If you’d like to decorate your cake with flowers, you should consult with an experienced floral designer to learn all you can about which blooms are safe to use on food. Edible flowers have been in wedding world for a long time, with caterers and wedding coordinators offering everything from tiny blooms in ice cubes to flower petals floating in punches, cupcakes topped with edible flower petals, and buffet items presented on beds of flowers. We strongly urge you to research any flowers you’d like to have touching your food, let alone eaten by guests. Never make edible flower choices on your own, since there are big differences between ingesting petals, stems and pollen. Some flowers can be fatal if eaten, which is a really important point to consider if you have small children in the bridal party or as guests. Ask your floral designer to keep unsafe flowers out of kids’ reach.

Here are some of the types of flowers classified as edible, that you should ask your florist and caterer about:

•Calendulas (pot-marigolds)
•Carnations (pinks)
•Chamomile
•Chrysanthemums
•Dandelions
•Daylilies
•Gardenias
•Geraniums
•Gladiolus
•Lavender
•Lilies
•Nasturtiums
•Pansies
•Peonies
•Primroses
•Roses
•Squash blossoms
•Sweet violets
•Yucca blossoms have different edible portions that are nutritious and tasty. 

When checking with professionals about using edible flowers, ask specifically about organic pesticides used on these flowers.

A few more warnings:

•Even if the flowers growing in your yard, or in others’ yards, are on this list, don’t use them. Stick with a reputable organic food or flower source. Traditional florists are not the best source for this, as the shipments of flowers that they get may have been treated with pesticides that are labeled as being in a safe level, but that still may be too much exposure to you.

•Don’t eat the entire flower. Use just the petals. Some flowers called ‘edible’ are really only edible in the petals, not the stems or pistils.

•Keep allergies in mind before you serve edible flowers.

•Never mix edible flowers into cakes or cupcakes, where guests may get an unwelcome surprise when they bite into them. Use them on top of food items as décor, optionally ingested.

•Not sure if the flower is edible? Call a reputable garden association rather than checking articles online.

•Before setting the flowers, be sure to wash them thoroughly and let them air-dry.

•Be sure that flowers are grown organically

•Check to be sure the flowers have been treated with organic pesticides, not chemical ones. If you’re not positively sure you’re getting a straight answer from the florist or gourmet shop owner, skip it.

If you’ve purchased edible flowers deemed as safe by your trusted professional, from a quality source of organic flowers, make sure you wash the flowers thoroughly to remove any dirt or leftover pesticide residue. Then, to perk them up for use, dip them first in salt water and then into ice water, then dry them on paper towels.