The wedding cake is the centrepiece of any reception and there are not many more impressive sites than a showstopping piece of patisserie. No matter the cake, whether beautifully adorned, subtly stylish or intricately detailed with fresh fruit, the best cakes fit not only the wedding but the tale of the newlyweds. From bohemian brides to modern matrimony, we take a look at the best wedding cake inspiration to match your wedding theme.

Traditional Wedding Cake Ideas

The tradition of cake at weddings has been attributed to Ancient Rome where wedding ceremonies were finished with a cake being broken over the bride's head as a symbol of good fortune. The first modern cakes as we know them then evolved throughout the 16th, 17th and 18th century.

 It was Elizabeth Raffald in 1769 who first decorated a bride cake with icing sugar and the birth of the white wedding cake was born. During this time, wedding cakes continued to be single cakes, but during the 19th-century and the Victorian era, wedding cakes became bigger and more elaborate - the wedding cake of Victoria and Albert weighed over 130kg.

Iced white wedding cakes have clearly come a long way since the crumbly Roman barley cakes. For a traditional wedding cake, see our Two Tier Fresh Berry Cake for a base white tiered cake featuring five layers of sponge coated in meringue buttercream and topped with fresh raspberries, blackberries, blueberries and strawberries.

Modern Wedding Cake Ideas

Whilst we will always be supporters of classic wedding cake designs that are traditionally decorated, modern wedding cakes are increasingly becoming popular ways of creating a more contemporary feel.

Modern wedding cakes allow for greater personality to reflect through the cake and help confer a unique style. Tiered white cakes will undoubtedly continue to be in style, just as they have over the past hundred years, however, modern wedding cakes allow for more flexibility towards both your wedding style and personal liking.

 What could be more personal than showing off your own love of chocolate with our Chocolate Floral Waterfall Cake. Five layers of chocolate sponge and decorated with a waterfall of hand-piped chocolate Swiss meringue is the perfect modern wedding cake.

Romantic Wedding Cake Ideas 

No matter whether you're opting for a minimalist wedding or wedding extravaganza, rustic wedding or contemporary, traditional or modern, one ingredient that is always required is romance. The ultimate symbol of romance is undoubtedly flowers. Whilst in the planning, flowers will be present across the wedding venue, table decorations and reception, a wedding cake parading pretty petals or beautiful blooms for that extra dose of romance.

 Perhaps look to simple white cakes that could be adorned with an arrangement of flowers, branches or wreaths or add sugar florals for an edible pop of colour. See, for example, our Pink Ombre Rosette Cake, a two-tiered cake featuring five layers of sponge with hand piped roses.

Creative Wedding Cake Ideas

If there's any part of you that believes wedding cakes are antiquated, then think again with our more creative designs. Whilst we will always be a fan of the traditional wedding cake, a contemporary showstopper is definitely one we advocate.

Rather than the perhaps staid white rectangles, opt for something that is one-of-a-kind. If truly one-of-a-kind and something way out there is a little too far, try iterations of the norms and opt for classic-with-a-twist.

 For a creative twist on a wedding cake see our Pink & Gold Leaf Marble Cake coated in white buttercream featuring pink splashes, gilded with edible 24-carat gold leaf topped with caramel and rose macaroons and golden chocolate pieces.

Bohemian Wedding Cake Ideas 

Whilst you may think the socially unconventional, nonconformist and avant-garde nature of bohemianism runs counter to the traditional orthodoxy of the white wedding cake, the two can be easily harmonised in holy matrimony.

The bohemian bride is more refined than rustic and more versed than vintage preferring soft tones, connections with the earth and delicate use of intricate detailing. All these principle can be aptly applies to cake too.

Our Floral Waterfall Cake features soft pastel tones of meringue buttercream adorned with the sinuous grace of the rosettes and sugar pearls make for the perfect bohemian wedding cake.

Rustic Wedding Cake Ideas

Rustic weddings refers to anything that is more stripped back, organic and natural. Rusticity sees beauty not in the perfect form, but in the gaps, the holes and the imperfections of nature.

If you're planning a rustic wedding, it's only fitting you have a rustic wedding to match. A rustic wedding deserves a rustic cake. The rustic wedding cake movement emulates the running themes of rustic design embodying textured, layered and semi-transparent finishes.

 For such a finish, see our naked cakes, cakes that feature a very thin layer of icing that expose some of the cake layers, such as the Naked Blossom Cake. On the top of the cake, you can then decorate with thematic accents like the Naked Blossom Cake that features wired sugar flowers including cherry blossom, white clematis and spring flowers.

Celebrate In Style

Add to your perfect wedding cake by including a personalised inscription or wedding cake topper which can can be added to your wedding cake to make it extra special.

Explore our outstanding Wedding Cake collection today.