Introductory Interview
1. Please tell us a little about yourself! How did your interest in sugar flowers develop, and when did you reach the point of starting a business in this field?
"I'm Orsolya Smukné Komádi, mother of two wonderful children, and a lover of sugar flowers. After the birth of my first child, I started to take a more serious interest in cake making and different decorating techniques. I already baked a lot with my mother as a child. At the start of the Facebook era, I began following the pages of many outstanding confectionery talents, and that's when sugar flowers first came into my view. The idea first came up when I was organizing my own wedding, when I thought I should learn to make the flowers myself. I insisted on my vision that only sugar flowers could go on the cake. Unfortunately for me, in 2017 most confectioneries clearly stated that they were not willing to make such flowers, and they had no supply source for them either. A few months after the wedding, I was already sitting in my first course, where I learned the basics of flower making, and although I desperately wanted to make fantastic, lifelike flowers like the greats in the profession, success did not come easily. The basic idea for the business had already formed in my mind by then, but due to lack of time, progress was slow. In 2019 my son was born, and since he was a poor sleeper, I often didn't even go to bed at night, making flowers instead. From that point on, I basically tried out one technique after another, learning from instructors with very different styles. In 2023 the time came to try out how the domestic community would respond to my work."
2. Do you remember what the first sugar flower you made looked like? What inspired you to deepen your knowledge and unfold your creativity in this special field?
"My very first attempt was made based on YouTube videos back around 2013. The finished flower was a bit clumsy and didn't resemble a real flower at all. I quickly realized that a basic course was needed to learn the various techniques. I didn't know what tools were needed, or even how they worked. After the first course, I came home almost soaring with the flowers I had made, although I remember being very tired :). The next day I started practicing, hoping I would at least be able to reproduce the result from the course. The first attempts were spent getting to know the material, I had to learn the nature of the sugar paste, the painting and assembly techniques. This was followed by long months of practice, and indeed countless flowers ended their careers in the trash. Over time, the initial clumsiness was replaced by curiosity about whether I could make other flowers too. I kept looking for new learning opportunities both at home and abroad. I think over the years I built up a significant knowledge base, developed a routine, and now I even dare to start making the sugar version based on a flower cut from a garden. The inspiration came from several sources, actually. On one hand, seeing the work of sugar flower artists, I wanted to one day measure up to the greatest. On the other hand, I soon found out that there are competitions where you can enter with these bouquets. I wasn't competing against others, only against myself. At the very first competitions, it was already a challenge just to get the right amount of flowers ready in time. Sugar flowers are fragile, so assembling the bouquets is also a separate challenge. In truth, each time I just wanted to make something better than the previous one."
3. What makes your sugar flower decorations stand out from other similar products on the market? What is your unique approach?
"The special thing about sugar flowers is that even the maker herself can never make two flowers that are completely identical. Every piece is perfectly unique, just like in nature. In truth, after a while a certain style develops, by which we can even recognize each other based on the flowers. Although I create flowers in many styles depending on the couple's ideas, I'm clearly drawn to the lifelike versions. I think my greatest strength is that I'm able to adapt to any idea. If someone comes to me with seemingly impossible ideas, I see it as a challenge, and in the end I'm able to create a harmonious overall look out of it too. Some sugar flower makers only take on certain flowers, but with me there's also the option to order based on photos. In many cases I use freehand techniques instead of the tools that are common among flower makers."
4. What techniques and materials do you use to create sugar flowers? Do you have a favorite technique that you like to use?
"I use sugar paste to make the flowers. It's a dough-like material that can be rolled out extremely thin. I achieve the colors with edible dyes, coloring the base material with gels, while I later paint the flowers with powder dyes. A question that often comes up is whether it's "mass production", whether the colors are applied with an airbrush. With me, every single flower is hand-painted. Although they're made from edible materials, the finished flowers dry hard, and I use wire to stiffen them, so they don't count as food. What makes them truly special is that after the special occasion, they keep their beauty for years, even decades, in a display case under the right conditions. And since last year I've also been taking on wafer flowers, which can be used to create truly airy decorations. Basically I love small flowers, for me these are what make everything exciting. Although I mostly make these for competitions, the smaller they are, the bigger the challenge, and I do like to push my limits :)."
5. What types of orders do you receive most often? Do you mainly make sugar flowers for weddings, birthdays, or other special occasions?
"My flowers are chosen mainly for wedding, birthday, and anniversary cakes. This way, it's not just a decoration for the cake, but also a keepsake that can be kept afterward. It has happened several times that a complete bouquet was ordered too. Since these are steeper in price, they're usually ordered for milestone anniversaries. In these cases, only personal pickup is possible, while I can ship the cake decorations nationwide. 6. What are the biggest challenges you face when making sugar flowers, and how do you usually overcome them? The biggest challenge for me is how to introduce my flowers to people in a likeable way. I take part in several wedding exhibitions every year, where I usually get passed over as just another cake vendor, artificial flower vendor, and so on. But if I manage to catch their attention for a moment and explain in two sentences that the flowers are actually made of sugar, that certain "wow factor" arrives. From that point on it becomes interesting, since a large part of people have no idea this is even possible. The other big challenge is seasonality, and the fact that although every point of the wedding is organized months in advance, the flowers are only ordered 2-3 weeks before the wedding. During the quieter winter period, I often prepare in advance, and the filler flowers and leaves line up nicely on the shelf. Regardless, it's worth thinking ahead if someone wants something custom, because indeed from May to October the order times get longer. Of course, as long as my capacity allows, I try to fulfill every wish, and just in case, I do keep a few dozen flowers in stock."
7. What trends have you noticed in the world of custom sugar flower decorations? How do you relate to these trends – do you adapt to them, or do you rather follow your own style?
"Basically, the rose and the peony are the biggest favorites. Of course there are themed weddings too, for example where the sunflower is their favorite flower, so they build everything around that. In terms of colors, pink and white dominate, and there was a period when every second order was eucalyptus-ruscus-bunny tail grass-lisianthus, of course in a white-green combination. This year I feel that wildflower-style, colorful weddings dominate. (Or maybe those are the ones who found me the most). In most cases, trends don't really matter, because brides do have a concrete idea of what they'd like. I very often create quotes based on images coming from Pinterest and other sources. Often the wedding decor is already set at the time of ordering, so I can work taking that into account as well. There are cases where I work with exact piece counts, and also cases where I'm just given a general framework along with the cake dimensions, and I can create freely based on that. I think that since these are unique handcrafted products, my own style is present in every piece, regardless of color, size, or flower type."
8. Have you ever had a special order that was particularly memorable or extremely interesting for you for some reason?
"Every year there are a few creations that stand out for me too. In the first year, a bride wanted a protea, and although I hadn't made one before, I took on the job. I thought about how to execute it for weeks, and in the end it looked wonderful and the bride was satisfied too. In the second year, a lady ordered a bouquet for her daughter-in-law. The only requirement was that it contain blue roses. Blue flowers were basically a tricky category for me back then. It's very hard to pair them with other flowers in a way that makes the unnatural color look alive in the bouquet in the end. In the end, a mixed blue-purple, lilac-and-rose bouquet was made. It became a real labor of love, and I later entered photos of it into an online competition, where it ultimately received a gold medal rating. Last year, a lady wanted pansies in her bridal bouquet, but they weren't in season. The bridal bouquet was made of fresh flowers, so I made the flowers for her out of cold porcelain, since their sugar counterparts are fragile and can't handle water, so a suitable alternative solution had to be found. Niki, the florist, made a wonderful bouquet out of them, and beyond the bouquet itself, a wonderful friendship was also born from our work together."
9. How much influence does the customer have on the final shape and style of the sugar flowers? How does the joint work go so that the end result perfectly reflects their vision?
"In terms of the shape of the flowers, I try to shape them the way the customer would like. Part of this is that I have a price list, from which they can choose the ones that suit them (both in terms of price and appearance), and for custom orders I also attach photos showing what type of flowers the prices cover. If I'm working from a photo I've received, I tell the couple that I can make something similar, but never exactly the same. Even if I use the same flowers and colors, my style traits will still show in the end result. Typically, on sugar-flower cakes the flower petals are thicker, so they're less fragile, whereas with me the petals are thin, since that way they look much more alive. Most confectioners have no problem decorating their cakes with them. The joint work starts with the couple reaching out to me, and then I send a quote. After agreeing on the order, we roughly discuss when I'll first be in touch with them again. Picture it like this: they order flowers in March, but the wedding is only, say, October 15th. At that point I can only roughly see how I'll be progressing through the year, what the workload will be like. I generally get to their order around early-to-mid September. During the making of the flowers, I send many photos, based on which there's still room to make small changes here and there. A few extra leaves, or maybe adjusting the shades of color, are still possible even at this stage. Once the couple feels the finished piece is perfect, we discuss payment and pickup, which is possible either in person or by post. Although my work is basically finished once the package is handed over, I'm always very happy to get feedback from the couple, to receive photos, or perhaps have them support my work with a review on my pages 😊 Fortunately, many are now returning customers, not for another wedding, but rather ordering sugar flowers for their child's christening cake, or for grandma's birthday. And I'm happy that they find joy in my work."
10. What is your biggest dream in the world of sugar flowers? What plans do you have for your business going forward?
"Right now my biggest dream is to compete as a florist in the Sugar Flower category at the Culinary Olympics, and of course to finish with a good result. As for my business, I'd like the seasonal system to turn into a permanent one. This is getting closer as my client base grows. I would be glad if my previous customers stayed my partners for a long time. Although I don't currently have a website, I do plan to create one, potentially even functioning as a webshop, so that in urgent cases people could buy from the flowers I have in stock with just a few clicks. I will always keep working toward continuous development, so my range of flowers will keep expanding. Also, starting last year, I've moved into teaching as well, so it's now possible to learn sugar flower making from me. I'm happy to travel wherever I'm invited to teach. And I also love learning new things myself, so in 2025 an old dream came true and I finally earned my confectioner qualification. Overall, since for me this isn't just a business, not just a job, but a way of life that weaves through my everyday life and makes me happy, I hope to be part of the domestic wedding market and the confectionery world for many, many years to come. I trust that one day it will be considered something special to say that the flowers on the cake are from Thesis's wonders."
