Beach Wedding Cakes That Are Perfect for Your Seaside Dessert Table

Tying the knot near the ocean? You have our full support. We love coastal weddings—especially those that embrace the location with thematic details, like beach-themed wedding cakes. Whether you want to go all out with a truly oceanic dessert or you prefer adorning your confection with subtle seaside touches, we've got plenty of beach wedding cake ideas for your celebration.

The treasures of the sea—shells, coral, pearls—make for beautiful décor elements, so why not use these motifs across your wedding cake's design? This confection by Jonathan Caleb Cake used all three, making it seem as if washed up from the ocean. However, if you don't want to incorporate these elements or want to display a cake that's a little more subtle, turn to the water itself for your dessert's color palette inspiration, from its blue and green hues to its rippling surf. Of course, beach weddings aren't all about the ocean. Many couples plan destination weddings on islands with other natural muses—which is why we've also added several tropical wedding cakes, with nods to palm fronds and other exotic foliage often found near the water, to this mix.

When it comes to beach wedding cakes, your options are as expansive as the great big blue itself. The following beachy treats were so delicious and stunning, we have no doubt that guests couldn't wait to dive into them. Borrow from any of these wedding cake designs, and you'll be on your way to offering your own attendees a little slice of paradise.

Marbled wedding cakes connote the contemporary, but they can also feel beachy. The trick? Use a light blue-and-beige color palette, like the one seen on this Feathers & Frosting confection. Note how the colors mixed together to form a wave-like detail on the bottom and top sections of the dessert.

Sometimes, all you need is an oceanic color scheme to pull of the perfect sea-inspired look. All this two-tier Jenny Wenny Cakes confection needed was a blue-and-white-hued bottom layer to feel completely beachy.

Of course, a tropical wedding and beach location go hand-in-hand. So, why not work motifs from both onto your dessert? Make like Whipped Confections and add an exotic leaf print on one tier and use a graham cracker crust on the bottom section to reference sand. Complete the beachy combination with a small floral arrangement (this one is from Habitat Events).

There are so many natural seaside elements to incorporate into your cake. But, if you're throwing a minimal, contemporary event, you may want to choose muted accents, like the thin dune-like sticks seen on this Graceful Baker dessert. The all-white cubed tiers only added to the treat's modern vibe.

Blue fondant and frosting aren't the only ways you can bring beach vibes to your confection. A gray color scheme will also do the trick. Vanilla Bake Shop included sugar crystals (which looked like sea glass) throughout this cake; a wave detail on the bottom tier drove the theme home.

We're not sure there's a more appropriate decoration for your ocean-themed cake than watercolor. So, have your baker (in this case, Elise Cakes) sponge edible gray-and-blue paint onto your confection to complement your seaside color palette. Add a flower with seaweed to finish off the look.

Looking for a way to mimic waves' natural undulation (and color gradient!) on your cake? Note how Katie Grant applied this confection's blue-and-white frosting using a brushstroke method. To top off your sea-inspired dessert, add a coral topper grounded by graham cracker "sand."

We're used to seeing floral garlands adorn the sides of cakes, but if you're throwing a seaside affair, we suggest you get more creative. Paper Cake Events used a "vine" of mussel shells down the side of this cake and completed the look with a dark blue-and-black bottom tier.

Although the beach usually evokes a laid-back, casual vibe, your ocean-inspired cake can still feel extremely elegant. This nine-tier dessert from Lenovelle Cake felt glamorous and beachy at the same time. The pros used layers of ombré fondant to recreate waves at the bottom of the cake while shells adorned the top six sections.

Sometimes, you can create an oceanside vibe without using coral, florals, or sand-inspired elements. For proof, just look to this Elle's Belles wedding cake. Although it featured a winding ribbon, the muted blue hue still made it feel like it belonged right next to the sea.

Just because flowers like roses aren't found on the beach, doesn't mean you can't include them in your cake. The ones on this Just Iced Custom Cakes confection added a dose of romance while the light blue color and pebbles referenced this couple's beach location.

If you're going to use rocks on your sea-inspired cake, we suggest placing them on the bottom of the stand. The reason? Coupled with a blue section, which was seen on this confection by Sugary & Chic Cake Boutique and The Foraged Fern, the set up will look just like the bottom of the ocean.

Blue isn't the only beach-themed color out there. We love the look of this ruffled Knead to Make dessert, which had pops of sea-hued green that mimicked the look of seaweed.

You don't need a cake as big as the ocean to make a serious impact. Case in point? This compact confection, created by Cake Opera Co., used only sugar pearls and real shells for a decidedly beach-inspired treat.

Sainte G. Cake Company used the perfect sea-inspired hues for this watercolor wedding cake. The result? A beachy treat that still feels elegant and refined.

Tying the knot near the beach doesn't mean your cake has to be all seashells and ocean blue frosting. In fact, this Ma Petite Maison Cake Design confection, which featured just a few tropical leaves arranged by Tumbleweed Floral Truck, felt beach wedding-worthy without being too thematic.

Look to the waves to inspire your own beach wedding cake. The lower tiers on this Vanilla Bake Shop cake looked just like the ocean coming up toward the beach.

If you don't want to go overboard with the beach vibe, consider a spread of miniature wedding cakes with just one or two ocean-inspired details. This trio of desserts from Bombon Bakery had a single beach-inspired detail: A mussel shell topper on the smallest confection. The result was understated and elegant.

Thinking about serving your favorite beachy treat for dessert (like ice cream!), but still want a small cake to cut with your new spouse? This single-tiered option from Baker's Pride is just what you'd want to slice into during a seaside celebration. Topped with oysters and surrounded by clam shells, the miniature treat packed a major style punch.