Flower Cakes– and Other Sweet Treats– For Your Wedding
Having a small wedding or elopement does not preclude serving dessert! Small cakes and other delectable confections are perfect for your big day.
It’s July 1 and summer is in full bloom here in Colorado. The warm, balmy temperatures; the clear, bright sunshine; the heady fragrance of blossoms scenting the air… All of this has me thinking about not only the host of summer weddings coming up, but also about flowers– which just also happen to be b(l)ooming right now in wedding cakes.
Be sure to also check out my floral recommendations for elopements and micro-weddings in my complete
Table of Contents
Why Include Dessert in Your Elopement
You might assume that having a small wedding or elopement means foregoing dessert. You’ve pared down all the extraneous elements already, and you’re thinking surely a wedding cake falls into that category (i.e. superfluous, unnecessary, and overly complicated). But I am here to assure you that including a cake (or some other toothsome treat) in your elopement is actually super easy and doable. And, frankly, I think it’s one of those details that really underscores the sweetness of the whole day. It can be the perfect celebratory endnote to a perfect day.
Elopement Wedding Cakes
If you are eloping, it is likely that the number of people in attendance at your wedding ranges from between 2 and 10 people. And while you certainly do not need some towering, three-tiered confection, that doesn’t mean you must go without! You can find plenty of lovely and delicious small cakes to offer the sweetest complement to your day. A four-inch cake is just the right size if you have no guests; an 8-inch cake can serve 10 people. You also don’t necessarily need to involve a custom bakery (although you certainly can). Oftentimes you can find a perfect little cake at your local grocer (Whole Foods’s classic Chantilly Cake is always delicious, for instance).
Flower Cakes
One of my favorite ways to easily and inexpensively add some depth, character, dimension, and impact to a petite or simple, small wedding cake is to ornament it with flowers. And although flower cakes are definitely trending right now in 2024, it’s also a look that is absolutely timeless… Not to mention lovely and replete with romance.
There are a number of ways you can incorporate flowers into your wedding cake. The simplest is to buy some yourself (again, local grocers are a great resource here) and place them however you see fit. You can choose in-season blooms that accentuate your mood or color palette, or play off the elements in the surrounding environment. (If you are getting married in a field of wildflowers in Colorado at the height of summer, you can decorate your cake with larkspur and geranium, for example.) Other ways to incorporate blossoms: pressed, dried flowers; painted blooms; edible, sugar flowers; eco-friendly paper flowers; and more…
Other Delicious Desserts for Your Elopement
By no means are you confined to serving cake. I am loving how so many couples are branching out and including all sorts of other sweet treats in their big day. The options are pretty limitless, but some favorites are:
Cupcakes and Cakepops
Like wedding cake but smaller, cuter, and more transportable.
Cookies, Macaroons, or Petit Fours
You can personalize these bite-sized yummies with monograms and a customized color palette. They pack very easily, too.
Donuts
Bring just two, or make a little cake tower with several. There are so many designer donuts these days, and they are scrumptious!
Pastries
An assortment of confections is always a winning choice. My friend served kouign amanns at her recent wedding and they were a huge hit.
S’mores
This one is great for couples eloping in the mountains in the cooler weather.
How to Transport Your Confection(s) to Your Ceremony Spot
An elopement often entails trekking through the woods or summitting a mountaintop. If you want to indulge in your sweet treat at the same location as your ceremony, it is imperative that you know the best way to securely transport your dessert there.
If you are bringing along an iced cake, you will need to wrap each layer separately and firmly in plastic wrap. If your hike is on the lengthier side or the temperature is warm/hot, you will want to secure it in a refrigerated carrier. (I like Yeti Hopper coolers; they even have a backpack version.) If you are not worried about the heat, or your hike is short, you can get away with carrying your cake in an insulated dish carrier (which are ideal for all other types of wedding desserts, too). Some even have handles! Either way, of course, you will just have to hike or walk carefully to your ceremony spot to preserve the dessert’s integrity.
(Pro tip: If you are worried about jostling the cake and ruining its delicate icing, get a “naked” cake. Their simplicity belies their beauty. And they are perfect for an elopement that is already fairly minimalist anyway.)
In the end, you can’t go wrong with ANY type of delectable delight that you bring along with you on your elopement. It is just one (more) sweet way to cap off your big day and toast to all the days and nights of delights that lie before you and your darling.
Ready to Celebrate Your Day Your Way?
Elopement Photographer Andrea Enger (Portrait by Realm Studios)
Find out how I can help make that happen!
If you’re ready to get the ball rolling to secure your photographer, that’s great!
You can do that by filling out the form below, by emailing me directly at andrea@andreaengerphotography.com, or by calling/texting me at (720) 739-0784. I look forward to hearing from you!
If you’re still in the research phase, I hear ya! Here are some more resources that my couples have found helpful. I hope you do, too!