When it comes to your wedding day, there are likely a number of time-honored traditions you'll opt to incorporate into your celebration, as well as a few you'll definitely skip. For many couples, a cake falls into the former category, viewing it as a must-have element at their fête. However, rather than leaning into the classically-crafted confection that's a mainstay at so many receptions, you and your partner may decide to inject the dessert with a bit more personality, selecting a non-white creation that features a moody hue or vibrant color. "People want to feel like their wedding stands out [and that it's] a unique and, sometimes, immersive experience," says Ashley Huston, the owner of Philadelphia-based DreamWorld Bakes. "Playing with colors is a great way for a couple to make it feel like they're making the day (and cake) all about them."
Your vision for your confection may even necessitate a non-white cake. Huston says she recently had a duo who wanted to bring galaxy- and fantasy-inspired elements to their celebration. This concept extended to their dessert, which was designed to resemble the terrain of another planet. Such an idea wouldn't have worked on a traditional white cake, she says. Whether you want to take a more out-of-the-box approach to your confection in a similar way—or simply have a hue that you'd like to incorporate, non-white creations offer you the ability to do just that, infusing even more personality into your reception. Huston says that while a colorful cake won't necessarily be more expensive than a white confection, remember that as you add more elements, the cost of the dessert tends to go up, regardless of the hue you choose.
Looking for inspiration for your own non-white cake? Below, we showcase 11 of our favorite colorful confections from real weddings. Read on for more.
02 of 12
A Geometric Blue-Hued Wedding Cake
Photo by Kurt Boomer Photography
Taking a structural approach to their wedding cake, this couple asked Flour and Bloom to craft a geometric confection for their California celebration. The design also included a nod to their ceremony: The dessert's shape mimicked that of the concrete pillars that displayed their floral arrangements. Plus, the bright blue hue lent a pop of color to their reception space, which was full of neutral tones.
03 of 12
A Three-Tier Cake With Tropical Leaves and Flowers
Photo by Pat Furey Photography
This couple turned to an unexpected element to guide the design of their wedding cake: the bride's custom gown. The three-tier green confection, which was created by Nutmeg Cake Design, featured sunset-hued florals and textured leaves on the exterior—while the interior was full of pistachio cake with cardamom buttercream and orange marmalade, earl grey cake with raspberry buttercream and jam, and chocolate cake with espresso buttercream and chocolate ganache.
04 of 12
A Six-Tier French Blue Confection
Photo by Mary Pastuh
At their Seattle nuptials, this couple selected a light French blue hue for the exterior of their six-tier confection. For a touch of white detailing, Midori Cakes wrapped rice paper flowers around the dessert. And in addition to the showstopping creation, the bride and groom offered lattes, macarons, cookies, and miniature cakes to their 280 guests.
05 of 12
A Lambeth-Style Tiered Cake With Cherries
Photo by Natalie Bray
Opting for an opulent, Lambeth-style creation for their California nuptials, this couple asked Cakes by Frances to make a chocolate noir confection with dark chocolate ganache and milk buttercream filling, as well as Funfetti-flavored cake with cake-batter Funfetti buttercream and confetti cookie crumbles. The exterior of the cake was covered in a Swiss meringue buttercream—and decorated with cherries.
06 of 12
A Five-Tier Confection Featuring Sunset Colors
Photo by Move Mountains Co
Kerri Cupcake matched this couple's five-tier confection to the bright color palette full of pinks, yellows, oranges, and reds they had selected for their Palm Springs nuptials. The interior of the dessert featured vanilla cake with a Swiss buttercream and raspberry filling—while the exterior included fresh florals and a gold geometric holder. For a personal touch, the bride and groom cut into the creation with serving utensils engraved with their wedding date.
07 of 12
A Modern Two-Tier Cake With Upside-Down Roses
Photo by For the Love of It
For their modern wedding at the Sheats-Goldstein Residence in Beverly Hills, California, this duo tapped Roobina’s Cake Inc. to create a "modern and architectural" dessert to match the feel of the venue. "We liked how the cake’s textural taupe color contrasted with the all-concrete environment inside of Club James," the bride said. Upside-down roses lent a touch of romance to the dessert.
08 of 12
A Tiered Confection Inspired by a Still Life Painting
Photo by Abby Jiu Photography
Taking inspiration from a still life painting by Jan Davidz de Heem, Fluffy Thoughts Cake created a dark-hued confection that featured fresh floral embellishments for this couple's winter wedding. In addition to the colorful blooms, they also painted images of greenery onto the tiered dessert. When it came to the inside of the cake, the bride and groom opted for strawberry shortcake and Cookie Monster flavors.
09 of 12
A Mint Green Confection With Petals and Butterflies
Photo by Kelly Hornberger
For this couple's Texas nuptials, they each selected their own confections, which were crafted by The Chocolate Llama. The bride's, a four-tier cake with vanilla bean layers and strawberry guava compote, incorporated their wedding color palette into it: The mint green exterior featured pink, orange, and white petals and 3-D yellow butterflies.
10 of 12
A Six-Tier Nutella Cake With Fresh Blooms
Photo by Logan Cole
Tying this couple's floral design into the confection for their wedding, Grace and Honey Cakes included many of the day's featured blooms in the top tiers of the dessert. While the exterior was decorated in various shades of pink, the interior featured a rich, Nutella-flavored cake. The whimsical, modern, and romantic creation was the perfect addition to their celebration in Laguna Beach, California.
11 of 12
A Three-Tier Geometric Cake With Gold Detailing
Rather than sticking to just one flavor, this couple—with the help of Buttercream Bakery—included two in their geometric confection: red velvet cake with dulce de leche and cream cheese buttercream and vanilla cake with lemon curd and fresh strawberry buttercream. The three-tier dessert also featured white florals, gold detailing, and the duo's initials on the exterior.
12 of 12
A Carrot Cake With Fresh Florals
Photo by Sasithon Photography
Leaning into the cozy, autumnal feeling of their wedding weekend, this couple opted for a confection in a dark green hue that featured fresh florals. Di Sweet Spot created the three-tier carrot cake that was filled with brown butter and vanilla cream and covered with Swiss buttercream and fondant icing. "We chose Anrika’s bakery because we wanted to highlight a cool POC and woman-led bakery," the bride said. "She has previously competed on the Food Network and was able to work with us to create an amazing cake that touched on everything we were looking for."
