39 Amazing Dessert Tables from Real Weddings

September 06, 2011
John Kernick

Let the following creative tables inspire your own cake, pie, and cookie display.

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Polly Alexandre Fine Photography

There are no rules that say you can only cut into one cake at your reception. Take a cue from these couples and deck out your wedding dessert table with candy, donuts, and more. Your guests (and your sweet tooth!) will thank you.

Not a fan of cake? Serve a selection of your favorite treats, like cookies or brownies. Consider yourself more of a pie person? Slice into your favorite fruit-filled varieties, no matter what time of year you're tying the knot. Just like options? Load a perfectly-decorated table with tons of sweets your loved ones can enjoy throughout the night. And don't forget that you can still serve a traditional wedding cake in addition to your dessert melange. Choose a smaller confection or a few single-tiered cakes in a variety of different flavors, plus an array of other sweet confections, and you'll have the very best dessert spread around—especially if you dress up your table with blooms, lights, textured fabrics, backdrops, and more.

A dessert table is an especially great option for couples who don't want to stop the party to cut their cake. With a table covered with treats guests can grab between songs, you'll never have to worry about keeping the dance floor filled. If you're sold on the idea of serving an array of different treats at your reception and want to serve them beautifully, click through to see some of the best dessert tables from real weddings.

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Hutch

JoPhoto
More Edible Wedding Favors Your Guests Will Love

A repurposed wooden hutch was both the serving station for dessert—which featured caramel apples, parfaits, and cookies—and a display for the jarred honey and jam wedding favors.

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Repurposed Machinery

Lilly Red Creative

Distressed and rusted, a nonfunctional piece of machinery got a new life as a rustic dessert table, complete with a wild floral arrangement.

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Macramé Hanger

Wisteria Photography
20 More Geometric Wedding Ideas To Try

A hanging macramé shelf, which held the couple's blush and gold geometric wedding cake, added another tier to the treat table.

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Marquis

Anna Roussos

Topped with apothecary jars and crystal votive candles, this pretty tableau got a touch of Hollywood courtesy of a lit-up initial.

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Feminine

Ether and Smith

Dainty cake stands and an ornate mirror added a girly feel to this station, filled with bite-sized treats, candies, and confections.

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Mix and Match

Veronica Varos

For a balanced mix between rustic and feminine décor, this couple opted for both mirrored and distressed wooden dressers to display assorted donuts.

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Canvas

Birds of a Feather Photography

Leather-colored canvas, illustrated with a few cacti outlines, brought a desert vibe to this dessert spread.

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Minimal Macaroons

KT Merry
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Sleek white cake stands, a lush garland of greenery, and pretty blush roses dressed up this colorful, minimal macaroon station.

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Open Drawers

Jen Wojcik Photography

This dresser dessert display was all about the unexpected. Open drawers filled with burlap-wrapped blooms brought dimension, while a dainty cloche-covered cookie cake added some romance.

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Woven Florals

Nick Radford
Get Even More Bohemian Wedding Inspiration

A tan woven backdrop, punctuated with peach lilies and green eucalyptus, brought a bohemian vibe to this delicious scene, complete with a three-tier naked cake and mini tartes.

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Candy Colors

James and Jess

This bookshelf display took the dessert theme literally, with its cheery candy hues. Neon chocolate covered strawberries, mini cupcakes, and donuts were the perfect accompaniments to the vinyl-inspired wedding cake, perched all the way up top.

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Mobile

In Love by Bina Terré

Is there anything more fun than grab-and-go desserts? Staff at this wedding wheeled gold-wrapped cupcakes around to guests on a gilded cart for a little extra luxury.

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Simple Vintage

Nichols Photographers
Get More Vintage Wedding Ideas from Real Weddings

An antique extendable table, left in its distressed state, brought nostalgic charm to this simple donut and cake station.

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Old and New

Jen Rodriguez
More "Something Old" Ideas That Are Completely Unique

This couple mixed the past with the present in the form of an aesthetically pleasing dessert table. A modern light display overlooked the old French server, which featured baroque-inspired scales topped with pastel-colored macaroons.

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Farm Cart

Megan Sorel Photography
Even More Rustic Country Wedding Ideas, Perfect for Your Barn Wedding

Rustic down to the very last detail, this bay hale- and lantern-topped cart served up the ultimate country fair desserts, like whoopee pies, zeppolis, and ice cream sandwiches.

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Sweet Signage

Damaris Mia Photography
More Wedding Signs to Dress Up Your Reception

A framed chalkboard sign conveyed an appropriately-sweet message atop this dessert desk display.

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Rugs

Delbarr Moradi
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Three patterned rugs and jars of red blooms brought a pop of color to this yummy spread.

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Teal on Teal

Greg Finck

A blue-green credenza with brass accents perfectly matched the four-tier wedding cake.

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Rack

Laura Gordon Photography

Wrapped in a strand of greens, a vintage garment rack added an industrial touch to a modern wooden table, which was topped with a naked cake, puddings, cookies, and cupcakes.

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Candelabras

Ashley Sawtelle

For a regal touch, this bride placed ornate crowns on top of vintage candle sticks, her cake, and macaroons.

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Covered in Greens

Carrie Patterson
More Ways to Use Greenery Garlands at Your Wedding

This dessert table was all but hidden with an assortment of leafy green garlands, which swirled around platters of cupcakes and a single tier wedding cake.

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Glowing Spread

Harwell Photography
See More Overhead Wedding Decoration Ideas We Love

This dessert table was cast in a cozy glow, thanks to a custom overhead installment made of branches, candles, and glass orbs.

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Tree Log Shelves

Alexandra Creswell

The groom and his friend created this wooden display, which boasted five types of cupcakes, as well as summer berry and stone fruit shortcakes.

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Full of Color

Mr. Haack
See More Details From Morgan and Andrew’s Wedding

The bright backdrop to this sweets spread was made using surprising materials: shower curtains.

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Candy Jars

Claire Morgan
More Wedding Color Palettes You'll Adore

This candy table was filled with sweets in the celebration’s color palette of white, gold, blush, and light peach. 

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Curtain Display

Marcus Nilsson
See More Details From Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds’s Wedding

An avid cook, crafter, and baker, actress Blake Lively envisioned an abundant dessert table overflowing with her favorite treats, draped with a curtain backdrop.

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Shutter Décor

Laura Murray Photography

Vintage shutters adorned with garden roses proved a pretty backdrop to this five-cake display.

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Framed Sweets Display

Ella Blue Studio

A large arbor framed the dessert display at this outdoor reception in Port Gamble, Washington. Embellished with another custom sign for a bit more personality, it perfectly framed the cupcakes and the stunning view of the bluff and the water below.

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Odds and Ends

Ryan Ray

Unable to narrow down their favorite desserts, this couple served them all, including caramel apples, scones, baklava, pies, pastries, and donuts. They polished off the table with lots of odds and ends, and a pennant garland.