanship are high on your priority list, explore my Full Wedding Cake Experience.

Prefer something more streamlined but still elegant? My Signature Wedding Cake Packages are perfect for 50+ guests.