Wedding Cake Alternatives

Wedding Cake Alternatives

I love cake, mostly wedding cake. No lie, I will think about cake for days before I finally crack, buy something at the grocery store only to be disappointed, my craving fulfilled none-the-less and I can refocus on life again. But sometimes you just want to be a little more creative than cake will allow, especially on your wedding day, a day where your ideas set you apart from the masses of other brides. Cake alternatives are all the rage now and just like everything else, many of the trends have been played out. Cupcake towers, dessert tables, and candy bars are all wonderful alternatives for a wedding cake but if you'd like to go above and beyond on the “Wow” factor, here are a few new ideas:

Belgian Waffle or Crepe Station

As someone who works in the wedding industry, I can say that the one thing that never fails to impress are the “live action” stations- one chef preparing items fresh, right in front of your guests. Many people use stations for dinner but it often gets neglected as an option for dessert. There are so many options when is comes to sweet waffles and crepes- syrups, fruit, whipped cream, chocolate or powdered sugar- the combinations seem limitless and all of your guests will be able to customize their desserts.

Gourmet Coffee Bar

Hire your guests a barista with a fully stocked coffee bar and offer things like cappucino, Irish coffee, or hot chocolate for the kids. You can adjust what you're offering based on the season and time of day your wedding takes place. You can really build up your options with flavored syrups, and for the adults a bit of bourbon or flavored liqueurs to really warm 'em up. Give your guests a variety of biscotti, coffee cakes, and danishes or scones. This idea is particularly great for winter weddings since you can really go for an intimate, warm atmosphere.

Croquembouche

A traditional French dessert used for weddings, first communions, and other major life markers, a croquembouche can be a dazzling display for your guests. Although its technically not a new idea, this dessert has greatly faded out of popularity, although I have no idea why. A large tower of chocolate cream puffs with seemingly elaborate but surprisingly simple threads of spun sugar will have your guests admiring dessert even before dinner is served. Another cool spin on this traditional dessert would be to use truffles instead of cream puffs- because, well...need I say more about a tower of chocolate?

Dessert Shooters

If your guests are ready to dance, they may not even be thinking about sitting down to eat a piece of cake and I've seen a lot of parties where guests kind of just forget about the cake. Dessert shooters can be a great option for the distracted guest because they can be butlered around, eaten quickly and guests usually aren't shy about taking more than one, giving them a chance to sample a few flavors. You can stack cake, cream and fruit like a mini trifle, use gourmet mousses or cremes, or for a lighter option a cold fruit gazpacho or smoothie.

Guests love it when they can attend a wedding that will offer them a new experience. So take your pick. Dessert is always a focal point at weddings and no matter what you choose, it's hard to go wrong...