If you are getting married soon, you surely have a lot on your to do list so you can get ready for your big day. Finding the perfect venue for your reception, hiring a photographer, finding a DJ, and of course, choosing that perfect dress are all likely on your list. Another important decision that you’re likely thinking about is what you’ll be serving your guests for dessert during the reception. 

If you’re planning on serving cake, there are numerous styles, flavors, and designs for you to consider. If you want to be a little less traditional, there are numerous other dessert options that your guests will surely love as well.

Below, you can read about some of the delicious wedding dessert ideas that you can consider. As you’re reading through the list, think about your style, the theme for your reception, your colors, and the friends and family who are on your guest list. Thinking about these factors should help guide you towards finding that perfect dessert that your guests will talk about for years to come!

Wedding Cakes

Traditional Cakes

A wedding cake is the traditional dessert that is served at a reception. If tradition is important to you, or if you really want a picture of you and your new husband cutting the cake, then you may want to consider choosing a cake to serve to your guests. 

When you are looking for wedding cakes, you will want to have a general idea of the number of guests who will be attending your reception. This will help make sure that the cake you select will be large enough for everyone to get a piece. Don’t forget that you’ll likely want to save the top layer of the cake for you and your husband to cut on your first anniversary.

Before you decide where to purchase your wedding cake from, you can schedule cake tastings with various local bakeries. This will allow you to try different cake and icing combinations so you can find the perfect flavors for your big day. Visiting bake shops will also allow you to view photographs of other cakes they have made to make sure that you like the baker’s style and would feel confident with hiring them to make your cake.

When you’ve decided which bakery you would like to hire to make your cake, then you can finalize your decision about what you would like your cake to look like. When deciding what you want your cake to look like, think about the other elements of your big day that you have planned. What colors are your flowers going to be? What does your dress look like? Is the venue for your reception more modern or traditional? Try to find a cake that will look like it belongs with the other decorations and elements you have planned out. There are so many wedding cake ideas that you can use to customize your cake to meet your needs.

Non-Traditional Cakes

If a traditional cake doesn’t match your style or preferences, but you still want to serve your guests cake, there are plenty of other options to consider. Instead of choosing a traditional cake with buttercream frosting, you could serve your guests pound cake, cheesecake, tiramisu, or ganache. The possibilities are really endless. If there is a type of cake that you love, even if it isn’t traditionally served at a reception, there is no rule saying you cannot serve it to your guests. 

If you are looking for some delicious cakes that your guests will love, check out Bonpastry’s delicious cake line. There is truly something for every taste preference. You could choose to buy lots of the same type of cake, or you could purchase many different cakes so there is a variety for your guests to try. Your guests will love your spin on the traditional cake served during a reception. If you are in San Diego, Orange County, or Los Angeles County, Bonpastry offers full-service catering. They can create a wonderful display of their cakes at your reception that your friends and family will enjoy. 

Bonpastry’s cakes are simply amazing. Consider serving the Lemon Mascarpone Cheesecake. This cake has a homemade graham cracker crust which is topped with mascarpone cheese, lemon juice, lemon peel, and a hint of limoncello

A Champagne Cake from Bonpastry would also be an elegant dessert to serve at your reception. To make this cake, Bon Pastry’s expert chefs soak a vanilla cake in French champagne. The cake is then filled with fresh raspberries and French Chantilly and topped with roasted almond flambé in amaretto. This cake will definitely be a huge hit at your reception!

Some of Bonpastry’s other amazing cakes include Double Chocolate Cake, Black Forest Cake, Tiramisu, Chocolate Cheesecake, French Clafoutis, Orange Pound Cake, and Buche De Noel. There really is no wrong choice when you choose Bon Pastry to provide the cake for your reception.

Making Your Own Cake

If you are a baker and are feeling daring, you could also consider making your own cake. There are many delicious wedding cake recipes that you can find on the internet. Making your own cake will allow you to customize the cake and make it exactly how you want it. If you are considering making your own cake, you will want to leave yourself plenty of time before your big day to try out different wedding cake recipes. You will want to make sure the recipe tastes good and that the cake turns out how you expected it to.

Other Dessert Ideas Your Guests Will Love

If you want to venture away from the traditional cake, there are so many other dessert options you can consider serving your guests. If having that picture of you and your new husband cutting the cake together is important to you, you can always consider purchasing a small cake for the two of you to cut and then serving something else to your guests.

French Pasty Bar

Add some class and elegance to your reception by offering a French pasty bar for your guests. Your guests will love the variety and being able to pick items they love. Bon Pastry will cater your reception and provide a delicious and stylish French pasty bar for your guests to enjoy. 

Bonpastry has a scrumptious selection of treats that are perfect for your reception. Your friends and family will rave about their tasty Belgium Chocolate Ganache Hearts and Sable cookies. Bonpastry also has some delicious tarts that will be a great addition to your French Pastry Bar. Their fruit tarts feature handmade shells which are filled with a smooth vanilla custard and topped with fresh berries soaked in Grand Marnier. Bonpastry’s Lemon tarts and dates and nuts tarts will also be a big hit on your pastry bar. 

When you hire Bonpastry to cater your event, you will know that you are serving only the best to your guests. All of their pastries are prepared fresh every day by their French chefs. One of Bon Pastry’s catering experts will work one-on-one with you to create your ideal dessert menu for your reception. Your guests are sure to rave about all the delicious French pastries you served at your event!

Cupcakes

Cupcakes still follow along the same general lines of serving cake, but they are already portioned into individual servings. You can still have fun with different cake and icing flavors and pick out flavors that you and your guests will love. There are many different ways that you can arrange cupcakes to create an elegant display too.

Cake Pops

Cake pops are definitely a more informal choice than serving a traditional cake, but depending on your reception and guest list, they may be the perfect choice for you. Plus, cake pops are delicious, easy to eat, and easy to display and pass out to your guests.

Napoleons

Napoleons are a fun alternative to serving cake at your reception. A Napoleon is a signature French dessert. It has many layers of flaky pastry and is filled with a yummy cream filling. Bonpastry offers amazing Napoleons that would be a great addition to your reception. Their Napoleons are filled with a smooth vanilla custard cream. The vanilla custard cream is made using fresh vanilla bean and organic milk. Their Napoleons are sure to delight your guests.

Ice Cream Sundaes

If you are getting married during the hot summer, you can consider setting up an ice cream sundae bar for your guests. They will enjoy a cool treat as they celebrate with you. Depending on your budget and how fancy you want the ice cream bar to be, you can customize what you offer your guests. You can stick with just a few toppings, or you can pull out all the stops and offer lots of different toppings for your guests.

Donuts

Specialty donuts are increasing in popularity. You can have a donut shop create a custom flavor combination for your celebration. Or, you could serve mini donuts so guests could try a variety of different flavors.

S’mores

S’mores are another good choice for a summer wedding. If your venue is outside, you may even be able to involve guests in creating their own s’mores. You can purchase special candy bar wrappers for the chocolate bars and have them personalized with your names and the date you are getting married.

Berry Parfaits

Berry parfaits are a lighter option that still taste delicious. They would be a great addition for a brunch reception, but would still taste great for an evening treat as well. Berry parfaits can also look very elegant and can be a nice touch for a classy reception. You can incorporate seasonal fresh fruits into the parfaits for an extra delicious treat.

Mini Pies

Many people prefer pie to cake, so why not serve your guests mini pies during your reception? You can offer a variety of pie types, such as apple, pecan, or pumpkin, or you can choose your favorite pie to serve to your guests. Choosing to serve pie for dessert would be a nice touch if you are getting married around the holidays, since pies are commonly associated with that time of the year.

Whoopie Pies

Whoopie pies are a delicious treat made with two cookies and a cream filling. If you choose to serve them at your ceremony, there are a lot of creative ways that you can customize them for your event using different types of cookies or cream flavors. 

Dessert Shooters

Dessert shooters are mini desserts that are typically served in a shot glass or another small glass. You can serve combinations such as Oreo cheesecake, peaches and cream, chocolate pudding, carrot cake, or strawberry shortcake. Since these desserts are small (and delicious), you’ll want to make sure that there are enough for everyone to have more than one!

Cotton Candy

If you are having an informal reception, cotton candy could be fun to offer your guests. You can make the cotton candy match your colors to help tie everything together!

Candy Buffet

Who doesn’t love candy? A candy buffet can be a great add-on dessert that you can offer your guests. You can have specialty candies made that match your colors or the theme for your reception. You can also have a few extra bags so your guests can take a few extra goodies home with them.

Cinnamon Rolls

If you are planning a brunch reception, cinnamon rolls could be a perfect dessert choice. They are sweet and delicious without being too heavy for a late morning or early afternoon treat. Your guests will enjoy having a non-traditional dessert at your event.

As you can see, there are plenty of dessert alternatives if you don’t want to serve cake at your reception. Some of the ideas above can also be served alongside your cake or later in the reception as an additional treat to give your guests energy to keep dancing the night away and celebrating with you!

Sweet Wedding Favors

In addition to the main dessert you decide to serve your guests during your reception, you can also send them home with an extra treat as their favor for celebrating with you. Edible wedding favors are very popular with guests, and when it is a sweet edible favor, it is even more popular. Below you can find some great inspiration for finding the perfect sweet favor that your guests will enjoy.

Cookies

Cookies make a great favor for your guests. You can pick a few of your favorite cookies and put them in a treat bag with a thank you sticker. You can also have stickers printed with your names and the date. 

To make your cookie treat extra special for your guests, purchase your cookies from Bonpastry. They have delicious macarons and Sable Cookies. If you want to give your guests macarons, you can choose from Mocha Kahlua, Belgium Chocolate Ganache, Vanilla Bean, Caramel, or Chocolate with Orange Peel. For the Sable Cookies, you can choose chocolate or plain cookies. The cookies can be filled with apricot, raspberry, lemon, strawberry, or Nutella. Sable Cookies are a signature item at Bon Pastry and a favorite of many, so you can’t go wrong if you choose these for your favors! Your friends and family will love being able to bring home a sweet treat from Bon Pastry to enjoy after your celebration.

Mug Cake Mix

Instead of giving your guests an already-made dessert, you can give them the fixings to make their own dessert in the future. A mug cake mix is the perfect way to do this. You can create this cake mix using angel food cake and chocolate cake. Simply give your guests some of the cake mix in a mason jar along with some chocolate chips. Then, create a label with directions to place the mix in a mug, add some water and chocolate chips, and microwave it for a few seconds. Your guests will be able to make a few different desserts from this favor since it only takes a few tablespoons of the mix to make an individual-sized cake.

Popcorn in a Mason Jar

A mason jar filled with popcorn with the note “Thanks for Popping By!” Is another cute favor. You can either put some gourmet popcorn in the jar or some kernels that your guests can pop at home. 

Cake Pops

You can choose to serve cake pops as the dessert at your reception, but they can also make a perfect wedding favor. You can even choose to have your cake pops decorated like a bride or groom, with one iced with chocolate icing and one iced with vanilla icing.

Box of Chocolates

A box of gourmet chocolates will definitely go over well with your guests. You can write a thank you note to your guests for celebrating with you on the box.

Chocolate Dipped Pretzels

Chocolate dipped pretzels are another favor option that your guests will enjoy. You can dip some of the pretzels in white chocolate and add some decorations to make some of the pretzels look like a bride and dip the other pretzels in chocolate and decorate them to look like a groom.

There are so many ways to incorporate sweet treats into your big day. Hopefully our wedding dessert ideas have given you some inspiration for planning what you’ll be serving during your reception. Whether you choose to go with a traditional cake, or opt for non-traditional options, your guests will enjoy whatever you choose to serve!