Wedding Cake Ideas for Your Wedding
If you’ve followed our blog posts recently, you’re likely to have plenty of inspiration on wedding photography and videography, choosing bridesmaids and groomsmen, wedding planning without too much stress, and so much more. But what about the cake?
So far, we’ve spent little time talking about the culinary element of weddings. From a wedding creative’s point of view, your wedding cake not only needs to be delicious, but it should also be visually appealing. Some of the most stunning cakes we’ve seen recently have been inspired by more rustic garden-based themes. Read on to find out more about trending, tasty wedding cake ideas that make for stunning centerpieces.
From Grain to Cake
Did you know that wedding cakes come with centuries of history? Today’s stunning creations can trace their roots back to the Ancient Romans. In Rome, grains of wheat were considered a symbol of fertility and growth (Snippet from Brides). Well-wishers would throw grains at newly married couples to ensure the fruitfulness of the marriage both in terms of offspring and economic prosperity.
The History and Meaning of Wedding Cakes Believe it or not, but the first wedding cakes were actually created as a way to signify luck and fertility. According to Aumiller, “In Roman times, grains of wheat represented fertility and were thrown at the newly married to ensure fruitfulness.”
The first wedding cakes were crafted from wheat, and the couple would eat those cakes together to show their unity. As time went by, the cakes created for weddings became more elaborate. White icing has been one of the most popular finishes of a wedding cake since the Victorians introduced it as a nod to purity and virginity. Stacks of cakes soon followed to demonstrate prosperity and wealth. These traditional-style wedding cakes still have their place in modern weddings, and many couples love them. At the same time, traditional cakes are starting to have a bit of competition from more rustic, modern alternatives. Think of stacks of cupcakes, macarons, or even decorated towers of shortbread. Here is a look at our top ten rustic wedding cakes for 2023 and 2024.
1. Naked Wedding Cake
Naked wedding cakes are perhaps the original rustic wedding cakes. If you’ve never seen one, just picture a wedding cake without the typical layer of buttercream or icing around the outside. You and your guests will see the layers of sponge and filling between each tier of sponge.
We love the dramatic effect of the exposed layers, especially if you’re opting for a chocolate or coffee sponge. Plus, there are countless options for decorating naked wedding cakes. Think about seasonal berries or flowers, for example. Making a beautiful naked wedding cake is anything but easy. Bakers need to ensure each layer of sponge is exactly the same to create the desired visual effect. If this is your favorite option, make sure your caterers are experienced in creating this type of wedding cake.
2. Semi-Naked Wedding Cake
If you feel that a naked wedding cake is a step too far, why not opt for a semi-naked wedding cake to stay with a rustic theme but soften your approach a bit? To create a semi-naked wedding cake, bakers add a thin layer of buttercream to the stacks of sponge and filling.
Then they scrape all but the thinnest layer off. The result is a stunning, textured finish that will complement venues featuring wood and other natural elements. Add some colorful accents with fruit, fresh flowers, or greenery to make your cake really stand out. We recommend putting your cake on a cake stand, so your guests can admire it from all sides.
3. Decorate Your Cake with Dried Flowers
Are you getting married outside of the traditional wedding season? It can be hard to find fresh flowers at the height of winter. Rather than leaving your cake undecorated, check out dried flower decorations. Natural grasses can make an otherwise white wedding cake stand out, giving texture to the creation and turning it into a memorable element of your wedding, even before your guests taste it.
4. Add Greenery and Creative Cake Stands
Greenery like ivy makes for excellent rustic cake decorations. No matter whether you are choosing to have a single-tier wedding cake for a smaller party or have decided to push the boat out with a multi-tier rustic wedding cake, stunning greenery makes a statement.
Carry the rustic theme even further with a creative cake stand. Wood is one of the must-have elements of a rustic wedding, so why not use a tree trunk as your cake stand? This option makes it easy to carry your theme throughout your venue, and you don’t need to worry about plastic or other waste.
5. Choose Pressed Flower Decorations
Pressed flower decorations can create stunning effects on rustic wedding cakes. They’re also a great option if your favorite flowers are out of season or hard to find around the time of your wedding. If you have the time and are feeling creative, you can press your own flowers. Alternatively, perhaps one of your bridesmaids loves crafts and volunteers for the job. If neither of those possibilities works out, take a look online. You’ll not only find your favorite flowers but most likely also have a choice of colors, sizes, and more.
6. Choose a Flower-Decorated Donut Stack
Do you have to have an actual wedding cake? Granted, an actual cake is certainly the option most couples go for. But remember, there are no hard and fast rules when it comes to modern weddings. Here is our wildcard rustic cake idea – how about a stack of donuts? Few people can resist these sweet treats, so your donut stack is bound to be a crowd-pleaser, and it doesn’t have to look too casual. Think about glamming up your donuts with exuberant wildflowers and icing sugar. You’ll retain the rustic feel while creating a celebratory cake at the same time.
7. How About a Dark Black Cake?
Do you love chocolate? Then why not go for a dark black cake with chocolate icing? This kind of cake is not only delicious. It also creates a stunning visual feature in your venue. As wedding photographers and videographers, there’s nothing we love more. To create even more of a visual attraction, try decorating your dark cake with colorful berries or fresh flowers. You could even opt for edible flowers with your beautiful cake. There are no limits to your imagination.
8. Have Fun with Bold Cake Colors
Naked, white, and chocolate are not your only options for rustic wedding cakes. Think about other natural colors that would work well with your rustic theme. We like the terracotta range of colors, but sage green and natural tan colors also work well in rustic venues. Either choice can make your cake stand out and become the most talked-about aspect of your wedding. If you’re choosing a darker color, try adding white flowers for a stunning effect. You’ll love the cake and the pictures of it!
9. Opt for Rustic Cupcakes
If you found donuts to be a step too far, how about a rustic cupcake stack? Admittedly, cupcakes have been around for a while as an alternative to traditional wedding cakes. But in many cases, they’re made to look beyond perfect and symmetrical. Create a more rustic look by swapping icing perfection for a more natural, relaxed approach, and consider using slices of tree trunk as your cupcake stand.
10. Add a Touch of Gold
Are you thinking of taking your rustic theme to another level? Then why not add a touch of gold? Goldleaf works exceptionally well on semi-naked cakes where accents of gold draw attention. We love a touch of gold, especially in more industrial-looking venues, where the color creates exciting visual effects in harmony with your surroundings. Repeat the gold theme throughout your venue’s décor and perhaps even in your bridesmaids and groomsmen’s apparel for a unique effect.
Are you Craving a Slice of Cake Yet? Everybody loves a slice of wedding cake, right? And while we devoted this post almost exclusively to the looks of your wedding cake, don’t forget that it’s the taste that matters. Classic vanilla and chocolate sponges are still firm favorites, but bakers are happy to cater to different tastes.
From a wedding photographer and videographer’s point of view, your cake can’t look stunning enough. We love to work with you to create stunning images, whether you’re looking for classic cake-cutting images or have something totally different in mind. Does your cake have to match your wedding theme? As we said above, it’s your wedding and your rules. Having said that, if you’ve chosen a theme for your big day, it’s worth going all out and making sure every element of your wedding matches that theme – all the way down to the cake. If you’d like to know more about wedding photography and videography for rustic and other weddings, just get in touch with our team at Sidpix Studios. We’re always happy to schedule a free, no-obligation consultation.
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