An Ethereal Wafer Paper Flower Wedding Cake at Villa San Michele, Florence
Handmade wafer paper peonies, garden roses and anemones for an intimate wedding at Villa San Michele, Florence.
Hold a wafer paper petal up to a window and the light comes straight through it. That was the whole idea behind Alexis’s wedding cake, a three tier wafer paper flower cake I designed for her intimate October wedding at Villa San Michele, in the hills above Florence.
Why Wafer Paper Flowers
Alexis wanted something ethereal. Not just pretty, but light, airy, almost weightless, as if the flowers had drifted onto the cake and might drift off again. So every bloom is wafer paper: peonies, garden roses and anemones, each petal shaped by hand.
I love gum paste flowers too. Gum paste sugar flowers have a beautiful sculptural quality, a presence that suits some designs perfectly. But this cake wasn’t about presence. It was about air. The only gum paste you’ll find is in the leaves.
Wafer paper lets the light through, giving each petal a soft, ethereal glow.
A Symmetrical Cake with Organic Movement
Underneath all that movement sit three clean, symmetrical tiers. I love that contrast: a calm, structured base, and flowers that refuse to behave, sweeping down from the top tier and tumbling right past the bottom like a garden left to grow.
Inside, the cake was vanilla with candied strawberries and a strawberry mousse. If you’re deciding on your own, here is how to choose a flavour for your wedding cake.
Designed Across Time Zones
Alexis found me herself, and I worked through her design while I was in India. Somewhere between time zones, her cake took shape. Most of the couples I work with are planning a destination wedding in Italy from abroad, and the design process stays just as personal wherever we both are.
An Intimate October Wedding at Villa San Michele
In October the cake came home to Villa San Michele, A Belmond Hotel, the former Renaissance monastery in Fiesole overlooking Florence. The villa had just reopened after its renovation and looked more beautiful than ever. The wedding was small and intimate, and the weather was absolutely gorgeous. The celebration was indoors, which made it perfect for wafer paper, and the cake waited in the villa’s fridge until it was time to bring it out.
One of the things that impressed me most happened behind the scenes. The kitchen team at Villa San Michele was so welcoming, and there was such a lovely atmosphere down in the kitchen while I worked. When you’re finishing something as delicate as wafer paper flowers, a warm and welcoming kitchen makes all the difference!
Backstage before the reception, where the cake waited in the villa’s fridge.
October in Florence is a wonderful time to marry!
If you’re planning a wedding in Florence or anywhere in Italy and dreaming of something light and ethereal, I would love to hear about it. Get in touch or see more of my wedding cakes.
Wondering about budget? Here’s how much a wedding cake costs.
Melanie Secciani, wedding cake designer in Florence since 2010
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between wafer paper and gum paste flowers?
Wafer paper is thin and lets light through, which gives flowers a soft, ethereal, almost weightless look. Gum paste holds its shape and gives sugar flowers a beautiful sculptural quality. I choose between them based on the feeling each design needs.
You can read more about my cakes, flavours and servings in the details.
Why choose wafer paper flowers for a wedding cake?
Wafer paper is ideal when you want a cake to feel light and airy. Because it lets light through, the flowers look delicate and natural rather than heavy.
Are wafer paper flowers a good choice for an outdoor or humid wedding?
Wafer paper is very sensitive to moisture. On a rainy night, or when there’s a lot of humidity in the air, the petals can wilt, so it isn’t the right choice for every wedding. A wafer paper cake needs to stay protected from moisture and shouldn’t be left out in the open air for too long. Alexis’s cake worked beautifully because her wedding at Villa San Michele was indoors, and the cake stayed in the villa’s fridge until it was served. Fridge air tends to be drier, which helps keep the petals crisp. For outdoor celebrations where the weather is uncertain, gum paste sugar flowers are often the safer choice.
Can a wedding cake combine wafer paper and gum paste?
Yes. On this cake, the peonies, garden roses and anemones are wafer paper and the leaves are gum paste.
Where is Villa San Michele?
Villa San Michele, A Belmond Hotel, is in the hills of Fiesole, just above Florence, with views over the city.
