Wedding Cupcake Ideas: 19 Delicious Designs
Wedding cupcakes are fun, delicious and can be a great way to save money. Take a look at 19 tasty wedding cupcake ideas for inspiration
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If you're looking for a fun wedding cake alternative, or an extra to your dessert table, we've got the best wedding cupcake ideas to inspire you.
This trendy treat is the ideal option for couples who want to steer clear of a traditional wedding cake, but still want to serve up a delicious sweet at their wedding reception. You'll avoid all the logistics of having to cut your wedding cake into slices, and the way you choose to display them can make a gorgeous statement.
They may be small but these cute confectionaries lend themselves perfectly to personalisation with colourful icing, intricate decorations and all kinds of mouth-watering flavours. Wedding cupcakes are the perfect bite-sized bake that is a real crowd-pleaser.
Better yet, if you're having a large guest list, opting for wedding cupcakes can be a super savvy way to save money! We spoke to Floriana Maggio, cake artist at Let Them Eat Cakes, who gave us the low-down on everything you need to know about wedding cupcakes, plus we have 19 tasty wedding cupcake ideas to sink your teeth into.
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19 Cute Cupcake Wedding Cake Ideas
1. Glittery Wedding Cupcakes
Edible sequins, delicate sugar roses, and bows make for some pretty spectacular wedding cupcakes. We adore how the cupcake cases on this wedding cupcakes by The Little Sugar Rose are crafted from intricate lace-style card - these would be ideal for a glamorous couple.
2. Spun Sugar Cupcakes
Spun sugar is a playful way to add interest to your wedding cupcakes. The treats above from Aurora's Kitchen have used green and blue colouring to create an effect that looks like seaweed! This is an excellent cupcake wedding cake idea if you are getting married at a coastal wedding venue.
3. Intricate Icing
Get creative with your wedding cupcakes by mixing up the designs on each individual cake. The intricate gold icing and ornate patterns on these Fantasy Frosting Cakes creations are so unique and look spectacular.
4. Dreamy Dried Flower Wedding Cupcakes
If the style of your wedding day is rustic, these wedding cupcake designs with dried flowers are a great choice. These miniature treats from Lushlooking Cakes have been adorned with a splash of salted caramel for extra flavour!
5. Something Blue Cupcakes for a Wedding
Have you seen a more breath-taking cupcake wedding cake idea than this? A wonderful way to nod to your something blue, match your flowers to your cupcakes for a seamless finish. The blue design on these Let Them Eat Cakes creations makes them a great choice of cupcake for a wedding.
READ MORE: Perfect Pearl Wedding Cakes
6. Metallic Touch
These tiny treats from Cocoa & Whey Cakes have been popped inside pretty metallic cases which contrast beautifully against the rustic wooden crates they've been displayed on. We love how they are the perfect size for one bite!
7. Floral Wedding Cupcake Design
Yes, these wedding cupcakes by Bakes by Kerry are edible! They may look like fabulous flowers but each individual cupcake has been intricately piped with buttercream to give the illusion of beautiful blooms. They're almost too good to eat...
8. Wedding Cupcakes for Dogs
Don't let your furry friend miss out on treats - if you're having dogs at your wedding, a pup-cake will certainly be appreciated! You can get a doggy cupcake decorated with yoghurt frosting and a crunchy bone for just £3 from Wilko.
9. Pink Wedding Cupcake Design
Going for a pink colour scheme on your wedding day? This neutral palette of wedding cupcakes from Cupcakes 4 You is gorgeous - we love the addition of sweets placed in teacups. Ideal if you are having an afternoon tea.
10. Confectionary Corner
Your wedding cupcakes don't have to be the star of the show, you can place them alongside lots of different sweets for your guests to choose from. Marshmallows, macaroons, cake pops, cookies and milk - the options are endless. Be inspired by this set up from Antonia's Cakes.
READ MORE: 22 Cute Wedding Sweet Table Ideas
11. Cactus Wedding Cupcake Design
If you loved the buttercream bloom idea above, you'll be blown away by these cactus creations by Katja's Cakes. They're seriously adorable and make an unusual wedding favour for your guests to take away.
12. Vintage Style Wedding Cupcakes
Pretty and delicate, baby's breathe and edible silver balls have been used to elevate these pink cupcakes from Fairy Dust Bakery to the next level. They've also been adorned with Mr & Mrs wedding cupcake toppers.
13. Sweet Succulents
Succulents are a trendy wedding favour idea so why not take it one step further and have wedding cupcakes that look like them too. Biscuit crumbs have been scattered to look like soil and icing has cleverly been crafted into leaves in this cake display from Cakes to Please.
14. Vintage Tea Party Cupcakes for a Wedding
Cupcakes and afternoon tea are a match made in heaven, especially if you are having a vintage themed wedding. Top your cupcakes with bows and flowers, keep the colour palette muted and be sure to incorporate lots of lace. We love these from Cakes of Paradise.
15. Cookie Monster Cupcakes
We want to devour these cookie monster cupcakes now! Decorated with Oreos, chocolate drizzle and sprinkles, they'll go down a treat if you are having children at your wedding. Oh, and the adults will be pleased too.
READ MORE: 45 Spectacular Buttercream Wedding Cakes
16. Classy Wedding Cupcakes
Lola's Cupcakes are a favourite in the confectionary world and the great news is that they make cupcakes specially designed for weddings. You can get a box of 6 for £21 and choose from vanilla or chocolate.
17. Rose Bud Miniature Wedding Cupcakes
These perfectly decorated rose bud wedding cupcakes are £2 per piece with a bulk discount available. If you have a large guestlist and are sticking to a budget, this is a great route to go down.
18. Barn-Ready Bakes
If you're getting marred at a farm wedding venue, what better wedding cupcakes to serve up than mini carrot cakes. The tiny icing carrot is so sweet and they'll taste superb.
19. Velvet Heart
We've fallen in love with these vegan heart decorated wedding cupcakes. Not only does the cupcake design make them so wedding appropriate, red velvet is a really popular wedding cake flavour with couples and guests.
Wedding Cupcake Toppers
Finish your wedding cupcakes off with a personalised wedding cupcake topper. From trendy wedding hashtags to out of this world star decorations, there is something to suit all styles.
Personalised Hashtag Wedding Cupcake Toppers - £7.45 for 10, Not On The High Street
A catchy wedding hashtag will make your wedding day even more memorable - remind everyone to get tagging by topping your cupcakes with these rustic signs.
READ MORE: 46 Unique Wedding Cake Toppers
'I Do' Cupcake Toppers - £6.45 for 10, Not On The High Street
Keep your wedding cupcake toppers short and sweet with these 'I Do' designs. There are lots of colours to choose from, including blue, pink and brown.
Personalised Wedding Cupcake Topper - £4.95, Not On The High Street
This high quality wedding cupcake topper will look great on the day and make a lovely keepsake post-wedding. Delicately engraved onto wood veneer with your chosen names, select from Norwegian Birch, Cherry, Walnut or Birch wood.
Personalised Wedding Cupcake Topper - £7.50, Not On The High Street
Modern couples will love this acrylic wedding cupcake topper. Laser cut and engraved, each cupcake topper will feature your chosen titles and surname. If you would prefer two names instead that can be done too.
Gold Foiled Star Cupcake Toppers - £3.99, Not On The High Street
A celestial themed wedding wouldn't be complete without these stunning star wedding cupcake toppers. They'll look even better if you sprinkle edible glitter over each cake.
Diamond Cupcake Decorations - £12.95 for 6, Not On The High Street
With over 40 glittery shades to pick from, these diamond wedding cupcake toppers are bound to fit your wedding colour theme. They'll add some glitz to a simple wedding cupcake design.
Can You Have Cupcakes at a Wedding?
There are lots of benefits to have cupcakes at your wedding, rather than a traditional tiered bake.
"Cupcakes are a great choice for a wedding because they offer so much variation and they can fit in with any colour scheme and wedding style," explains Floriana Maggio, cake artist at Let Them Eat Cakes.
"Because everyone gets their own cake you can cater to everyone's tastes, allergies or dietary needs. Cupcakes also allow for a selection of flavours which can add more variety - you can even add in some small mini cupcakes for the children or the less sweet-toothed."
How Do You Serve Cupcakes at a Wedding?
The options on how to serve cupcakes at a wedding are endless.
"The traditional way to serve cupcakes at a wedding is on a round or square multi tiered Perspex stand which displays them in a beautiful tall cupcake tower, normally with a larger cutting cake on the top tier," says Floriana.
You can also look to more unique ideas as "couples are regularly opting for other creative ways of displaying their cupcakes, for example on log slice tiered stands, on separate pedestal stands, on wooden ‘shelf’ type stands or on plates as part of a dessert bar."
Are Cupcakes Cheaper Than a Wedding Cake?
If you are looking for ways to save money while wedding planning, going for wedding cupcake over a wedding cake can sometimes work out cheaper.
"A wedding cupcake would average around £3.50 - £4 each, making a tower of 75 with a top tier cutting cake and cake stand hire come in at around £400. This makes it comparable in price to a naked or semi naked cake, but probably quite a bit cheaper than a sugar pasted wedding cake," explains Floriana.
"Cupcakes requiring an elaborate finish such as floral piped buttercream, special fillings, monograms will look beautiful but will push your price of your cupcake to perhaps double that of a standardly piped cupcake. Think about having the special detailing on around 25% of your cupcakes and then concentrate those at the front of your display, if your budget is tight," she recommends.
Wedding cupcakes aren't the only alternative wedding cake idea out there - have you considered having a wedding cheesecake?
