100 beautiful wedding cake ideas to help you find exactly the right wedding cake for your reception, no matter your style or color scheme.
With the wedding season fast approaching – whether we are ready for it or not – minds are turning to the accouterments that are involved in a wedding ceremony & reception.
One of the key elements of any wedding celebration is, of course, the wedding cake.
From classic to contemporary, sophisticated to rustic, today’s wedding cakes take on a variety of shapes, forms, and colors.
My, How Things Have Changed
I still remember our wedding cake. It wasn’t the prettiest thing you’ve ever seen, but it was absolutely delicious. We bucked the trend at that time and went for a carrot wedding cake, instead of the traditional vanilla or fruit cake options, and we never regretted that decision.
It was delicious. And it froze beautifully so that we could have our one year anniversary celebration cake, and it was just as delicious a year later.
Part of that cake choice had to do with our decision to use a local bakery that we frequented regularly at the time, but that did not specialize in wedding cakes. When we asked them if they would do our wedding cake, they gave us this really quizzical – I’m not sure you realize what you’re asking for – look.
But when we assured them that we were more interested in the flavor than the look, the eventually agreed. And it certainly didn’t hurt that the triple tier cake carrot cake from our favorite bakery ended up costing about one third of what a fully decked out cake would have cost us.
Was it the grandest wedding cake you’ve ever seen? No. Did people ohhhh and ahhhhh when the cake was revealed? No. Did not having a super pretty cake have any negative impact on our wedding celebration? Not at all.
But that was us. And we had a very simple, family style wedding… on a very tight budget. If I could back and do it all again, maybe I’d splurge on a fancy wedding cake. Maybe. Especially after doing all of the wedding cake research for this post.
And for those who want something a little better than our makeshift-carrot-cake-tower-of-glory, I have collected over 100 glorious wedding cakes to foster your wedding inspiration and your wedding dreams.
My Personal Picks for the Most Glorious Wedding Cakes
I spent hours browsing through some of my favorite sites for wedding cake ideas & inspiration, including Martha Stewart Weddings, Elle Decor, The Knot, and Brides.com to find some of the most amazing wedding cake ideas for you to explore!
Like birthday cakes on steroids, these cakes come in an amazing variety of shapes, colors, designs, and flavors.
I hope you enjoy browsing this collection of wedding cake ideas as much as I enjoyed creating it! And I assume that you’ll probably be just as hungry for a big slice of cake when you’re done reading as I was!
Cascading Orchids Wedding Cake
A glorious spray of cascading white orchids covers this multi-tier white cake.
Elegant Blooms
A classic white 3-tier wedding cake creates an elegant backdrop for the beautiful vines of colorful flowers and foliage.
Pretty in Pink
This gorgeous cake brings a whole new meaning to the phrase “pretty in pink”.
Bursting With Color
A simple, square multi-tier white cake is decorated with bursts of color in orange and green, which perfectly coordinate with the edible flowers.
Trailing English Roses Nearly Naked Wedding Cake
This gorgeous creation by Lele Patisserie is proof positive that you don’t necessarily need fondant or buttercream to make a beautiful statement on your wedding day.
Beaded Beauty
The beading on this classic wedding cake from Buttercream Bakery is truly spectacular! And I’m not just saying that because I like the alliteration of “Beaded Beauty from Buttercream Bakery!”
Painted Cupcake Wedding Cake
Can’t decide between the traditional three-tier wedding cake and wedding cupcakes? Here’s the perfect compromise!!
Birch Bark and Pine Cones Nearly Naked Cake
This rustic creation uses a nearly naked application on vanilla cake to create a look that resembles beautiful birch bark.
Octagonal Garden Cake
This gorgeous cake bucks the traditional round tiers and goes for an octagonal shape, which is absolutely covered with vines of flowers.
Black and White Stripes
A striking departure from the classic white cake.
Semi Naked Drip Cake
The autumnal colors, seasonal roses, and greenery make this cake from Amy’s Sweet Bake Shop perfect for a fall wedding.
Blue Ribbons Cake
What do you do for wedding cake ideas when you need your cake to match your Bridesmaids’ shoes?
Cascading Berries Cake
Perfect for a summer wedding, a collection of strawberries, raspberries, and blueberries provide rich color against the textured buttercream icing.
Berry Cake with Dripping Glaze
This berry-full chocolate and white icing cake by Erica Obrien bucks the multi-tier tradition and goes for 6 layers of chocolate cake crammed full of vanilla icing. The top features a wild variety of fruits and a dripping berry reduction glaze. Talk about original wedding cake ideas!
Cascading White Roses Wedding Cake
An abundance of sugar flowers create a classically beautiful look.
Marble Two-Tier Cake
A gorgeous marble effect is crafted onto this Semi-Naked two-tier wedding cake by Cupplets Bakery.
Field Berries Naked Cake
Simple, elegant, and rustic… this naked cake relies on the delicious vanilla cake, a moderate amount of buttercream icing, and some gorgeous summer field berries to create an impressive display.
Burgundy Dahlia Naked Wedding Cake
Beautiful burgundy dahlias really pop against the muted background of this naked 3-tier vanilla cake.
Gold and Marble Three-Tier Cake
Marbleized upper and lower tiers surround a textured gold-frosted middle layer.
All You Need Is Love Blue Ribbon Cake
This sleek and sophisticated blue and white wedding cake is wrapped in sugar ribbons with pretty blue bows, complimented with the edible ink phrase: “All You Need Is Love.”
Heart Scrolls
Delicate icing scrolls cover this wedding cake with love.
Dramatic Black Wedding Cake
The Vanilla Bakeshop in California created this dramatic black fondant cake festooned with richly colored sugar flowers. You might expect this dark and decadent wedding cake to feature a more savory flavor inside, but you might be surprised the the couple choose strawberry shortcake.
Love Baby’s Breath Cake
Textured white icing creates a backdrop for two beautiful pink roses surrounded by baby’s breath.
Raspberry Delight
Simple, yet elegant. This cake designed by Ofelia Bakery features a semi-naked, three-tier cake with raspberries and baby’s breath as the garnish.
Multicolored Pastel Wedding Cake
Muted pastel colors flow through this beautiful two-tier creation.
Nearly Naked Rose Bouquet Cake
Simple, yet romantic, the nearly naked vanilla cake base really lets the rose bouquet shine in this gorgeous creation by Ava Bakes Cakes.
Nature’s Bounty
An abundance of botanical elements surround this three-tier cake which features one iced vanilla tier, one nearly naked vanilla tier, and one nearly naked chocolate tier.
Floral Swirl Wedding Cake
An absolutely phenomenal swirl of white roses help create this elegant and sophisticated cake.
Nearly Naked Fig Wedding Cake
Perfect for a fall wedding, this nearly naked cake features fig and eucalyptus accents for a rustic overall look.
Confetti Naked Wedding Cake
This super-fun confetti cake from Mayflour Confections lets the colorful confetti cake shine through with the use of minimal frosting.
Pine Forest Wedding Cake
A forest of sugar pine trees completely surround this 4-tier cake.
Oversize Bloom Cake
An oversize sugar flower and colorful leaves create a dramatic display against a classic white backdrop.
Bohemian Basket Wedding Cake
I love the fall colors and the cornucopia feel to this gorgeous fall-inspired wedding cake by Nutmeg Cake Design.
Set of 3 Wedding Cakes
If you’re having troubles picking the right wedding cake for your reception, why not go for a trio of different styles and flavors.
Cactus Cake
Perfect for a desert-chic (not to be confused with dessert-chic) or Southwestern-style wedding.
Spring Bouquet
A gorgeous collection of spring flowers sits atop a semi-naked chocolate cake.
Daisy Delight
The pop of details with the daisy-encrusted layer among the rest of the cake – which remains classic white – really makes this cake stand out.
Tower of Mini Naked Wedding Cakes
A unique variation on the cupcake tower, this gorgeous display features a collection of mini, naked, multi-colored wedding cakes.
Hand-Painted Wedding Carrot Cake
Smaller than your standard wedding cake, what this 2-tiered, hand-painted carrot cake from Paradox Pastry lacks in height, it makes up for in beauty.
Anchors Away
For those who love the sea, this gorgeous wedding cake features rich nautical colors of green and blue and a nautical anchor to hold it all together.
Baroque Wedding Cake
You know what they say…. if it ain’t Baroque, don’t fix it!
A Wedding Cake of Galactic Proportions
An out-of-this-world design by the masters of cake making at Cupplets Bakery.
Blue and White Wedding Cake and Cupcake Combo
Sophisticated yet fun, this cupcake tower has a single cake at the top for cutting, making it an attractive and easy to serve variation on the traditional wedding cake.
Botanical Elements Wedding Cake
Lightly iced and adorned with natural botanical elements.
Bursting with Flowers Wedding Cake
Sugar flowers, EVERYWHERE!!!
Pink Macaron & White Chocolate Tower Wedding Cake
This gorgeous cake by Sweet Bloom Cakes in Australia takes the tower concept to a whole new level.
Chocolate Hello Kitty Wedding Cake
If the bride and groom love some Hello Kitty, celebrate that as part of the wedding with this fun, custom cake creation.
Royal Inspiration – Princess Eugenie of York’s Wedding Cake
Fit for a princess, literally. This glorious wedding cake was featured at the wedding of Princess Eugenie of York. Its cascading fall foliage and monogram design was perfect for this autumnal royal wedding.
Classic White Ribbons Wedding Cake with Flowers
There is nothing wrong with going simple, classic, and elegant.
Eyelet Lace Wedding Cake
The eyelet details in this cake make the icing look like lace.
Climbing Flowers Wedding Cake
Lovely red, white, and blue flowers adorn this classically elegant cake. Perfect for a 4th of July wedding!
Red Velvet Nearly Naked Wedding Cake
This amazing cake by Frost It Cakery lets the color and beauty of the popular red velvet cake shine through.
God Gave Me You Naked Wedding Cake
A semi-naked cake is decorated with field berries and a lovely “God Gave Me You” cake topper.
