I'm amazed at all the work that can go into gorgeous gumpaste flowers. But it's making me wonder what people do with your artwork?? Do they save it? Throw it out? *gasp* It seems like such a waste!

I always leave a box with stuffing in it for the caterer to put the flowers in after to give to the couple. I tell people to put them in shadowboxe frames, I've seen some really cool ones.

But lets face it, there is a TON of crap that's supposed to be a "keepsake" after a wedding, there is only so much you end up keeping. All I care about is the pictures taken with my cake and my flowers.

I don't make a lot, but I don't care what they do with them. Bin them, keep them, whatever. Once I've got my photo, you can do whatever you like!

I tell them to throw them out. To me it's like saving the garnish off of your salad because that radish rose is so cute. Once they've been in the icing on the cake they shouldn't be re-used.

If they want to save the top arrangement that's one thing, but FromScratchSF is right, how much junk can you keep before you become a hoarder? Plus, most people who ask me about it seem to want to use them on another cake later, which is nasty.

I asked this same question about a year ago after I'd spent a million hours of angst and labor and sweat on my first gum paste hibiscus and filler flowers. Just like you, I couldn't believe people just "Throw them out? *gasp* It seems like such a waste!".

BUT....I'm a hobby baker and strive for perfection and do this for fun, NOT profit.
IF I sold cakes for a profit:
Buy GP flowers wholesale
Apply Luster Dust to match client's color scheme if flowers not available in those colors already
Charge BIG mark-up
Customer is happy
I'm happy

Offer pretty little boxes to "save the keepsake GP flowers"
Buy pretty little boxes wholesale
Charge BIG mark-up
Customer is happy
I'm happy
(or...they can pitch them in the trash.)

If I am extra proud of my flowers, I'll give the facility manager a small box to put them in and place on the gift table for the couple to bring home. I tell them to wipe the base off with a dry cloth then display them in a teacup or vase until either the sun fades them or ants find them. I had one lady ask me why they dissolved when she tried to wash them off in the sink. Dahhhhhhhhh. And another was ticked because her mother got a birthday candle too close to the flowers and they burst into flames. Sugar is highly flamable. And at another wedding the brides mom called me two days later with her bloomers in a bunch because she went into the clubs kitchen in time to see the workers walking out the door with the sugar flowers. She wanted to save some of them but it was 10 years ago and not many people had ever seen sugar flowers before.

There are some people for whom I make cakes that always save a flower or critter or whatever from them. I ususally attach them to fondant with water ro Ri so the frosting isn't an issue. Other people, including my DD, don't keep anything. I will admit to being very flattered when people keep the flowers and a little sad when they don't One of the first cakes I sold is the Froggie and Friends cake in my pictures. I was also a guest at the shower. I didn't cut the cake myself but the person who did just ripped those pretty water lilies and all the critters right off the cake and tossed them aside onto a paper plate. She then proceeded to wipe the knife right on top of them. It was no longer my place to determine what was to be done with it but I was kind of sad.

That would be very hard to see. I'd rather not know. But then most of my cakes have been for friends and for parties that I was at - so I always get the "honor" of serving them as well - so I have to deal with it myself. The cake in my picture though - I know the girl saved the figure and some of the flowers. Even if she doesn't keep them long, it means a lot to know they meant that much to her.

Usually if I take a cake to an event that I'm also going to it sits there because nobody wants to be the one to cut it! I'll end up marching over to it and hacking a big cut out of the middle just to get the ball started. If I take gumpaste off I throw them right into the garbage, I'd never save them. But I can bang out some more pretty quickly and I'm not emotionally attached to them

Whether it is a free gift that took 30 hours (made and given with love), or a cake sold to a client with a price tag to match the time/supply/ingredient investment (30 hours @ minimum $15 hour = $450+), you can't allow yourself to get emotionally attached to your decorations. Part of the beauty of "sugar" decorations is that they are TRANSIENT and UNIQUE, just like a snowflake.
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The entire "edible" line of decorations: fondant/gum paste/cold porcelain/wired sugar flowers, etc. may be technically edible for the most part, but.....we KNOW that nobody is EVER going to eat wired gum paste flowers. We are pretty darned sure that very few people (if any) are going to eat any 3D gum paste decorations. Most fondant 3D fondant decorations may get a nibble or two, then will be politely set aside.

Even though we call it "sugar dough", the American palate generally rejects fondant or marzipan. So why make them? To increase the Craft of Cake Decorating! All of us are amazed and awed by truly great sugar art, whether or not it will be eaten.

If something moves you to feelings of awe and respect.....keep it up!

I figure they've been paid for - the purchaser can do whatever they like with the decorations. There are very few cakes I've been emotionally attached to, and sometimes there is a little stomachache when the cakes get picked up, but not enough that I would get mad or upset!

I don't save things either. I own very few possessions and my clothes are classic and of good quality - I hate shopping so I seldom do it! I do own lots of cake stuff, though.....!

I'm not sentimental. When I die my goal is to leave as little as possible for any successor to deal with (except for my cake stuff, of course).

As most of my cakes are fondant covered, I am not surprised to hear of my brides keeping some/all of the flowers. I supply boxes for leftover cake to be put in (no one throws out my cake! Not when the bride has paid so much for it!!) and a box for the monograms/toppers/flowers/diamanté bands etc). The client, who has paid for it, can do whatever they want with it.

Because gp flowers are old hat in Australia, there are very few adults who would not remember eating little sugar flowers off wedding cakes as a child, lol. I occasionally meet a couple at a consult who want to know how to 'serve the flowers', haha...but I dissuade anyone from eating gp these days bc they (a) taste like crap and (b) are wired. Oh...and (c) have been kneaded and fiddled with by my bare hands during construction. Ew!

I made a special 'cake' for my brother who turned 30 last week. I was touched that he took the little figurine of himself off the cake and sat it on the window ledge in the kitchen. That was sweet. For however long he keeps it, I am pleased he didn't just trash it when he cut the cake.

Over here we remember eating the "roses" off the cakes. The roses were always made with American buttercream.

Kids STILL ask for the roses today.

Did your brother keep the dog too? That was a darling cake. I loved the waves.

You know, I think if I got paid for my cakes it might not bother me so much.

The hydrangea flowers are so beautiful and "realistic" - at least to me (not to some of you though, I'm sure!!) - I used to do watercolor - it would be horrifying to think of giving someone one of my paintings and then watch them throw it away. Even if they bought it. I guess this will just have to be something I get used to!

I think its nice to keep them, although I don't provide a box or anything. If it was my wedding cake I would, if its on fondant or royal icing it shouldn't be dirty. It does break my heart a little thinking of them in the bin

I know people who eat sugar flowers, I tell them its nasty but they insist.

I recently had an offer from a customer for me to 'buy back' my flowers to reuse as she didn't want to keep them but thought I'd have cause to use them again (more like she wanted to claw back some of the cost)... I haven't decided yet... Im tempted as they'd be great for a display dummy. Anyone else ever hired out or bought back flowers like this?

Quote:

Originally Posted by Evoir


Apti - actually that was ANOTHER 30th birthday cake/fishing them (for a paying client!) I haven't yet posted my brother's birthday cake. It was bit unusual to say the least...not much
'cake', more of a deconstructed chocolate croquembouche, with blue pavlova and strawberry shark-fish. It has to be seen to be believed

chocolate croquembouce/blue pavlova/strawberry shark-fish....... (What!? No pikelets?)

You've got to show us a photo of that!

Haha, no pikelets (this time!) but I'll post some pics ASAP...I have a bit of a backlog of cake pix to upload...