25 Wedding Cake Design Ideas That'll Wow Your Guests

These confections aren't just delicious—they're beyond artistic.

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50 Beautiful Wedding Cakes That Are (Almost!) Too Pretty to Eat

Your wedding cake baker is so much more than a dessert expert—most of them are true artists. They sculpt edible pieces of art that stun on the big day and, if they're anything like the cakes you're about to see, long after the last crumb is consumed. Their expertise is something that's honed, cultivated, and refined. Believe us, they weren't able to create the masterpieces you display at the reception overnight! If you're a couple who's thinking beyond the standard white three-tier, you're probably interested in the most inspired designs your genius cake baker has to offer.

Here, you'll find a comprehensive list of wedding cake design ideas that prove that this form of artistry is all about the technique. From deckle-edge frosting and wavy buttercream to embossed fondant, these beauties are pretty hard to cut into—they're that gorgeous. Some of these cake designs were subtler than others. We loved how one baker transformed a confection into a hexagonal two-tier, covered in marbled fondant (talk about lifelike). Another standout? A cake iced with small, feminine rosettes, which felt right at home at a garden wedding.

The bolder designs were just as stunning. One confectioner used candy melts to create feathered brush-stroke adornments, which dressed up a simple cake. Another somehow attached a hanging macramé piece to a two-tier treat, taking the all-white confection to new heights. Whatever your taste—and whatever the style of your big day—these wedding cake designs are sure to inspire.

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Dotted Indents

Greer Gattuso

Love This? See More Fabric-Inspired Wedding Cakes

This fabric-inspired confection, created by Melissa's Fine Pastries, was subtly statement-making. Its icy hue also gives new meaning to "something blue."

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Bas Relief

Sara D'Ambra

The raised flowers and vines look like they were carved out of this blush pink wedding cake, by Nana & Nana Cakes.

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Brush Stroke

Sarah Libby

Want to recreate the brush-stroke of this creative cake? Your baker will need follow Amy Cakes' lead and thin out candy melts and let them dry before attaching them to your masterpiece.

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Lace

Blaine Siesser

Take a note from Sweet Heather Anne and let your wedding dress inspire your reception's pièce de résistance.

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Tiled

Sarah Libby

Modern Wedding Cakes You'll Love

Grooved squares—we love how Amy Cakes included three tiny silver slivers, just at the base—are a subtle way to transform a classic cake.

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Carrara

Miramar Photography

Slabs of marble block or a wedding cake? With this futuristic confection, it's pretty difficult to tell.

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Abstract

This Modern Romance

Questions You Have to Ask Your Wedding Cake Baker

Talk about a work of art. Ultra-fine waves of fondant give The Butter End Cakery's confection an airy, ethereal quality.

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Moody Texture

Jennifer Skog

Unblended gray and white buttercream give this small two-tier, by Ma Petite Maison Cake Design, a moody feel.

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Slanted

Kaytee Lauren Photography

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Angular icing interrupts an otherwise smooth confection (by Gateau!), dotted with gold and white fondant beads.

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Layered

Branco Prata

More Deckle-Edged Wedding Cakes You'll Love

The best part about T Bakes' out-of-this-world wedding cake isn't the subtle ombré. How amazing is it to watch this beauty go from smooth on the top to deckle-edged on the bottom?

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Beaded

Michael and Carina Photography

Tiny pearls outline each tier of this traditional confection, by Graul's Market.

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Macramé

Let’s Frolic Together

You're all dressed up—and your wedding cake should be, too. Make like VG Donut & Bakery and attach a hanging macramé piece to an otherwise modest dessert.

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Hexagon Ombré

Emily Wren

See More Ombré Wedding Cakes

Geometric shapes, that deepen from pale green to cerulean, bring a touch of the contemporary to this Cake Life confection.

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Trellis

Zosia Zacharia

Sugar flowers and a silver trellis are the final touches on this botanical-themed wedding cake, from Cakes by Krishanthi.

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Alternating

Kelli Durham

This Who Made the Cake five-tier switches from smooth strips of buttercream to overlapping smudges but the entire treat is tied together with a cascading floral vine.

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Croquembouche

Harwell Photography

Discover More Wedding Cake Alternatives

Not all wedding cakes are stacked. Croquembouche, a French dessert consisting of choux pastry balls piled into a caramel-filled cone, is one way to take your dessert to the next level.

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Blue Ombré

Rachel Solomon

Stripes of fondant fade to blue on this pretty cake—tiny balls form halos around each tier.

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Ocean-Inspired

Erich McVey

Gradient blue coloring and nautical elements transform a classic white cake into something otherworldly. On this one, created by Lenovelle Cake, the fondant looked like the ocean's waves while the upper tiers were covered in shell-like details.

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Textured Strips

Lisa Blume Photography

This sapphire-hued confection looks as if it were pieced together, one stunning strip of hand-painted fondant at a time.

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Smudge Sash

Allison Kuhn Photography

Chartreuse, emerald, magenta, and blush smudges turn this Wow Factor stunner into an artist's paint palette.

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Feathered

Connie Whitlock

For this ice-blue beauty, the design is in the feather details.

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Bundt Drip

Lauren Fair Photography

Check Out the Drip Wedding Cake Trend

Feeling a wedding cake design that's completely nontraditional? Stack two Bundt cakes on top of each other and drizzle it all with chocolate ganache.

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Textured Crepe

Tamara Grüner

Fresh Ways to Decorate Wedding Cakes with Flowers

The crepe-like base tier of this stunner (by Elysia Root Cakes!) is only one unique part of the cake's overall look. Textured fondant and three major blooms bring the drama up top.

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Geometric

Krista Mason Photography

From the modern cake stand to the gold shapes, this three-tier confection from Frost It Cakery is all about geometric design.

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Coming Up Roses

Jeff Sampson

Fondant swirled into small rosebuds bring even the smallest confections to life.

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25 Wedding Cake Design Ideas That'll Wow Your Guests

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Dotted Indents

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Bas Relief

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Brush Stroke

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Lace

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Tiled

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Carrara

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Abstract

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Moody Texture

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Slanted

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Layered

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Beaded

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Macramé

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Hexagon Ombré

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Trellis

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Alternating

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Croquembouche

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Blue Ombré

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Ocean-Inspired

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Textured Strips

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Smudge Sash

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Feathered

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Bundt Drip

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Textured Crepe

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Geometric

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Coming Up Roses

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