There are apparently some people out there that don’t like cake… shocker I know! I have to admit I’m not a fan of the traditional fruit cake that was the must have cake of days gone by, but today’s wedding cakes come in so many flavours I find it hard not to love (and struggle not to want to try all of them!)
If cake isn’t really your thing, there are so many fun alternatives you could have for your wedding that can better represent you as a couple or be a fun or quirky alternative.
Having photographed hundreds of beautiful Hertfordshire weddings with awesome, chilled out couples I’ve seen loads of different cakes and cake alternatives so let me show you some of the awesome ideas out there.
TRADITIONAL WEDDING CAKE IDEAS
Before we dig into the wedding cake alternatives I just want to give a shout out to the cake designers out there. They do an amazing job and create some truly amazing masterpieces. I’ve seen cakes that are colour matched, theme matched, and look incredible. There have been classic wedding cakes, modern wedding cakes, cake pops, cake tables, and everything in between.
Take a look at some of these real wedding cake ideas for some of the wide variety of cakes my amazing couples have sourced for their big days.
I think cakes always work best when they compliment your venue and having worked at country houses, hotels, barns, marquees, pubs and all manor of other wedding venues this would be my top recommendation for your wedding day.
Worried you won’t get a great cake shot? I’ve got you! I’m primarily a documentary style photographer but I’ll get those amazing detail shots for you too. See some other UK and Hertfordshire weddings here.
WEDDING CAKE ALTERNATIVES FOR THE SWEET TOOTH
Recently I’ve seen some really great ideas when photographing weddings for couples that weren’t interested in the more traditional tiered wedding cake option.
One couple, where the bride was a WI member, had all her WI friends bake and bring a cake which led to a huge cake table of mix and match favourites. There were naked cakes, Victoria sponges cakes with fresh fruits and whipped cream, bundt cakes, cakes on cake stands, cupcakes and the mix and match effect looked relaxed and fabulous.
Not feeling inspired about your cake choices yet? I’ve seen hundreds of different cakes! Let’s chat about your wedding plans today…
If you don’t want cake at all you can consider stacked brownies of simple chocolate or in multiple flavours. The brownies can then double up as your wedding dessert, if your wedding venue is amenable.
Similarly, this couple ordered huge boxes of Crosstown Donuts which they cut and then served to guests as their wedding dessert instead of a more formal plated desert. You can also display donuts on a donut wall which looks fun during the wedding reception.
Another non-traditional cake option is a macaron tower or croquembouche if you want something eye catching and sweet that will tick all the unique wedding cake idea boxes.
If you want an amazing wedding cake alternative that will match chilled out weddings perfectly whey not opt for cookies or biscuits like this relaxed couple. They are avid tea drinkers who love nothing better than dunking a biscuit in a cuppa so this wedding cake alternative was a no brainer for them – and it is such a quirky, unique alternative too!
Ready to start chatting about what kind of wedding photos you want? Let’s talk about it and see if we’re a good fit for your wedding.
SAVOURY WEDDING CAKE ALTERNATIVES
If you really don’t want any semblance of a traditional wedding cake then why not go for a savoury option instead of a sweet one (or have both!)
You can find amazingly beautiful cheese wheels to stack for a traditional wedding cake vibe without the cake taste, plus you still get the cake cutting photos. You can decorate with figs, cheese, ivy or go naked – plenty of options to make it your own. Be warned go too smelly on the cheese choices and you’ll definitely know about it during your wedding reception!
Alternatively, have you ever seen a pork pie cake? I loved this twist on a classic wedding cake and at this wedding the pork pies even had different flavours, genius
WEDDING CAKE PHOTOS
Whatever cake you opt for, make sure you get some fabulous photos of it. Have the cake put in front of a great background, not stuck in a corner, so it can be photographed in all its glory.
If you need help on the day figuring out where to put the cake for the best photos, I can definitely help you out with that.
When you come to cut it, have fun with it. The best cake (or wedding cake alternative!) cutting photos are definitely the ones where couples have fun rather than stand like chess pieces and smile for the camera.
And definitely don’t worry about damaging the cake; it’s about to be cut up into pieces and eaten anyway, go for it!
I love photographing the cake cutting when couples are having fun like this pair here!
Want fun-filled wedding photos like these? Let’s start chatting wedding photography!
Good luck choosing that cake or donut, or brownies, or cheese, or….
And if you’d like me to be there to photograph it, why not drop me a quick message and let’s see if we’re a good fit for each other?
Happy wedding planning!
