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Updated Oct 14, 202450 Wedding Cakes With Flowers That Bring the Romantic Garden Vibes
Find photo inspiration and baker tips for your bloom-packed dessert.
As an accent or an elaborate topper, decorating your wedding cake with flowers brings a fresh look to your star confection. Coordinate with your florist and baker to embellish your amazing wedding cake with blooms that perfectly match or complement your bouquet and centerpieces. No matter your wedding cake budget, a single-tier or a towering multi-tier cake both look stunning adorned with flowers.
Use The Knot Vendor Marketplace to seek out a skilled cake baker experienced with floral wedding cakes and the latest cake trends. Also, ensure that your baker knows which flowers are the best choice for your cake and which are safe to use. We spoke to Lauren Connolly, owner of The Sweet Elephant Bake Shop in Berryville, Virginia, for the tips and info you need to know before asking for a floral wedding cake. For gorgeous wedding cake ideas, scroll through 50 of our favorite wedding cakes with flowers to inspire your dream dessert.
Wedding Cake Ideas With Flowers in This Story: Simple | Elegant | Rustic | Small | How to Decorate a Cake With Flowers | Floral Wedding Cake FAQs
Simple Wedding Cakes With Flowers
A simple wedding cake doesn't mean it's boring. Let your flowers stand out as the main focal point on an otherwise modest confection.
1. Simple Wedding Cake With Bright Flowers
Photo: J Elizabeth Photography
,Photo: Pint Size bakery
Adorn white cheesecake frosting with vibrant blooms that command attention on a white background. Pincushion, mums, ranunculus and waxflower decorate each tier in shades of blue, orange, purple and red.
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2. Textured Buttercream Wedding Cake With Flowers
Embrace the texture of buttercream frosting with decorative ridges that draw the eye to the top of the cake. Accentuate with fresh flowers in blush, white and yellow for an elegant, yet simple, motif.
3. Simple Wedding Cake With Rainbow Ombre Flowers
There's no rule that says a simple cake has to be white. This couple embraced the colors of the rainbow for their wedding with a solid blue fondant cake and multi-hued cascading blooms.
4. Garden-Inspired Wedding Cake With Flowers
Evoke a spring garden with a simple and stunning wedding cake. Fresh orange, pink, purple and yellow flowers decorate a simple four-tiered cake with piped icing.
5. Smooth Buttercream Wedding Cake With Ivory Flowers
Placing white flowers against a white buttercream backdrop gives off a chic, effortlessly classy vibe.
6. Simple Elegant Wedding Cake With Roses
Keeping sophisticated and simple on the wedding day? Dress up a basic cake with one or two roses placed opposite each other on each tier.
7. Simple Wedding Cake With Rose
Photo: Jenny Haas Photography,
Baker: A Spoon Fulla Sugar
A petite cluster of garden roses adorns this sleek three-tier cake—change the colors of the flowers to reflect your wedding season or theme.
8. Classic Wedding Cake With Hydrangeas and Garden Roses
For a truly classic look, pair peach-colored Juliet roses with green hydrangeas scattered around the tiers of a textured buttercream cake.
9. White Wedding Cake With Pink Roses and Peonies
Can't choose between peonies or garden roses? You can have both. Coral charm peonies are a lively addition to this three-tier cake featuring pink roses and ranunculus buds.
10. Four-Tier Wedding Cake With Flowers
When working with flowers of different sizes, concentrate the larger blooms toward the bottom of the cake (like these fluffy peonies) to avoid overwhelming smaller tiers at the top.
11. Simple White Wedding Cake With Roses and Greenery
Encircle each tier with fresh greenery, such as eucalyptus leaves, smilax or ivy vines, then add white roses for a minimalistic yet stylish effect.
Elegant Wedding Cakes With Flowers
Flowers help take an elegant cake to the next level. These elegant wedding cakes with flowers bring an extra level of sophistication to your formal nuptials.
12. Dramatic Black and White Wedding Cake With Flowers
Large white and peach blooms accentuate a dramatic black and white cake. Offset the strong color contrast with gold accents and the soft touch of roses.
13. Elegant Hand-Painted Wedding Cake With Flowers
Photo: Kelsea Holder Photography
,Baker: Rachel's Cakes
An intricate, hand-painted design on fondant takes your wedding cake to the next level. Top with blooms in pastel hues that don't compete with your confection.
14. Pink and Purple Wedding Cake With Coordinating Blooms
Every element of this elegant wedding cake with flowers coordinates with the next. Pink and purple hand-painted tiers are accentuated by blooms in the same shades. A gold leaf heart is adorned with the couple's initials and ties the look together.
15. Luxurious Three-Tier Wedding Cake With Roses
Accentuate a pale blue fondant cake with pastel roses for a vintage feel. The ornate white frosting makes this confection look as it floated right out of the Regency era.
16. Floating Tier Wedding Cake With Roses
Pink and burgundy blooms stand out among a neutral-toned wedding cake. A unique floating tier and intricate pattern give this cake a modern look.
17. Four-Tier Wedding Cake With Floral Base
Display a grand four-tier cake atop a literal bed of roses to set the scene for a glamorous wedding reception.
18. White Five-Tier Wedding Cake With Flowers
With or without flowers, a hand-piped scallop trim is a subtle and classic way to accent a white wedding cake.
19. Three-Tier Fondant Cake With Flowers and Crest
If you're designing a crest for your wedding stationery or other decor, tie everything together by featuring the motif on your cake as well.
20. Rose Four-Tier Wedding Cake
Max out the height of your wedding cake by adding a layer of fresh flowers in between each tier.
21. Blush Fondant Wedding Cake With Edible Flowers
Blush and green is one of the most elegant wedding color combinations of all time. Incorporate them into your wedding cake with fondant tiers and complementary sugar flowers like this spring-inspired design.
22. Dramatic Flower-Wrapped Wedding Cake
Your wedding cake is guaranteed to make a statement with this design—a lush band of ivory and cream roses wrapped around the tiers in a spiral.
23. Buttercream Wedding Cake With Flowers Cascading
Gorgeous for a spring wedding, this four-tier flower wedding cake is decked out with peonies and roses in a pastel palette of blush, lilac and ivory.
Rustic Wedding Cakes With Flowers
Complement cowhide prints, semi-naked cakes and fall hues with rustic blooms. A rustic wedding cake with flowers matches fall décor, or any motif that gathers inspiration from nature.
24. Cowhide Wedding Cake With Fall Flowers
A chic cowhide pattern is perfect if you're a little bit country and going for that rustic vibe. The whimsical design is topped with roses, sweet peas, fritillaria and other blooms in neutral hues.
25. Two-Tier Dark Green Wedding Cake With Flowers
Deep forest green evokes the feelings of fall and winter. This rustic wedding cake is complemented by blush and burgundy blooms with delicate butterfly details.
26. Rustic Wedding Cake With Rose and Dhalia
Burgundy and dark pink blooms are the perfect pair to a rustic wedding cake, especially a three-tier confection with painted wood details. Top your cake on a wood slice or decorative wood stump with your initials to lean into your rustic theme.
27. Burnt Orange Rustic Wedding Cake With Flowers
A simple blush rose, scabiosa pod and greenery adorn a stunning burnt orange wedding cake for the picture-perfect fall motif. A dusting of gold and uneven fondant layers adds subtle rustic touches.
28. Semi-Naked Wedding Cake With Flowers
Top your semi-naked cake with blush, peach and red roses for a delicate accent. This rustic cake is complemented by wood slices and adorable bride and groom wooden cake toppers.
29. Desert-Inspired Rustic Wedding Cake With Cacti and Roses
Give fondant a rustic touch with cacti and neutral roses. The fondant also serves as a blank canvas for painted desert designs.
30. Rustic Flower Wedding Cake With Pink Roses
Roses and orchids are a timeless flower pairing, but you can add a rustic spin to your cake by displaying it atop a genuine wooden bark stand.
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31. Fall Wedding Cake With Roses
Opt for an autumnal palette of roses in muted peach, taupe and cream tones for a fall wedding cake.
32. Rustic Naked Cake With White Flowers and Feathers
Combine ostrich feathers, edible gold leaf and white flowers on a semi-naked cake for a modern boho wedding theme.
33. Brown Wedding Cake With White and Blush Flowers
Set against a chocolate ganache backdrop, these orange, pink and ivory flowers add just the right amount of color to the two-tier confection.
34. Milk Bar Wedding Cake With Roses
A whimsical cake with sprinkle filling calls for equally whimsical flowers, à la the long-stem ranunculuses branching out from the center tier of this design.
35. Three-Tier Winter Wedding Cake
Surrounded by glowing candles, this cake with anemones, ranunculuses, orchids and textured buttercream inspired by mountain ridges is a chic pick for a winter wedding.
Small Wedding Cakes With Flowers
A mini wedding cake can still make a bold statement with the right blooms. Vibrant shades, draping designs and boho touches add personality to your confection.
36. Single-Tier Wedding Cake With Vibrant Flowers
Let your flowers make a statement with vibrant hues that command attention. Blue, pink and red blooms are accented with gold in this whimsical design.
37. Small Yellow Wedding Cake With Marigolds
A beautiful yellow wedding cake looks stunning topped with marigolds, roses and greenery. Delicate accents of gold tie in the sunny color scheme.
38. Geometric Two-Tier Wedding Cake With Flowers
Small doesn't mean you can't make a statement. This emerald green geometric cake is topped with blooms in complementary shades of peach, purple and blue.
39. Rainbow Small Wedding Cake With Flowers
Use flowers to add the colors of the rainbow to a simple two-tier buttercream cake. A coordinating cake topper ties everything together.
40. Single-Tier Wedding Cake With Roses
Coral roses and baby's breath adorn a simple single-tier wedding cake perfect for a reception or elopement. Drape your flowers around you cake for a dramatic effect on a simple design.
41. One-Tier Small Wedding Cake With Flowers
One-tier wedding cakes are perfect for smaller groups, elopements and microweddings. All you need is a few flowers and some greenery to spruce up a basic buttercream design.
42. Simple White Rose Wedding Cake
Photo: Molly Lichten Photography
,Baker: Simply Sweet Cakery
The ranunculus is another flower that pairs well with roses. This white and blush combination stands out against an oak wood stand accented with tea lights in mercury glass votives.
43. Boho Wedding Cake With Pink Rose
Deckled edge tiers, pampas grass and pretty orange blooms add subtle boho style to this two-tier cake.
44. Two-Tier Blush Rose Wedding Cake
Achieve an understated look with the placement of two or three roses and scattered petals at the base of the cake.
45. Small White Wedding Cake With Flowers
Irises are most frequently recognized for their blue tone, but they actually bloom in a rainbow of colors, including yellow, pink and multicolored varieties. This simple cake is topped with peach-colored irises for an abstract finish.
46. Pink Two-Tier Wedding Cake With Sliced Fruits
Fresh fruits, flowers and painted buttercream in a blush and mauve combination make this cake a fitting choice for a late summer wedding or early autumn celebration.
47. Small White Cake With Colorful Wildflowers
Use wildflowers like zinnias, cosmos, larkspur, daisies and blue thistle for a cheerful, nature-inspired effect—just make sure the blooms are food safe first.
48. Unique Blue and Orange Wedding Cake
Thanks to the architectural-style flower arrangement, this cake looks more like a sculpture than a dessert. Bold orange cymbidium orchids, purple roses and painted fern fronds contrast with the light blue fondant.
49. Small Wedding Cake With Flowers
Think of accents you can use beyond just flowers—dried bunny tails, pampas grass and wheat stalks are a few other ways to incorporate botanical elements into your cake.
50. Pink One-Tier Wedding Cake
If you've got a strong sweet tooth, why not add even more sugary treats to your wedding cake? A few macarons are an unexpected (and yummy) complement to fresh blooms.
How to Decorate a Cake With Flowers
Before you select the blooms topping your cake there are a few things to keep in mind. This includes knowing which flowers are dangerous to guests, and how to keep surprise critters off your cake.
Keep Your Cake Mess Free
"Make sure the flowers don't contain pollen or small pieces that could get all over the cake," Connolly said. Some flowers, including aster, daisies, sunflowers and amaranth contain higher amounts of pollen that could potentially ruin your cake's aesthetic. If you plan to use these flowers, stick to other areas of your wedding décor, and use coordinating blooms for your cake.
Cake Safety is Key
"When using real flowers, confirm with your florist that the flowers aren't poisonous and haven't been treated with any chemicals" Connolly said. Toxic flowers to avoid include poinsettias, lilies, foxglove, delphinium and yellow jasmine. Other blooms including hydrangeas, azaleas and oleander are poisonous if consumed, so make sure your caterer removes them before serving your cake. Also, avoid soaking stems in flower food that might come with your flowers. The chemicals can leach out of the stems and into your cake.
Wash Your Flowers First
Along with removing pesticides, washing your flowers also gets rid of any bugs hitching a ride inside the petals. Wash the petals and stems of each flower, then give them a gentle shake before drying them with a soft cloth or paper towel. Hang roses and similar flowers upside down to dry to avoid any water from collecting between the petals. Don't forget to clean your silk flowers too to remove any dust or debris.
Floral Wedding Cake Frequently Asked Questions
From knowing how to put fresh flowers on a cake to choosing fresh or artificial blooms, we have you covered with these common floral cake queries.
What Kind of Flowers Do You Put on a Wedding Cake?
Aside from the poisonous flowers we mentioned above, you can adorn your cake with just about any flower. "I love when a variety of shades and sizes are used on cakes," Connolly said. "It adds dimension to the cake." If you prefer to include edible flowers on your cake, consider roses, lavender, dahlias, pansies and violas. Or ask your baker to create flowers from fondant, wafer paper or sugar paste to resemble any flower you desire.
Can You Put Fresh Flowers on a Wedding Cake?
Don't be afraid to use fresh flowers on your wedding cake. To ensure your flowers look fresh throughout your wedding, add them to your cake no more than 24 hours in advance. If possible, decorate with fresh blooms the morning of, or a few hours before your wedding.
Is It Better To Use Real or Artificial Flowers on a Cake?
It's up to each couple if they want to use fresh or artificial wedding flowers on their cake. "Both are beautiful on cakes and really are determined by your budget," Connolly said. "Silk flowers are a great option for out-of-season flowers or flowers containing colors not found in nature."
How Do You Stick Flowers on a Wedding Cake?
Lay flowers on top of your cake for easy removal before cutting. For more stability, wrap plastic wrap around shortened stems and insert them directly into the cake. Have fun playing with height to give extra dimension to your flower decorations.
Samantha Iacia contributed to the reporting of this story.
