Wedding Trends that Take the Cake

As the wedding industry continues to regain the momentum it lost during the pandemic, one rising trend in today’s weddings includes ideas that literally take the cake. While tiered white wedding cakes still hold a place of pride and preference for brides who favor tradition, a new and modern wave of artisan bakers has led to many out-of-the-box wedding cake creations. With a plethora of options to choose from, couples can easily find the perfect design and style for their wedding cake, making a special day all the more sweet.

During 2020, many couples realized that COVID-19 is the worst wedding crasher imaginable. However, since then, the same couples have had a second chance to re-plan the wedding they originally wanted – perhaps with a few new ideas for their wedding cake. According to The Knot, “2023 wedding cake trends are proof that this year’s couples are all about breaking the mold. From colorful, new adaptations of vintage-inspired cakes to floral details and unique structural elements,” it seems there is something for every style and sweet tooth.

Couples choosing to express their personalities and styles with their wedding cakes are doing so with unique and individual requests. Some of the most popular requests cake designers are receiving include many styles that incorporate flowers of all kinds. From edible flowers or buttercream flowers that adorn a wedding cake, to hand-painted flowers that do the same, floral elements and design requests are blooming throughout the wedding cake industry, with many cake displays that almost look too good to cut.

Two other wedding cake trends that are popular with millennials include red velvet cake and the groom cake. As a long-time favorite dessert in the South, red velvet cake dates back to the Civil War; and as a way for the groom to receive equal attention at the wedding, the groom’s cake does just that by incorporating the groom’s personality and flavor preferences. Both designs are seeing a resurgence of popularity within the new millennial generation, and are showing no signs of ending in sight.

Among other currently popular trends in wedding cakes evidence both ends of the style spectrum. On one side, you’ll find couples that crave the comforts of home by requesting that their wedding “cake” be constructed entirely of cookies. Imagine stacks of multi-sized cookies—from dinner plate-sized at the bottom to bite-sized at the top—separated by tier after tier of frosting. Many couples requesting this type of design also go so far as to offer their guests milk, served in stemware to complete the tasty theme.

On the other end of the style spectrum, you’ll find couples looking for the luxury that high-end events afford to guests. For this couple’s wedding cake, today’s choice is all about pearls, which have long been associated with luxury. From delicate strands draped across or around the cake, to edible candy pearls that decorate the cake sides, this popular embellishment trend is sure to make a statement for many years to come.

For couples desiring a rustic-themed wedding—currently in the top five most popular wedding themes—there are a wide range of cakes designed to complement the theme and event. Cake designers have reported requests for tiered cakes that resemble wood or logs that have the initials of the couple “carved” into them, as well as the even-more-popular “naked” cakes that are created with only a modicum of frosting, which allows for a more rustic look and are extremely popular at weddings held in barns.

Along with different themes and décors, cake shapes are also changing as a new trend. Many couples are turning their noses up at traditional round cakes in favor of various geometrical structures such as hexagon-shaped cakes, which is currently the most popular round shape alternative. In addition, cookies aren’t the only new flavor profile for wedding cakes. Other flavors on trend include coffee and tea, as well as pistachio, lime, and pink champagne. For couples still looking for something out of the ordinary as their wedding cake, there are many other options such as cheesecakes—cakes made from actual cheese—and doughnut towers.

When it comes to existing and emerging trends in wedding cakes, it’s clear there is something for every request from every couple, with every design and style sure to be as memorable (or more) as the wedding itself.

Photo courtesy of Rue de Seine Bridal

Photo courtesy of Fabmood

Photo courtesy of DM Photography