Hi Everyone,
I have a bride that wants hydrangeas on her cake for spring wedding. I remember reading somewhere here that hydrangeas were dangerous to place on the cake due to some toxicity, so I advised the bride that I did not feel comfortable doing that. Well, her florist told her that they do that all the time and no one ever got sick. Any advise?
TIA, P
That sounds reasonable, but how much is an actual risk? If people get sick, they would get sick because of eating the cake--noone will be saying it's because hydrangeas were on the cake...
If people get sick, then some health department person would have to investigate and when they find poisonous flowers on food product, red flags go up. Have them sign a waiver stating that you advised against placing poisonous flowers on the cake. Or just say you won't put them on. Deliver the cake without flowers, take a pic to show you left it at the venue with no flowers. Surely your contract states that you are not responsible for anything that happens to the cake after you deliver it. The florist/guests can stick whatever they want onto the cake after that.
Is this legal overkill? Are the chances of someone getting sick minimal? Probably. But it only takes one incident to tarnish your rep or close you down.
http://cateritsimple.blogspot.com/search/label/flowers
I read it on IndyDebs blog. And the poster above is right; if people get sick, they aren't going to put it down to the flowers.
Why not make some gumpaste hydrangeas??? I just made them for the first time and they weren't bad at all to make. I used the cutters, veiners and center mold from Scott Clark Woolley.
She'd also have a keepsake that way!
The ones in the photo hadn't been dusted with blue yet.
Jodie
The reason we carry car insurance on our cars is because it only takes ONE incident to put us in financial jeopardy.
The reason I never permitted live hydrangeas on my cakes is because it only takes ONE person who is very sensitive, or may not even realize they are sensitive, to break out in a rash or worse yet, cause swelling in their throat which may jeopardize their breathing.
I dont care if they sign a waiver or not .... it's in the contract that live hydrangeas will NOT be placed on any cake made by me.
Not only the poisonous part, but hydrangeas wilt REALLY fast, and they start to look ratty on a cake faster than other flowers. I'd tell her that she should use gumpaste or silk, but that you won't put toxic flowers on the cake, and that when the florist learns about food preparation they can make that decision. Ha, maybe you can find a nicer way to say that! 
Thanks you all. This is all very helpful. I think I'll try to make some gumpaste hydrangeas to show her. Noone in this area does this, it's either live or silk. Since it's a May wedding and it is outside, I think the idea of flowers wilting will deter her more than a possibility of someone getting sick. What are the best cutters/veiners to try realistic ones?
Thank you all so much, P
I ordered mine from Scott Clark Woolley. He is INCREDIBLY nice and helpful and I was thrilled with mine.
You can find the cutters here:
http://cakesbydesign.cc/MetalCuttersDtoI.html
veiners and center mold here:
http://cakesbydesign.cc/SiliconeVeiners.html
He also posts directions here:
http://cakesbydesign.cc/GumPasteFlowerInstructions.pdf
I used periwinkle, lime green and violet petal dusts on mine. I used moss green on the leaves.
Jodie
Thank you so much Jodie,
the instructions look a little complicated, but maybe once I get all the pieces, it's not going to be that hard. Do you have a picture of the finished cake with hydrangeas? I did not see it in your album, did I overlook it?
Thanks again, P
The cake is going to be covered in fondant, it's an outside wedding in May in Alabama. I don't feel comfortable placing hydrangeas on the cake, the florist will be doing that, if I cannot sway the bride to go with sugar flowers.
P
I had a similar thing happen recently. I am astounded that florists don't know which of their flowers are poisonous, and to suggest that it's not that big of a deal is just irresponsible.
Here's the e-mail I wrote to my bride. I'm still doing her cake, and I wanted it in writing that I advised against hydrangeas. I'm just delivering it and putting a ribbon on it.
...Hydrangeas are considered poisonous and should not come into direct contact with your cake. Please discuss with your florist what kind of barriers will be used to prevent direct contact with the cake so you don't make yourself or your guests sick. S/he may plan to use plastic capsules for the stems, but the petals are also poisonous. In addition to the plastic stem capsules, you can place a layer of plastic wrap directly on the cake where the flowers will touch, but I strongly recommend against using these flowers on your cake. You might want to consider silk flowers on the cake itself with fresh flowers placed around the base where they don't come in direct contact with your cake. I've attached the site with this information, which lists hydrangea as a poisonous plant (#3).
http://www.livescience.com/strangenews/top10_poisonous_plants-1.html
Pebbles....I ordered the cutters for the hydrangeas and the peony for a wedding cake in April. It's going to be 4 tiers, 6, 10 and 14 inch rounds, sitting on 6, 6 inch satellite tiers. It'll be covered in pale blue fondant with a very dramatic white bow from the top 6 inch tier with tails that drape down the front. I'm figuring 5-7 bunches of hydrangeas, 3 peonies, and 15 roses (with rosebuds, stephanotis, ivy) tucked around the bow tails and spilling over the small front tiers. It'll have a nest with 2 love birds as a topper.
It's a garden theme...in case you didn't guess! 
Jodie
I ordered mine from Scott Clark Woolley. He is INCREDIBLY nice and helpful and I was thrilled with mine.
You can find the cutters here:
http://cakesbydesign.cc/MetalCuttersDtoI.html
veiners and center mold here:
http://cakesbydesign.cc/SiliconeVeiners.html
He also posts directions here:
http://cakesbydesign.cc/GumPasteFlowerInstructions.pdf
Jodie
Jodie - thank you SO much for posting these links. The instructions alone are like finding a gold mine!
Julie
Ruth, I like your way of passing on that info to your client and backing it up with a link for further information for her. Nice work on good communication!
Thanks! I'm pretty good with written communication. I've been writing all kinds of corporate communications for 30+ years. It's a very useful skill to have.
re: signing waivers
--------------------------------------
I had this thought earlier when I was reading this thread, but wasn't sure if I was remembering it right, but ......
Ironically, I was on my caterer's forum just a few minutes ago and there was a question about allowing outside food to be brought in. Someone there also suggested a waiver for client-provided-food and another caterer (very successful and well known nationally) said waivers like that wouldn't hold a drop of water in court because one person cannot sign off liability on behalf of the 200 guests. Said holding a waiver up in front of a couple of hundred sick people and they won't care .... THEY didn't sign the waiver!
Another caterer suggested checking with your insurance company to see if they would accept a signed waiver as a defense. Odds are good the answer would be 'Hell no!"
I'm not a lawyer and I"m not offering this as legal advice. Just sharing similar views form others in the food industry on the same and/or similar topic.
Just tell her that outdoor wedding/May/Alabama= wilted hydrangeas. That's the best defense I've had with brides who are stuck on having them. Unless the florists do something extra to the stems they just wilt too fast, especially in any degree of heat.
For fresh flowers in general, I tell brides that even if they're not toxic, I still don't like putting them on cakes based on how much they've been handled in picking, packing, shipping, arranging, etc. I've had florists who have the flowers spread all over the floor while they're arranging them grab some and come over to give them to me to use on the cake 
. Yuck! Also with pesticides and fertilizers, plus the chemicals the florists use to keep them from wilting, you don't know what's on even the non-toxic flowers. I have a friend who used to work at a wholesale florist, and she said that she'd never put fresh flowers on a cake just based on what she'd seen when she worked there.
Oh that sounds terrible! Thanks for all the info! I think wilted hydrangeas will be a way to go to. The flowers will be placed on a cake at about 2 pm and the reception is not till 5.
Thanks you all again, P
I made this Hydrangea Cake with Italian Meringue Buttercream flowers. Use your imagination for larger versions. What a hit!
http://www.whimsicalbakehouse.com/decorate/decorate_3.html
I ordered mine from Scott Clark Woolley. He is INCREDIBLY nice and helpful and I was thrilled with mine.
You can find the cutters here:
http://cakesbydesign.cc/MetalCuttersDtoI.html
veiners and center mold here:
http://cakesbydesign.cc/SiliconeVeiners.html
He also posts directions here:
http://cakesbydesign.cc/GumPasteFlowerInstructions.pdf
Jodie
Jodie - thank you SO much for posting these links. The instructions alone are like finding a gold mine!
Yes, I agree, Thank You so much, I am always looking for gumpaste cutters, and flowers Tutorials,
Julie
Jennifer Dontz sells the cutters with a double sided veiner on her website. I like them MUCH better than Scott Clark Wooley. (no offense) They are very realistic.
www.sugardelites.com (I think, but she is also a member on here and SSSOOO helpful, just ask her)
Not only the poisonous part, but hydrangeas wilt REALLY fast, and they start to look ratty on a cake faster than other flowers. I'd tell her that she should use gumpaste or silk, but that you won't put toxic flowers on the cake, and that when the florist learns about food preparation they can make that decision. Ha, maybe you can find a nicer way to say that!
SO TRUE, I had hydrangeas in my wedding bouquet and they wilted faster then an ice cream cake in August.
This tutorial might help
http://www.globalsugarart.com/instruction_sheets/2009_12_04_1BIB6M4G_HydrangeaButterflyCake.htm
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