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We’ve been around a LOT of weddings over the years and we’ve seen almost everything you can imagine. That’s where we’ve picked up these amazing wedding cake ideas that we have to share with you. We especially want you to see these if you’re one of the couples that we’re lucky enough to capture!
The Wedding Cake has literally been around FOREVER and it’s a vital element to most couples wedding day. Did you know that the Romans used to break apart loaves of sweet bread and sprinkle them over the heads of a newly married couple as a gesture of well wishes? That’s where our tradition original came from. Cake cutting is one of my favorite “In the Moment” photos to capture. The before and after are also images that I know will be treasured as a part of the final gallery I deliver to our clients. I usually have my trusted second shooter sneak into the reception hall before guests have arrived to take some breath-taking photos of the cake, decor and other mementos in the hall. And after the cake is cut I normally will grab a few shots with that first missing piece that symbolizes the couples first official act together as husband and wife.
So, read on to see some of our favorite wedding cake ideas for your own wedding day!
Yeah I know…you weren’t REALLY expecting the Traditional Tiered Cake to be at the top of Best Wedding Cake Ideas. But, come on now…here me out. The Tiered Cake is there for a reason. It’s…tradition. The tradition is a Victorian Europe thing. Did you know Queen Victoria’s wedding cake was 300 POUNDS!!!!!
The biggest reason this made the top of the list is that as a wedding photographer I’ve noticed a clear leap back to the Classic Traditions for weddings the last few years. People are dropping the cute ‘trendy’ ideas and honing in on the Classic. Traditional Wedding March, using bridal parties formal names on invites, the tiered wedding cake AND even ditching the garter toss in favor of a more elegant evening.
There are SO many wedding cake ideas for the tiered cake too! The one pictured is a ‘naked’ style cake with fresh flowers and fruits as decor. I’ve seen many with plain white icing and intricate piped designs. I love the non-traditional icing like chocolate on a tiered cake or when the cake artist decorates one layer in a color from their wedding palette and does the rest white. And one of my most favorite tiered cakes ever had a hidden surprise on the back….it was Batman. The groom LOVED Batman so the cake artist decorated the front in piped white icing and surprised the happy groom with Batman on the back.
Another favorite on mine was a tiered cake made to look like the beach. The layers started at white on the top and progressively were more bluish green toward the bottom like the surf. The bottom layer was decorated to look like the beach sand. AND the artist had hand made little seas shells and starfish from edible candy to decorate the beach layer. It was one of the most memorable wedding cake ideas I’d ever seen.
One of my favorite cake artists to refer is Wendy from It Takes the Cake. Check her out if you want someone who really pays attention to detail.
Can we just stop and admire cupcakes as the next best wedding cake ideas? I mean…what could be better than a buffet of different fancy little cakes! If you can’t tell already, I’m a HUGE fan of buffets because they let me please every part of my pallet. Cupcakes are one of those pallet pleasing little things that I will absolutely eat all of if given the chance. Now, don’t let that deter you from choosing me to be the photographer capturing the magic on your day. I do have some self control and I realize you invested in those little magic cakes for your guests to enjoy. I’m just saying that toward the end of the night if you see me with one or two…I need the energy, okay? I’ve been shooting for the last 10 hours. I’m famished and I can’t ignore the cupcakes any more!
We talked a little bit about the variety you can have with a traditional tiered cake, but we gotta be honest, that ain’t NOTHING like you can do with cupcakes. These sweet little chocolate cupcakes were part of a sunflower themed wedding that was dotted with vibrant hues of cheerful yellow. This wedding chose to serve white or chocolate cupcakes.
But I’ve been to weddings with coconut, raspberry, traditional wedding cake flavor (uh…yeah it’s a real thing and it’s my FAVORITE flavor)…oh one wedding had bourbon bacon cupcakes. Those little moist maple/bourbon cakes topped with white icing and a sprinkle of crisp bacon were SO good.
I think the worse part of wedding cupcakes is deciding how many flavors to offer your guests and then…as a guest…deciding which flavor to indulge in. When a couple wants the most gourmet cupcakes I always refer them to Ye Olde Sweet Shoppe.
You may not have considered pie for your wedding, but if you aren’t…you’re missing out on a really unique and adorable wedding cake idea! I’ll never forget the first time I saw pie served at a wedding in place of cake. It was a fall wedding (perfect time for a slice of pie) and they served it alongside a hot apple cider/hot cocoa bar. This is such a cool idea for a fall/winter wedding celebration. Imagine, cozying up with your spouse at your reception while sipping a steaming mug of hot cocoa and savoring a sweet piece of pecan or apple pie.
I’ve had the pleasure of shooting a few weddings during late October-December that have served pie and the couple usually cuts a teeny tiny cake only big enough for the two of them to enjoy OR they cut a miniature pie in their favorite flavor. The kinds of pie varies just based on taste. The most popular I’ve seen is apple. I’ve shot a few Thanksgiving weekend weddings that served pecan and pumpkin pies.
Another nice thing about serving pie is that it’s a GREAT way to include your family members. We all have Nonnas and Aunties who love to bake a pie with a flaky crust. No need to buy a bunch of super market pies. This is a way to make your loved ones feel even more included in your wedding day.
Pie it up baby!
Are there any other wedding cake ideas that are as sweet as the Sweetheart Cake? This cake has stolen the show…and many hearts over the last few years. It’s an ideal choice for budget friendly weddings because it allows you to cut a wedding cake with all the cute photos, but also to serve a lower cost dessert such as cupcakes or a sheet cake to your guests. While the traditional tiered wedding cake made the top of my list because of the Classics coming back into style, it’s also the most expensive option. And, its the most expensive for good reason.
Have you ever tried to make a layer cake at home? Unless you’ve had training in a professional bakery or you spend hours watching The Cake Boss…you probably noticed how hard it is to make it stand tall and straight and to smooth the icing out. That ‘married’ to the fine art of decorating is why a traditional tiered cake is costly. Not so with a sweet heart cake. These cakes are usually only 1 layer high and decorated in a minimalist fashion. That leaves you with tons of money in the budget to load up on other dessert options for your famished guests.
With a sweetheart cake you can select your favorite flavor together to enjoy while ordering different flavors of cupcakes or sheet cakes to serve to your guests so everyone is satisfied. And you want your guests full and happy so they have plenty of time on the dance floor to boogie the night away with you.
If you’re a smart cookie or maybe I mean donut….you’ll really love this last of my wedding cake ideas. Donuts…they’re not just for breakfast any more. This picture was from a sweet late September wedding that offered their guests stacks of light and airy donuts from their favorite bakery instead of cake. And let me tell you, it was one of my favorite weddings that year.
Donuts are fun to display at your wedding also. This wedding choose traditional cake trays and stands to pile up the fluffy treats. But I’ve also seen donut walls and donuts stacked to mimic a tiered wedding cake. The best part of serving donuts is serving cider, cocoa and a coffee bar alongside them. Many catering companies will offer you a coffee bar with a variety of flavored syrups and creamers to delight your guests.
When a couple chooses to serve donuts for dessert they typically cut a sweetheart cake instead of a donut, but I think a fun twist would be to cut a cinnamon coffee cake. I’m full of fun wedding cake ideas. I think it comes from working at weddings for as long as I have.
There are a number of local bakeries to choose from for the best donuts, but it’s all about what makes the two of you happy. Do you enjoy a steaming cup of joe with a bavarian cream filled donut on Sunday mornings? Or do you prefer an old fashioned dusted with powdered sugar that gets all over your lap? Make sure to serve a variety of fillings and both yeast and cake donuts to really grab your guests attention.
So, clearly we didn’t cover all of the unique and fun wedding cake ideas out there, just a few of my favorites I’ve seen at weddings. Worth mentioning is the wedding who served only cheesecakes because it was their favorite. They had strawberry, raspberry, NY style, Turtle and chocolate chip flavors. And I’ve heard of a wedding once that was themed on a pizzeria because it’s where they had their first date. They served a wood fired pizza buffet for dinner and a dessert style pizza bar for finishing up. Man, I wish I was at that wedding. Maybe you’ll be inspired to host a wedding with one of these unique wedding cake ideas and you’ll hire my team to capture all of the magic! We can’t wait to hear all about it.
