Floral Wedding Cakes & Sprays (ISBN 1853916048)

An Awesome experience:
Wow, Alan Dunn does it again! The gumpaste flowers in this book are so lifelike and the instructions so clear, that he makes learning new flowers an enjoyable experience. A must have book for the professional decorator or for the cake show enthusiast.

Beautiful flowers - Detailed instructions:
This is my favorite author for gumpaste flowers by far! The flowers are very beautiful and life-like, and the instructions are detailed with step-by-step photos, unlike some other books I've seen. It would be a wonderful resource for beginners and experienced sugar artists alike. His arrangements are a bit too big for my personal taste, but are easily scaled down, and of course the cakes themselves are English style rather than American, but the focus and value is the information on the flowers themselves anyway. A must-have if you are interested in gumpaste flowers!

DIFFERENT OPINION:
Sorry to see the review saying that the cakes and flowers in this book are not acceptable. Alan Dunn is a very talented sugar flower designer and his books are sold around the world. If the reader was expecting fresh flowers then this book was not the one to buy -- that being said it just goes to show that Alan's ability to create stunning lifelike sugar flowers fooled the most discerning critic. Please remember this designer resides in England and the cake styles are somewhat different to those seen in the United States. His cake design is normal fare in the UK and probably seen at 80% of weddings. The use of rolled fondant in the United States is currently gaining in popularity (evidenced in all of the cake layouts in bridal magazines) and it is my opinion that it will continue to do so in the future.

Alan Dunn ,Floral Wedding Cakes and Sprays:
Ordered this book on the 10th July, am still waiting for it. Why I rated it 5 stars is that I have seen the book and it is fantastic for the cake decorator who appreciates a book that can show one how to make the beautiful flowers that Alan Dunn creates.

Outstanding Techniques Guide:
Alan Dunn obviously holds nothing back in teaching his techniques for creating realistic looking gumpaste flowers and leaves in all his books. I have 3 of his books and they are the most often used in my collection. His attention to detail, such as the subtle use of various shades of petal dust to add depth and beauty to a flower (or even a leaf!), has helped improve my skills tremendously. The book is easy to follow, with beautiful photos of his cakes, as well as of the step by step instructions on how to create them, from a lump of gumpaste to the finished product. I love that the flowers are almost life size. This creates a fantastic centrepiece at any wedding or special occasion. It can be seen from a distance and invariably draws people in for a closer look. At a society wedding held in a 5 star hotel, the Head Chef trouped all his staff out for a viewing while I was setting up the cake, after which he gave me the thumbs up sign! What a compliment!! For the price of a book, Alan Dunn continues to teach me the type of technical detail that adds realism to my gumpaste art. I highly recommend this book, even for beginners. Start right, follow the instructions given carefully, and soon you'll be making beautiful floral bouquets to die for! Thanks Alan!!