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67 Incredible Wedding Cake Ideas from UK Wedding Cake Makers

Whether you're after a rustic bohemian cake or a glamorous gold one, these wedding cake ideas will give you plenty of food (or cake!) for thought

white four tier wedding cake sat on a gold hoop stand with white fondant panels for decoration as well as white and green flowers

Before you book in with your wedding cake supplier, it's important to browse as many wedding cake ideas as possible ahead of making the all-important decision. Why? We hear you asking. Well, with so much wedding cake inspiration out there, you want to make sure you've seen it all before locking in with an idea. 

Whether you're after simple wedding cake ideas or ideas for a wedding cake that have never been done before, we have all the inspiration you need. Already know you want a sparkly wedding cake? No problem - but wait until you've seen our gold wedding cake ideas before you settle on a design.

Wedding Cake Inspiration: 67 of the Best Wedding Cake Ideas in the UK

When we say we've found the best of the best, we really mean it. And with expert advice and insight from wedding cake professionals, with decades of experience under their belts, there's no better place to come for your wedding cakes ideas than right here. 

From rustic and naked wedding cake ideas to unique and alternative designs that'll truly blow your mind, here are 67 incredible ideas for wedding cakes. And trust us when we say, you'll be tempted by so many of them...

Elegant Wedding Cake Ideas

From lace wedding cakes to marbled designs, these elegant wedding cake ideas will take your breath away.

1. Monochrome Floating Tiers

white wedding cake with floating top tier and black ribbon, along with orchid decor and dried pampas grass

Is there any wedding theme more appropriate for elegant wedding cake ideas than monochrome? We think not. The contrast between black and white shades is incredibly elegant and appears even more crisp when done on a cake like this one from Boutique Bakery. They have used black ribbon and black floral veining to add in contrast, but there are many more ways you could embrace the theme.

Think black flowers instead of orchids, or even some black glitter on the cake to really make it pop. 

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2. Marbled Square Wedding Cake

square marbled elegant wedding cake that has an ombre colour from peach to orange

Marbled icing makes for such gorgeous wedding cake designs, and we love the fact that this one by Cake Buds has been created in peach and orange instead of super muted tones. If you're looking for an elegant wedding cake idea for a modern theme, this one could be for you.

We also love the way the square tiers on this marble wedding cake aren't stacked the way tiers normally are - there's a modern feel to this that makes it really unique and we can't get enough of it. 

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3. Draped Floating Wedding Cake

four tier wedding cake with cement effect and the top two tiers floating with the illusion that a single grey drape is holding them up

Draping icing is a particularly elegant wedding cake idea, but this design by Cake Buds takes it to a whole new level, pairing draping with floating tiers to create an elegant design that also acts as an optical illusion. The marbling on the tiers is really well done and we love the greyscale colour palette. 

If you're after wedding cake inspiration and want something a bit edgy and different, show this picture to your wedding cake maker.  

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4. Hand-Painted Illustrations

simple ivory wedding cake with hand-painted birds and flowers as decoration

Hand-painted illustrations is one of those wedding cake ideas we'd never thought of before, but now we've seen it, it's quickly becoming one of our favourites. Later in this edit, you'll see a cake used as a canvas in its entirety, but here, we love the simplicity of the design. 

To make it really personal, you could use this design as wedding cake inspiration and ask your cake maker to paint a bird that has some significance to you, or paint something different entirely. Whatever you choose, one thing's for sure, Cobi & Coco know how to decorate a cake! 

If you love this idea, you're going to adore these illustrated wedding invitations too. 

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5. Cascading Florals

elegant five tier ivory wedding cake with modern finish and cascading ombre flower decorations that go from white to dark pink

Wedding cakes with flowers will always add elegance to your day, but when they are cascading down the side of a five tier cake, going from white, to pastel pink to a deep, rich pink, that's when it reaches the next level. What makes this cake by Deluce Cakes even more elegant is the contrast between the warm pink tones and the fresh green foliage. 

We love this floral wedding cake idea so much, and could see it being replicated on even bigger (or smaller!) cakes alike. 

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6. Pearl Beading Detail

pearlescent gold wedding cake with edible pearls and icing used to look like beading on the base tier and flowers on top

If you've read our pearl wedding cakes article, or browsed our pearl wedding dresses edit, you'll know how much we're obsessed with these gems. What a brilliant wedding cake idea - adding edible beads and pearls to a pearlescent fondant to give the illusion that it's beaded. 

Another stunner by Deluce Cakes, this sleek design would suit the most elegant wedding theme perfectly. 

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7. Rich & Colourful 3D Florals

four tier burgundy wedding cake with gold and deep pink floral decoration

How gorgeous is the rich, bold colour of this four tier wedding cake from Deluce Cakes. Though the icing is perfectly finished, and the fondant florals are impeccably made, the unequal sizing of the tiers and bright colour gives this design a slight edge that we just love. 

If you want to really embrace this elegant wedding idea, add fresh florals or pop it on a gold wedding stand to really make it pop. 

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8. Pink Sugared Textures

pink, cream and gold wedding cake with elegant detail including a textured base tier and lots of sugar floral decor

Pink and gold are a formidable wedding colour palette, and embracing it with your cake is a wedding cake idea we're definitely on board with. Combining sleek fondant finishes with textured buttercream tiers adds so much character to this cake, and we love the way the icing has been brushed with gold for that tinge of glamour. 

Anyone looking for wedding cake inspiration to fit a rose gold wedding theme, this design by Lisa Adam Cakes is the ticket!

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9. Elegant White Panels

white four tier wedding cake sat on a gold hoop stand with white fondant panels for decoration as well as white and green flowers

Of course, white wedding cakes are the epitome of elegance, and none more so than this fondant panelled style from Perfect Cakes Co. Perfectly suited to a botanical wedding theme, this design, though simple in appearance, is bursting with ideas for wedding cakes that you can absolutely copy. 

From the modern fondant panelling and gold leaf décor, to the white and green foliage and gold wedding cake hoop - what's not to love? 

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10. Boho Style Sugar Florals

bohemian style elegant wedding cake with puffed lace icing in the shape of lily petals cascading down

When you've never seen anything like it before, you know it's a wedding cake idea - and that's exactly the case with this gorgeous design from The Orchid Kitchen. The intricate lace fondant has been perfectly placed, and we love the texture that's been created.

The fact that this entire thing is edible is blowing our mind and though it does look too good to eat, we wouldn't hesitate taking a bite! 

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11. Glamorous Elegant Wedding Cake

A glamorous six tier white wedding cake with floral and lace fondant decoration as well as gorgeous flowers in ivory, pink and purple

If you're after some wedding cake inspiration that will truly ensure your cake is the main attraction on the day, this design from Unique Cakes by Yevnig really does have it all. Every time we look at it, we notice another elegant detail, whether it be the intricate fondant flowers or the gorgeous icing initials.

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12. Disney Inspired Cut-Outs

glamorous huge white and gold wedding cake with big cut out that has a hanging gold garland inside

For couples planning a Disney wedding, why not seek wedding cake inspiration here in this design by White Petal Cakes. It's giving us Beauty and the Beast meets Aladdin with the combination of red florals, gold icing and that incredibly unique (and enormous!) cut-out.

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Simple Wedding Cake Ideas

Though simple wedding cakes can be beautifully plain, these simple wedding cake ideas show how you can add detail and decoration to a sweet treat without it feeling like 'too much'.

13. Pearlescent Fondant

baby pink pearlescent elegant wedding cake with metallic sheen and floral decoration

Simple doesn't mean boring - there are plenty of simple wedding cake ideas that are sleek and simplistic in style, yet still have a wow-factor to them like this design by Deluce Cakes. The design of this cake is really simple, one colour, straight, clean lines and ivory borders. 

But it's the pearlescent sheen, fondant flowers and stunning floral topper that elevates this, proving that simple wedding cakes can be every bit glamorous, without feeling over the top.

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14. Transparent Tier

two tier peach wedding cake with transparent tier and floral decor

Another way to bring simple wedding cake ideas to life is to pair your clean, modern layers with a wow-factor transparent tier filled with florals. In this design made by Perfect Cakes Co, they have matched the flowers within the transparent tier, with ones on the outside, giving the illusion of a floating top tier. 

As far as simple wedding cake ideas go, they don't get much better than this - what better way to include your wedding flowers in your cake design?

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15. Elegant Fabric Bow

light brown marble two tier wedding cake with white fabric draping bow tied around it

We've been obsessed with the marble wedding cake trend ever since it first came on the scene, but never before have we seen it done like this - Cake Buds really know how to style a cake right? Although marbling fondant isn't a simple task for your cake maker to do, when done in this particular style, it gives a really sophisticated and chic overall look that we just adore. 

Rather than go for a bold, bright colour for your marbling, embrace a more neutral colour palette for a simpler look. And how have we got this far and not spoken about that bow? Bows on wedding cakes is a newly-emerging trend that we're fully on board with. This one has been made from a cotton fabric, but you can have one made from icing or sugar paper if you want it to be edible.

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16. Textured Gold Base

modern sleek white wedding cake with one pink tier and one rose gold tier with a striped texture and sugar paper flower at the top

The top two tiers on this design by Cake Buds are as simple and sophisticated as they come, and one simple wedding cake idea we love is to pair really minimalist tiers with some bolder and more 'out there' colours or decorations for that cool contrast. 

Here, the designer has added a rose gold tier and a gold textured base to this cake. But if you wanted a cake even simpler than that, you could opt purely for the top two white tiers and that fabulously fun sugar paper firework on the side. 

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17. Draped Bow Wedding Cake

white three tier wedding cake with white pearl decoration and an oversized white bow draping down to the floor

Yes, we're giving you another bow wedding cake and no, we're not sorry about it. If you're looking for a simple wedding cake idea that sticks to just one colour palette, but still has an elevated feel, this style is all the inspiration you need. 

Making the entire cake in this crisp white colour was the perfect decision, because it really lets the almost-snow-like texture stand out. The decoration on this Deluce Cakes creation makes it feel like a beaded wedding dress itself, and of course, we absolutely love the draped bow - it's the perfect finishing touch.

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18. Modern Cascading Tiers

Modern wedding cake with three asymmetric tiers cascading down and speckled icing detail

We love the idea of a cake looking and feeling somewhat architectural, which is exactly what we get with this Perfect Cakes Co design. The asymmetric tiers cascade around the outside of the cake and the speckled pattern feels really modern, too.

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19. Modern Bohemian Chic

peach coloured sleek elegant wedding cake with pink and white line detail, dried pampas grass and a floating tier

Simple wedding cake inspiration comes in all forms, and you can still have a simplistic design with some decoration on it. Take this Perfect Cakes Co design, for example. The cake is almost completely bare, with just a few fondant pipes adorning each tier. Having pampas grass on the side is completely optional, but we think it really brings this bohemian wedding cake to life.

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20. Lace Icing Cake Stand

the base of a wedding cake made from lace-detailed fondant icing

For an elegant wedding cake that's still simple in style, why not consider having an iced cake stand? How this cake is actually standing upright, we're not too sure, but the illusion that this lace fondant is holding it up is really incredible!

Lisa Adams Cakes have really blown our mind with this, and it could be replicated in any colour on any style of cake. There's no better way to subtle add detail to a simple wedding cake - we're genuinely obsessed with this wedding cake idea.

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21. Square & Round Pastel Cake

simple pastel pink and white wedding cake with three round tiers and a square base tier

Florina from Let Them Eat Cake, the incredible company that made this beauty told us, "I love a subtle yet stunning design featuring muted hues and inspired by floral arrangements and the beauty of nature. Elegant wedding cake ideas like this are simple, yet breath-taking. Ultimately, the style of the wedding cake should reflect the couple's personal taste and preferences, and of course, their theme."

A way to add some edge to a simple wedding cake is to combine round and square tiers for a super unique look, whilst keeping things sleek. And the fact the cake is wearing a scarf is a wedding cake idea we're definitely in favour of!

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22. Gold Tier Borders

white wedding cake with three tiers and gold border around each one

Want to combine simple and gold wedding cake ideas? Why not give your white cake tiers a sleek gold border like Lisa Adams Cakes have done here? It's the perfect way to add a pop of colour without it being overbearing and taking over the whole design. We also love when cake makers add detail in the same colour as the cake base, it draws so much more attention to the details in the icing. 

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23. Gold Ruffle Edges

simple white wedding cake with ruffles that have gold paint on their edge

If you're wearing a ruffled wedding dress, why not add some ruffles to your cake as well? This simple wedding idea adds texture and volume to an otherwise minimalistic cake, and dusting the edges with gold makes the ruffles stand out even more. 

The Little Sugar Rose have added floral decoration to this design, but you could let the ruffles speak for themselves and opt for a simpler finish. 

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Gold Wedding Cake Ideas

We love a gold wedding cake here at Hitched, and at this point, there's not much we haven't seen. But as wedding trend evolve and cake makers become more and more creative, new gold wedding cake ideas keep popping up! Here are our favourites... 

24. Gold Corner Detail

three tier wedding cake made up of three squared cakes that have gold edging on their sides and puffy pastel pink sugar flowers

If you're not into full-blown metallics, consider this gold wedding cake idea executed by Cherry Blossom Designer Cakes. Opt for rectangular tiers and have your cake maker dust the edges with gold leaf or edible gold paint. Not only does it look super glamorous, but it makes the angles stand out even more. 

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25. Gold Watercolours

Four tier white wedding cake with pink, green and blue tie dye water colour paint cascading down and gold leaf inside

For a more bold and colourful gold wedding cake, why not pair accents of gold leaf with bright coloured watercolours like Claire Owen Cakes has done here. Pairing metallics with bright colours makes each one stand out even more.

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26. Bold Gold Accents

three tier wedding cake covered in fondant detail flowers, vines and scalloped edging in pink, green, yellow and gold

We love that this cake merges art-deco vibes with fun and floral shapes to create a really unique stand-out wedding cake. Using scalloped gold fondant against a yellow background is a great idea if you want something different, and adding an entirely gold tier really celebrates the metallic shade. Couples who love fondant icing should use this Claire Owens Cakes cake as inspo. 

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27. Gold Leaf Shards

three tier white wedding cake with watercolour shards painted on in blue and red, as well as gold leaf decoration

Bringing things back to watercolour is another Claire Owens Cakes design, and this one is more unique than any we've seen. Pairing watercolours, hand painting and gold leaf is a unique wedding cake idea that turns your cake into a canvas. Who wouldn't want a work of art as a wedding cake? 

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28. Monochrome Gold Wedding Cake

white wedding cake with the bottom tier smothered in black and gold leaf detail to add a dark element to it

Pairing black and white with gold is always a good idea. To ensure the design wasn't too bold and out-there, Cobi & Coco have decided to use just the base tier to embrace gold leaf and bursts of black, making it one of our favourite wedding cake designs. 

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29. Gold Foiled Tier

white wedding cake with gold leaf detailing and one small gold leaf textured tier

Texture is the word that comes to mind when we look at this Cobi & Coco wedding cake design. If you're looking for ideas for your wedding cake, but want more of a whimsical feel as opposed to glamorous, use this as inspiration!

The pastel blue shade is beautifully ethereal and the more you look at this cake, the more breath-taking details you notice. We love the idea of layering thin layers of fondant over the tiers, and bordering them with gold. And adding a tier that's entirely covered in gold leaf is just genius.

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30. Gold World Map

white wedding cake with gold map of the world decoration and faux painted drips

Let Them Eat Cakes are the masters behind this creative gold wedding cake idea and told us: "Our favourite moments are always when clients give us creative freedom to design the perfect cake for their special day, that's when we're in our element! With just their colour palette and inspiration from our previous work to guide us, we create something truly unique.

"Normally this will be a blend of carefully chosen handmade florals and foliage to match their unique wedding theme, as seen here."

If you're a couple who loves to travel, there's no better way to honour your favourite hobby than a fondant gold map of the world.

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31. Green & Gold Watercolours

a green and gold wedding cake with smeared watercolour painting, small white flowers and gold balls

Another gold design from Let Them Eat Cakes comes in the form of this beauty. As far as gold wedding cake designs go, this is one of the most majestic. Mixing and overlapping green and gold watercolours gives the cake a beautiful metallic sheen without being too overpowering with the gold. 

If Tinkerbell was a wedding cake, this would be it. 

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32. Printed Gold Paint

black two-tier wedding cake with gold splatter paint detail and black and gold flowers

Pearl and Crumbs have come up with one of the best gold wedding cake ideas - stencilling and printing using gold paint creates such an abstract texture on the side of a cake, and we love that they decided to pair this technique with a bold back background. 

You could ask your wedding cake maker to use stencils and paint, or even edible spray if you want more of an ombre, graffiti look. 

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33. Bold Gold Fondant 

small gold wedding cake with cherub and angel moulding made from fondant

For uber glamorous weddings, we love this gold cake idea. Fondant icing was made to create intricate decorations like these - they are so well-made you almost don't want to eat them. The icing leaves, roses and cherub are giving us Versace mansion vibes and would be right at home at Kourtney Kardashian's wedding celebrations. 

Unique Cakes by Yevnig are the artists behind this sculpture, and glamorous gold wedding ideas are their forte. 

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34. Cascading Gold Florals

Glamorous pastel pink wedding cake with gold leaves cascading around it from top to bottom

We meant it when we said Unique Cakes by Yevnig were experts - just look at the detail that has gone into these cascading pink and gold florals. It's so delicate and beautiful, it almost looks like an intricate headpiece or actual flowers. Aside from the incredible cascading, the gold leaf vine detail around the base of each tier is gorgeous enough on its own. 

If you're after a more simple wedding cake idea that incorporates gold accents, you could skip the additional florals and opt for just the gold vines. 

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35. Golden Glitter Accents

white wedding cake with gold glitter decoration on and in between the white icing ruffles

Nothing says gold glamour like a bit of glitter and it doesn't have to be everywhere to make an impact. This wedding cake design by Cobi & Coco strikes the perfect balance between glamorous and fun, and we love the idea of having layers of icing made to look like gold and white waves. The pampas grass topper gives it a bohemian feel, but you could go without for a simpler look. 

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36. Textured Gold Tier

navy wedding cake with gold tier, gold scallop detail and gold fondant flowers on it

For a bold, bright look, consider this wedding cake idea executed beautifully by Cocoa & Whey Cakes. The block gold tier is perfectly positioned right in the middle of the cake, and we love the texture that the hold glitter flakes add. By combining the gold with an almost-black navy, you get a really gorgeous contrast of rich, elegant colours. 

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37. All Gold Cake

glamorous gold wedding cake with gold lace decoration and white and green foliage

If your motto is go gold or go home, this is a wedding cake design you need to copy. Deluce Cakes are masters in perfect execution of seriously glamorous wedding cakes, and this three-tiered beauty proves that. The gold-on-gold style is so intricate, it could be expensive wallpaper or a historic painting. 

If you're after a gold wedding cake idea that will impress everyone on your special day, this is it. 

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Rustic & Naked Wedding Cake Ideas

Glamorous gold wedding cakes aren't for everyone, so if you're getting married in a rustic barn wedding venue, you'll love these rustic and naked wedding cake ideas. From fresh fruit and bark-like icing, to winter blooms and more rustic cake ideas, get ready to be inspired. 

38. Winter Rustic Toppings

rustic wedding cake with buttercream icing and wintery fruit and foliage decor

Looking for rustic winter wedding ideas for your cake? If so, consider going almost-semi-naked with buttercream and topping it with winter fruit and blooms. Combining frothy, thick buttercream icing with wintery fruits and twigs is the perfect rustic cake combination. 

This design from Beez Cakes combines rustic and winter themes perfectly, and confirms that fruit is a good idea for wedding cake decoration when you're planning to go rustic.

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39. Summer Florals

cream buttercream four tier wedding cake with bright flowers and petals as decor

From cold to hot, we love Beez Cakes take on a summery rustic wedding cake design. The fresh, colourful petals scattered over the buttercream are really artistically placed, and we love the way it transcends into a full cascade of fresh summer flowers. 

Anyone after a rustic wedding cake idea for the summer months should definitely embrace fresh flower petals. 

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40. Fondant Bark & Leaves

bark-like fondant three tier wedding cake decorated with pink roses and green leaves

Is there anything more rustic than trees and bark? If your wedding venue is set in a charming woodland, why not use it as wedding cake inspiration and have your cake maker create a bark-inspired design for you? 

The talented team at Bluebell Kitchen hand-paint their wedding cake designs, and the detail is clear to see here. Adding even more to the rustic theme is fresh foliage and deep red roses.

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41. Modern Tree Trunk Base

white elegant wedding cake with berry detail and a modern base tier that looks like a tree trunk

Speaking of trees, how stunning is this modern take on a rustic wedding cake design? If you like the rustic theme, but prefer a more polished look, should take inspiration from this Cake Buds cake. The base tier is so artistically done, and the addition of berries really adds to the overall look. 

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42. Rustic Bohemian Florals

bohemian rustic wedding cake with lace and natural floral detail

Rustic doesn't always have to link to woodland and the outdoors. We love Cherry Blossom Designer Cakes unique take on a rustic-meets-bohemian wedding cake. The sugared flower petals are so unique and rustic unfinished texture is a great way to embrace the theme without being too obious. 

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43. Semi-Naked Gold Details

semi naked three tier wedding cake with gold leaf detail and smeared buttercream

Penelope Hurst from Cocoa & Whey Cakes made this cake and, telling us a bit more about it, she said, “I really believe that savoury semi-naked wedding cakes are an absolute winner for those couples who want something different but still as beautiful and as decorative as a sweet wedding cake.

"Savoury cakes are delicious too, and great for guests who don't have a sweet tooth and love cheese and savoury ingredients. They look beautiful smothered with fruits, metallics and wafer paper or fresh flowers embellishments. In particular, edible flowers in season are an excellent choice of decoration, as they are on a more standard sweet semi-naked wedding cake."

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44. Floral Semi Naked Wedding Cake

semi naked rustic wedding cake with fresh flowers as decoration and chocolate sponge peeping through

Talking about another super unique design from Cocoa & Whey Cakes, Penelope said, "My favourite personal style of wedding cake is floral, because they are delicate and detailed. I love the idea of being able to eat absolutely everything on a wedding cake, so I often use fully edible sugar flowers rather than wired ones.

"I love working with fondant as well as wafer paper and fresh flowers. And as far as rustic and naked wedding cake ideas go, I think they look stunning combined with delicate sugar flower decoration, as shown here."

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45. Sugared Icing Naked Cake

naked wedding cake with buttercream between the tiers, fresh fruit decor and icing sugar

Naked wedding cake designs are synonymous with rustic wedding themes, and for good reason, too. Is fresh fruit a good idea for wedding cake decoration? When it comes to naked wedding cake ideas, fresh fruit and flowers are always a good idea. What we love so much about this design from Let Them Eat Cakes is the slight tilt that the tiers have been arranged in.

Giving it a bit of a slant really enhances the charming, rustic feel and is an easy way to embody the theme fully. 

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46. Boho Rustic Decor

white wedding cake with floating top tier and bark-looking base tier

Giving us a super unique rustic wedding idea is Pearl and Crumbs. There are so many brilliant ideas and inspiration that have all been squeezed into one cake. From the macramé decoration and rustic feathers, to the brushed texture and unique cake topper - what's not to love?

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47. Glamorous-Meets-Rustic

black wedding cake with floating top tier and gold rustic leaf decor

Rustic wedding cake designs can be glamorous, too - which is evident when you look at this stunning black wedding cake from Perfect Cakes Co. The contrast between black and gold is really striking and the rustic element comes from the intricate gold leaves. 

The peacock topper works so well with the rest of the look, but if you wanted to embrace the theme, you could opt for something a bit more rustic. 

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48. Hand-Painted Details

three tier rustic wedding cake with unique countryside painting as decoration

We're so here for this unique wedding cake idea - hand painted cakes! And they don't come more incredible than this, decorated by the talented team at Perfect Cakes Co. You could have your wedding venue, home town or a beautifully rustic scene painted by these incredible cake makers - the opportunities are endless. 

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49. Palette Knife Icing

buttercream scrape wedding cake with rustic dried flower hoop as decor

The Cake Architect has given us a new rustic wedding cake idea we're adopting forever - the palette knife smearing. The technique used to ice this cake has such a rustic finish to it. and paired with such autumnal, warm colours makes it even more wonderful to look at. 

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Small Wedding Cake Ideas

If you're looking for small wedding cake ideas that'll ensure your little pud packs a punch, you'll love this selection of cake inspiration. 

51. Buttercream Floral Decoration

single tier wedding cake with white buttercream and a halo of piped colourful flowers

To jazz up your small wedding cake, give it a halo of colourful buttercream flowers like Artisan Cakes of Bath have done here. In terms of colours and blooms, why not match the design to your own wedding bouquet, or theme them around the month or time of year you're getting married? 

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52. Oversized Sugar Flowers

small two tier wedding cake with oversized peony sugar flowers attached as decoration

You can still embrace flowers on a small wedding cake, and to make sure it really catches your guests eye, why not make them massively oversized? We love an oversized sleeve, bow and more - so we of course love these oversized flowers made by Bluebell Kitchen. They've opted for three different blooms, but you could go with one big bright one, or even cover the entire cake in them!

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53. Raised Tiers & Colours

dark blue small wedding cake with wild flowers as decoration

Though we love the incredibly gorgeous colour of this cake, we're more obsessed with the small wedding cake design. The jagged unfinished top of each tier is such a unique take, and stands out even more on such a small design. Although, if you love this and have a bigger wedding party to cater to, the team at Cobi & Coco could absolutely replicate this in a larger size. 

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54. Artistic Icing Smears

small pastel two tier wedding cake with spatula buttercream decoration and fresh flowers

You already know how much we love the pallet knife technique for decorating wedding cakes, but this design has even more of an artistic feel to it. It's almost like the cake is the canvas, and the icing is the paint. Hartt Cakes love being creative with their wedding cakes, and the colour palette used here is to die for. 

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55. Hand-Painted Decoration

bright coloured small wedding cake with two tiers and hand painted floral bright decor

Interior design fanatics will be familiar with the term maximalism - the art of 'more is more' - and we love seeing this embraced as a small wedding cake idea. Having just two small tiers gives you the opportunity to go bright and bold, clashing prints, colours and designs on each one to achieve an eye-catching wedding cake design. 

We love the combination of palette knife and intricate hand painting - they contrast beautifully but also work really well together. Another masterpiece we adore from Hartt Cakes

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56. Carved Patterns

rust orange wedding cake with zig zag carving and white top tier

The master of unique wedding cakes is owner of Hartt Cakes, Becky. In her own words, she "specialises in creating non-traditional and contemporary wedding cakes, whether you're looking for something that is colourful or neutral, bold or modest, detailed or minimalistic."

Proving small wedding cakes can pack a punch and still look really chic is this stylish design. The idea of having a really tall base tier and a smaller top tier is really unique and we can't get enough of the carving on the base tier. It stands out so much in that rich rustic orange shade. 

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57. Pallet Knife Florals

pastel pink small wedding cake with pink and green buttercream flowers

The creative genius behind this design is Florina from Let Them Eat Cake. When asked what she'd like to see more of when it comes to unique wedding cake ideas, she said, "I’d like to see more artful, organic and 'perfectly un-perfect' looking cakes, incorporating buttercream, palette painting, and sculptured flowers.

"Think of them as edible impressionist works of art that guests can admire throughout the meal before indulging in the deliciousness. This style of cake is completely one-of-a-kind and truly beautiful – giving your guests the perfect combination of visuals and flavours."

This is yet another example of how palette knife painting can look so artistic, perfect for making a smaller wedding cake stand out.

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58. Ruffle Icing Details

two tier small white wedding cake with icing ruffle decor and pearl detail

Adding ruffle texture using icing is such a great small wedding cake idea, and we love this one by Pearls and Crumbs.

When you have less tiers to work with, that in no way means you need to add less detail. The way the fondant ruffles and edible pearls mimic the detail of a wedding dress is so fitting for the occasion, and even though the decoration stands out, it still doesn't feel over-the-top as it's all been done in a lovely ivory shade. 

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59. Sculptural Shape

small wedding cake thats squared and appears like a brown sculpture

If you're after a small wedding cake design idea that's way out the box, why not camouflage your cake completely and have it look like a sculpture? The design here made by The Orchid Kitchen genuinely could be something out of an exhibition at the Tate Modern. 

The detail is so realistic and the way it's presented on a tall cement-like stand makes it look even more like a work of art. We're kind of obsessed, and would love to see this embraced in a museum wedding venue or somewhere suitably quirky. 

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Unique & Alternative Wedding Cake Ideas

Whether it's a unique wedding cake flavour, a wacky design or a wedding cake alternative altogether, sometimes you just want something a bit different. If that sounds like you, you'll love these unique wedding cake ideas. 

60. Concrete Effect Icing

grey three tier wedding cake with white line detail and wrapped in a rustic white fondant

If you're tying the knot in an industrial warehouse wedding venue, consider a concrete effect wedding cake like this one by Cake Buds. It may not seem like the most 'weddingy' idea for a wedding cake, but we think it's a really modern, fresh take on the traditional white tiered design. 

The fondant that's wrapping the base tier really makes it stand out, and although they have opted for a floral, we think you could go without and let the design shine on its own. 

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62. Gothic Square Wedding Cake

squared wedding cake with three tiers in grey with floral decor and dark red bow

We love a nod towards the gothic theme, and this Cake Buds design has executed it perfectly. Square tiers, roughly textured fondant and dark, gothic colours are all such unique wedding cake ideas and together, they create a real masterpiece. 

This design has been paired with gorgeous florals that, in our opinion, really add to the overall look and give it that wedding feel. 

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72. Green Floral Resin

white wedding cake with ombre green bottom tiers and a floral resin tier

The colour journey in this unique wedding cake is beautiful - green and white wedding colour schemes are so on trend right now so we're fully on board here. But it's the unique resin tier that really caught our eye when looking at this Primrose Cakes design. What a clever way to incorporate your wedding flowers into your cake design.

It's also a great idea for couples who have a smaller guest list but still want a cake with lots of tiers, and could also act as a keepsake from your wedding.

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63. Cracked Rose Gold Detail

White marbled wedding cake with a rose gold cut out

Cake Buds are experts at the cracked marble look and it's such a unique wedding cake idea. What better way to show off two contrasting colours than having a cracked cut out like this? Not only is it super modern, but it's something your guests probably won't have seen before, making it extra unique and different. 

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68. Tropical Black Wedding Cake

black wedding cake with troipcal elaves painted on the bottom tier and white pink and green florals as decor

Often, black coloured anything is associated with gothic themes when it comes to weddings, but we're here to tell you that black is one of the chicest colours around, and can work with so many themes. Take this Cobi & Coco cake for example - what a way to flip a tropical theme on its head. 

Pairing tropical flowers and leaves with striking black tiers is about as alternative as they come. It's a really fresh take on a tropical, summery wedding cake idea and bold to say the least. 

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64. Ruffled Sugar Work

four tiered wedding cake with pastel yellow marble tiers and sugared streamers

Want to know what a really unique wedding cake idea is? Having a cake that looks like your dress, that's what. How fun is this Cake Buds four tier design? It has so many cool techniques and elements combined into one cake. From marbling and stencilled fondant, to ruffled sugar paper and mismatched tiers, they've thrown every idea at this cake and the result is fabulous. 

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67. Blue Marbled Cake

blue and white marble wedding cake with four tiers in a room with a piano in the background

Cocoa & Whey's cake designer Penelope claims this is one of her favourite designs ever, saying, "My absolute favourite wedding cake is this ombre marble design in blue with gold veining. I love the contrasting colours of the sugar flowers and foliage running down the side of the tiers and the impact and elegance that multiple tiered fondant designs bring.

"They can really reflect a couple's more formal and ornate wedding style as well as the style of a beautiful and elegant venue such as a country house."

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69. Sage Green Draped Icing

sage green wedding cake with draped green fondant and fresh floral decor

Draping icing is already a unique wedding cake idea, but doing it like this really takes it to the next level. We can honestly say we've never seen a wedding cake like this before, proving just how incredibly alternative and brilliant it is. Perfect Cakes Co know how to make a stand-out design, and you could tweak the fondant colour and the flowers to suit absolutely any wedding theme. 

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67. Black Textured Icing

black four tier wedding cake with textured icing and one red flower as decor

We've shown you a few black wedding cakes in this round up, but we thought we'd finish with our favourite. Whilst choosing black as a colour is an alternative wedding cake idea in itself, mixing and matching textures like this is even more bold. We love the combination of the airbrushed finish, the leather-look tier, the layered one and the one that looks almost like it's beaded.

Just exquisite, and no surprise it's a Cake Buds design!

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How to Choose a Wedding Cake

1. Consider the Size

The size of your wedding cake will depend on how many guests you have attending your wedding.

Remember, you might also wish to have enough wedding cake to enjoy afterwards and for the guests who couldn’t make it. Some couples also freeze the top tier to eat on their first anniversary or to have at the christening of a first child (if they plan to have them). 

The size of your cake may impact the design you have, but as you've seen from all of our small wedding cake ideas, whether you go big or little, you can still have a wedding cake design that's memorable and amazing.

2. Consider Your Theme

Your wedding cake needs to match your wedding theme, so before you settle on a design, think what style of cake might suit the other décor details you’ve gone for.

Naked wedding cake ideas like having real flowers would look great if you’re getting married at a barn wedding venue, while a traditional, ivory bake would look lovely in a stately home.

3. Think About the Flavour

While it is important that a wedding cake appeals to the visual senses, it’s (arguably) even more important that it tastes good.

Whether you want a traditional flavour like vanilla, chocolate or fruit or something a little more exciting like passionfruit or lemon, you’ve got to make sure you’ll enjoy eating it. If you’re tempted by lots of flavours and you can’t make up your mind, why not flavour each tier differently?

You wouldn’t order a wedding dress without trying it on, so why make any sort of final wedding cake decision without attending a tasting? Once you have a rough idea about the size, design and flavour of cake you might be after, go out and meet a couple of cake makers. You’ll be able to taste their work, chat to them and make sure they’re just as excited about your wedding as you are!

4. Consider the Weather

There would be nothing worse than choosing a beautiful wedding cake which ends up melting on your big day.

If you’re hosting a summer wedding or getting married abroad, stay away from whipped cream or Italian meringue buttercream. They melt quickly. Ask your cake maker about summer icing options, delivery and refrigeration. Summer couples might do well to choose a fondant-iced wedding cake.

5. Trust the Experts

If you're not entirely sure what you want, ask your cake maker! Wedding cake suppliers have years, sometimes decades of experience creating incredible wedding cake designs for couples, so ask them.

Bianca Branche from Beez Cakes explains, "I love working on wedding cakes where I am given artistic license and where I get to create beautiful sugar flowers. As a creative person, to be able to produce something out of the ordinary is exciting for me."

Adding to this, Flo from Let Them Eat Cake says, "I love when clients give me creative freedom to design the perfect cake for their special day."

So, trust the experts and let them create something unique and bespoke for you!

Once you have your design sorted, it's time to find a wedding cake stand to match - and don't forget about the wedding cake topper, too.