Wedding Cake Inspo from our Maggie Brides

Here at Maggie, we believe the only problem a bride should have on her wedding day is a wedding cake that’s (almost) too pretty to eat. Your cake is the perfect way to incorporate your unique wedding vision into even the yummiest details of your special day! We scouted out the best wedding cake inspo from real Maggie brides who were in your shoes not too long ago. We promise these cakes will not only make your mouth water but also complement your super chic wedding theme!

Check out more wedding inspo on all things bridal on our Pinterest! Not to brag, but we’ve got all the latest trends just waiting to be pinned. Get scrolling, girl!

How Wedding Cakes Got Their Start

Wedding cakes originally came from Ancient Rome! After the marriage ceremony, a scone-like wheat or barley cake was broken over the bride’s head for luck and fertility, then the happy new couple would eat the first bites together as a unified act as a married couple.

Later on in history, ancient Brits took this bread-breaking tradition in a new direction by throwing the bread at the bride to encourage fertility in her marriage. After that, it went on and on until the tradition of beautiful wedding cakes became what it is today!

PC: Innocent Thunder Photo

Tips on Choosing the Right Design for You

Before we show you our lineup of gorgeous cakes, here are some of our pro tips for choosing the right wedding cake aesthetic and flavor for you.

• Whatever your wedding vision is, be sure to include your partner in your decision. Choosing a wedding cake design and flavor is not only a bonding experience for you both but also too tasty and fun not to experience together!
• Choose a flavor you and your guests will love. Some popular and traditional wedding cake flavors include vanilla, yellow, and chocolate, but you can always branch out with more unique flavors like carrot, pumpkin, cookie dough, lemon, or strawberry. You can also opt to have the best of both worlds with a vanilla or chocolate base with caramel or raspberry filling.

Budgeting and Timeline

• Budget the right amount of money for your wedding cake. According to The Knot, the average U.S. wedding cake costs around $500. You can calculate what price your wedding cake will be by how many tiers you’d like, and the number of guests you’ll have. Usually, a cake for 50 or fewer guests will be around $319, while a wedding cake for 100 guests or more will be closer to $600. Don’t let those numbers scare you! There are a ton of cost-saving options for your wedding cake, like having an individual cake for you and your partner with cupcakes for your guests, or shopping our affordable wedding dresses to save money for your cake!
• Give yourself plenty of time. Bakeries can fill up fast—especially during peak wedding season. Most bakeries recommend reserving the date for your cake six months in advance during peak season and three months in advance during the off-season.
• Work with your wedding venue. This is key, as the venue often offers catering and may even require you to utilize their baker. It can also be a money-saver to utilize their preferred bakery or on-site pâtissier for your wedding cake.
• Estimate the size of your guest list so you select a cake design that is big enough for all your guests to enjoy! The wedding cake is a crowd-pleaser, after all. You wouldn’t want anyone to go home without! Once you receive RSVPs, be sure to communicate with your baker if the number has significantly increased or decreased from your initial estimate.

With these tips under your belt, you’ll be able to choose the wedding cake that works best for you and your wedding style!

PC: Jessa E Photographs

White Wedding Cake Inspo for the Classic Bride

White wedding cakes are classy, chic, and effortlessly timeless. Neutrals are all the rage right now, so there really couldn’t be a better time to show off a traditional white cake. Not to mention skipping out on intricate piping and decor will save money for brides on a budget without having to sacrifice an ounce of elegance. 

PC: Ellen Sear Photography

This gorgeous cake is giving us all the clean-girl vibes, while still catching our eye with the subtle sun detail they’ve added. We think this wedding cake is the perfect inspo for sleek summer brides.

PC: Elizabeth Austin Photography

A little more on the glam end of the bridal spectrum? Don’t worry, we have ideas for you too. This wedding cake is still classic while incorporating fun over-the-top details like that fabulous bow and pearl detailing. Trendy anyone??

PC: Vanessa Hicks Photography

This wedding cake inspo would be stunning for winter weddings. We love that this bride stuck to the traditional white cake theme but still incorporated seasonal elements to make it her own.

Naked Wedding Cakes for the Bohemian Bride

Naked cakes have totally been trending for the last few years, and honestly? We’re all for it. We love the laid-back feel they can bring to a reception. They perfectly complement rustic or backyard wedding venues and are great for brides who aren’t frosting fans. If you’ve been eyeing the naked wedding cake trend, we say go for it!

PC: Amanda Macchia Photography

For brides who really want to commit to the naked cake trend, go without even a crumb coat on your cake and opt to use the filling between layers to add stunning details to your wedding aesthetic like this bride did.

PC: Erika Diaz | Chris Bartow Photography

Or, for a more on-trend look, check out these two cakes to see how brides skipped the frosting to draw more focus to their florals. Pro tip for chocolate lovers? We love a darker sponge color against vanilla frosting for more contrast.

Colorful Cakes for the Fun Bride

Pull your wedding colors into your cake by adding flowers, cake toppers, or frosting in your wedding shades for a super cohesive look. Or just have some fun playing with all your and your sweetheart’s favorite colors for a cake that’s uniquely you!

PC: Genesis Imagery

This cake is perfect for couples who can’t get enough color. We love the way they used color to create unique shapes and patterns on the cake as well, creating a truly one-of-a-kind cake for a one-of-a-kind couple.

PC: Unknown

Color doesn’t have to come from frosting if you don’t have as much of a sweet tooth. Other fantastic options to spice up a plain wedding cake are flowers and fruit! We’re also living for the cottage-core vibes this cake is serving.

Cake Alternatives for Unique Brides

Dietary restrictions? Just not a cake fan? No worries. This day is about you! We fully support you in doing whatever makes you and your partner happy! Here are some seriously delicious cake alternatives with just as much class.

PC: Kristina Wild Photography

Donuts are a trend we’ve been seeing everywhere, and we’re not mad about it! There are so many adorable options for displaying donuts, from stacking them to hanging them.

PC: Christine Photography

Pancakes are another option that is just too cute for words. So unique, so fun, so memorable. It’s a yes from us. Especially if you have a significant moment with your sweetheart that ties in!

Floral Wedding Cakes for the Romantic Bride

If you’re as floral-obsessed as we are, we’d love to see you incorporate the same flowers from your bouquets and centerpieces into your wedding cake to tie your whole wedding look together! We promise your guests will be awed by your attention to detail. Here’s some of our favorite wedding cake inspo from other floral girlies:

Cake-cropped-700×1015.jpg (brown flowers)

PC: Hannah Mac Photography

Dried flowers are such a romantic touch to add to a backyard wedding. We can’t stop picturing this cake next to a bride in either a vintage or boho wedding gown.

PC: Lucy Cuneo Photography

If you’re not as into the traditional floral look, opting for some unique flowers to add to your cake is a great way to switch things up. We love how these ultra-whispy florals totally change the aesthetic of a plain white cake.

PC: Rachel Laxton Photography

Then again, if you’re a floral girl with a soft spot for the classics, why change a thing? We’ll always love a classic white cake decorated with a bride’s favorite flowers. The offset flowers on each tier of this stunning cake are just too perfect.

Themed Wedding Cake Inspo for Creative Brides

Themed wedding cakes are perfect for non-traditional couples who have a specific theme in mind for their wedding. These cakes are an easy way to add an over-the-top detail to your reception that turns heads and adds an element of fun. After all, we’re here to celebrate love! In our book, that 100% includes your love of the beach.

PC: Francesca Hill | Sarah Louise Photography

Themed wedding cakes are just too much fun! Whether it’s a gothic-inspired or Halloween wedding, we love seeing how our creative brides incorporate the things they love into their wedding cakes.

PC: Claire Eliza Photography

We’re particularly infatuated with this beach-themed wedding cake, which is subtle and sophisticated, but still totally on-theme. Perfect for a warm-weather destination wedding!

Dainty Wedding Cake Options for the “Less is more” Bride

The trend we’ve seen lately of cutting a mini cake for you and your partner to share is the cutest. No more worries about wrestling with a giant, tiered cake in front of your guests. You can bring out a larger cake or other treats for guests after the official cake-cutting for a fun way to change things up and make sure there’s still enough to go around at your reception! Or we love the idea of doing cupcakes for an easy grab-and-go feel that doesn’t require someone cutting cake all night.

Mini Cake

PC: Hayley Moore Photography

Here’s a fabulous example of a smaller personal cake for just the bride and her fiance. It ensures a perfect cake-cutting photo op for your photographers with no mess or toppling tiers. It also makes it easy to ensure you get to take your cake home with you at the end of the night to share again later that night or at your first anniversary! Not to mention that we can’t get over how dainty and intimate it is. 

Grab and Go

PC: Ellen Sear Photography | Hayley Moore

As for your guests, we love the idea of a mini treat bar with personal-sized treats or cupcakes for an easy grab-and-go wedding cake option.

Are you all craving cake as much as we are? Go ahead and schedule a date night with your fiance to go over your favorite wedding cake inspo and get cake tasting! After all, that’s the second-best part of wedding planning. After dress shopping of course! Make sure to follow our socials below to look at more wedding inspo like this and read our blogs below for similar content.

Best of luck wedding planning brides!

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