Something sweet, something delightful, and something wonderful – all these ideally describe a perfect dessert table that graces the reception of a wedding. Sometimes called a dessert bar, this selection of sweets is always a welcome alternative for wedding cakes if your aim is to stuff guests silly with delectable post-dinner treats. Apart from containing the most yummy treats, they are a visual delight for everyone.

A dessert table buffet takes a lot of planning, patience, and even creativity. It should add and reflect the couple’s personality while staying in-theme with the wedding party as well as satisfy sugar cravings. It will take a bit of creative styling to put it all together so here are some tips on how to set up your perfect wedding party dessert table:

Choose Your Desserts

It is a good idea to choose and use treats that have a significant meaning to you and your partner. Incorporate some fond desserts from your childhood that you had a lot of memories with. Another idea is to get some homemade pies or tarts you really enjoy using a family recipe. You can even use traditional snacks and treats exclusive to your heritage.

Desserts can be a statement by itself with how they look or are designed. If you want to make a more-renowned statement, try remaking favorite treats with miniature or large versions of them depending on how you use them. If the desserts go best with coffee and tea, have a set up that includes them, too.

Use Multiple Heights

Heights can be used as an advantage when showcasing desserts. If you want to include the wedding cake on the table, make sure to put it on a high cake stand to make it a focal point. It is important for the elements of the cake and the desserts to be harmonious so they must look tempting and attractive when put together.

For a variety of heights, use cupcake stands or dessert tiers to put the desserts in. Take note that the metals should be the same shade. Do not mix stainless steel cupcake racks with gold wedding cake plateau. Unless of course that is your wedding color theme and it works. It is also a good idea to get desserts that can pile high like cream puff towers because they are eye-catching.

Add Some Decor

No matter how many desserts you choose to put in, the table is still going to look bare without any decorations. Adding design elements like flowers, candles, accessories, and accent pieces will make the dessert buffet station more appealing and visually attractive. Tablecloth that matches the theme is a quick way to dress up a boring table.

If you will be adding flowers, talk with the florist and make a deal about needing a vase or two or some loose flowers for the dessert table. If you want to add candles and plan to light them during the reception, make sure anything flammable is in a safe distance or constrain them in mason jars and candelabras. Remember to not go too overboard when adding decors because you run the risk of overcrowding it and making it look cluttered.

Backdrop & Signage

A backdrop and signage can certainly add something extra to the look of the dessert table and they aren’t even that expensive to procure. Simple fabric backdrops, balloons, garlands and more can do more than enough when it comes to adding an extra flair. A signage can both be decorative and functional because they serve as a marker for where the dessert bar is.

Let Your Imagination Run Free

Who says dessert buffets have to be on the table all the time? There are quirky ways that you can display desserts and if you want to be different, use creative displays such as a shelf or use unusual objects to hold desserts. If you use a bit of imagination and a little bit of planning, there is no way that your dream dessert table won’t come true. Do you have styling tips you would like to share? Tell it in the comments below.

Are you going to serve cupcakes at your wedding? That is just what I did! It was fun to have bouquets of colorful cupcakes on my dessert table. If you are creating your own wedding desserts, you will need to practice. Turn cupcakes into floral bouquets with these sweet ideas!

When you ice your cupcakes, expert confectionery artist Melissa D. of My Cake School recommends that you use a pipe tip 104 or a tip 12. These will give you the flattened petals that you see above, in varying shapes. You can read her full tutorial by following the link for the photograph!

The flower can look different depending on how you angle the tip. A wide angle will look like an open flower, while holding the tip perpendicular to the cupcake will make your flower look closed. Play with different angles as you practice. Your arms might get sore from holding the icing bag, but it is worth it. Does this count as a work out? Sure!

Create an entire bouquet by mixing and matching your icing styles and colors. Make this look like a floral arrangement by adding in some fake greenery. I love the soft yellows, blues, pinks and creams in the bouquet above.

You can anchor your cupcakes on Styrofoam spheres that have been cut in half.  Poke a skewer into the sphere, and attach this base to a circle of cardboard. Now you have a flower stem!

Not sure if you can manage creating a work of art with your icing? How about popping some of nature’s own beauty on top of your cupcakes instead?

Flower cupcakes are not too complicated to master! Practice creating delicate petals far before the pressure is on. Your friends and family will enjoy all of your practice wedding cupcakes, and by the time your D.I.Y wedding week arrives you will be an expert. Choose complementary colors and have fun with creating mix and match bouquets. I’d love to hear about your practice designs in the comments section below!

MORNINGWILD Photography | Jonathan Caleb cake

Pinterest

Linda Lomelino – Gluten Free Almond Cake with Chocolate Fudge Frosting

Cake by Sweet ‘n’ Flour, Photo by To Wander & Seek

Left: Rachelles via Mod Wedding | Right: Diana McGregor Photography, Frost It Cupcakery

Mosaic cake – Bakery Nouveau,  Photo by Sahara Coleman

Left: Pintest | Right: Island Cake

Deliciously Decadent

Left: Pinterest | Right: Elizabeth’s Cake Emporium

Sarah Maren Photography – Sweet Cakes by Rebecca

Left: The Cake Parlour | Right: Cakes Decor

Ilaria Petrucci Photography

Brit + Co

Stacy Hedman Photography

Rebecca Yale Photography

via Weddingomania

Blair Schluter Photography

Brit + Co

Curios Photography

Daniel Cruz Photo

With Love Rachel

via Mon Cheri Bridals

Merari Photography

Merry Brides Tumblr

Kristy & Vic Photography

Merari Photography

Pinterest

Stacy Able Photography

via happywedd

via Weddings Unveiled

wedding forward via Pinterest

Hi Miss Puff

Simply Bloom Photography

Interested in the behind the scenes of how a geode cake is made? Check out this Geode Cake Tutorial from Craftsy.

1) Carrie’s Cakes, Emilie Ann Photography  2) Kake by Darci  3) Sainte G. Cake Company, Corbin Gurkin Photography  4) Cake Life Bake Shop, Hope Helmuth Photography  5) Agate cake by Nadia & Co., Tara McMullen Photography  6) Tortik Annuchka  7) Julie Michelle Cakes, True Grace Photography  8) Tigrelily Cakes  9) The Sugared Rose  10) Sinfully Sweet Cake, Nadine Berns Photography  11) RooneyGirl BakeShop, Kristina Adams Photography  12) Kek Couture  13) Intricate Icings Cake Design

Flowers are one of the most important elements in creating a special look for your wedding day – they add immeasurable beauty and play a large part in the cohesiveness of a color palette. Apart from your venue, figuring out the flowers for your bouquet, centerpieces, and any other décor should be at the top of your list. The Brides in Bloom team is made up of talented florists from Flowers for Everyone who have been delivering flowers for 15 years and are happy to work with you to create the perfect arrangement. From beautiful rustic bouquets to classy garden chic blooms, here are a few of my favorites from their main catalog.

Clustered Bridal Bouquet with Cymbidium Orchids


Loose Bouquet with Blue Delphinium & David Austin Roses


Semi Loose Bridal Bouquet with David Austin Roses

Their online catalog isn’t limited to bouquets. Brides in Bloom also specializes in wedding cakes decorated in fresh flowers and greenery to match your theme. They also offer boutonnieres, corsages, and floral décor. You can check off multiple items from your to-do list in one order, saving time, money, and reducing stress.

Hanging Floral Jar Pew Flowers


One Tier `Naked Cake` with Pink Flowers


Peony Buttonhole

Still not sure where to start? Their in-house wedding stylists even offer everything from chair and linen hire, specialty draping and lighting to full event design. One of the reasons you’re planning a destination wedding is, I’m guessing, to experience a new place, and not only tie the knot but have it feel like a vacation too. With a wedding package, these stylists will make that a reality. They’ve been styling weddings and events across Greater Sydney, the Hunter Valley and Blue Mountains for many years and I would highly recommend one of these packages so that you can spend more time relaxing before your big day instead of worrying about the details. Congrats on your upcoming wedding, and happy travels!

*FTC This post is sponsored by Flowers for Everyone
*All photos courtesy of Flowers for Everyone

For the Beauty Lover

The Natural Beauty Solution by Mary Helen Leonard
Spring House Press, $19.95; www.springhousepress.com
Photography by Kimberly Davis

Face Paint: The Story of Makeup by Lisa Eldridge
Abrams New York, $29.95; www.abramsbooks.com
#FacePaintBook

For the Fashionista

Badgley Mischka: American Glamour By Mark Badgley and James Mischka
Rizzoli New York, $65; www.rizzoliusa.com 

For Vegetarian Foodies

Crossroads: Extraordinary Recipes from the Restaurant That Is
Reinventing Vegan Cuisine By Tal Ronnen; With Scot Jones and Serafina Magnussen
Artisan, $35; www.artisanbooks.com

The Vibrant Table: Recipes from My Always Vegetarian, Mostly Vegan, and
Sometimes Raw Kitchen by Anya Kassoff
Roost Books, $24.95; www.roostbooks.com

For Aspiring Cake Artists / Cake Fanatics

Decorated: Sublimely Crafted Cakes for Every Occasion by April Carter
Hardie Grant, $29.95; www.hardiegrant.co.uk

Naked Cakes: Simply Stunning Cakes by Hannah Miles
Ryland Peters & Small, $21.95; www.rylandpeters.com
Photography by Steve Painter

For the Chocoholic

Theo Chocolate: Recipes & Sweet Secrets From Seattle’s Favorite
Chocolate Maker by Debra Music & Joe Whinney
Sasquatch Books, $24.95; www.sasquatchbooks.com

Deliciously Chocolatey: 100 cocoa-rich recipes for bakes, cakes and chocolate
treats by Victoria Glass, Photography by Dan Jones
Ryland Peters & Small, $21.95; www.rylandpeters.com

Flowers, Flowers, Flowers…

Enlightened Blooms: Solarized Diptych Floral Photographs by Brad Oliphant
Glitterati Incorporated, $55; glitteratiincorporated.com

For Nature Lovers

The Butterflies of North America: Titian Peale’s Lost Manuscript by
Abrams Books, $40; www.abramsbooks.com

For the DIYer/ Crafter

The Complete Book of Chalk Lettering by Valerie McKeehan
Workman, $19.95; www.workman.com

Garden Made: A Year of Seasonal Projects to Beautify Your Garden and
Your Life by Stephanie Rose
Roost Books, $24.95; www.roostbooks.com

For the Dreamer + Fairytale Enthusiast

Mister Finch: Living in a Fairytale World, Preface by Justine Hand
Glitterati Incorporated, $50; glitteratiincorporated.com

For the New Home Owner

The Kinfolk Home: Interiors for Slow Living, by Nathan Williams
Artisan, $35; www.artisanbooks.com

Sage Living: Decorate for the Life You Want by Anne Sage
Chronicle Books, $30; www.chroniclebooks.com

For the Wedding Obsessed

Weddings in Color: 500 Creative Ideas for Designing a Modern Wedding
By Minhee Cho, By Vané Broussard, Photographs by Jainé M. Kershner
Chronicle Books, $32.50; www.chroniclebooks.com

The New-Fashioned Wedding: Designing Your Artful, Modern, Crafty,
Textured, Sophisticated Celebration by Paige Appel and Kelly Harris
Rizzoli New York, $45; rizzoliusa.com

Wedding Notes by Antonia Swinson
Ryland Peters & Small, $14.95; www.rylandpeters.com
An indispensable planner that contains everything you need to organize your wedding
with maximum style and minimum headaches, presented in a portable journal format.

I hope this list has given you some great ideas for those on your holiday gift list! If you have any specific questions about these books or want to know more about why I’d recommend a certain one then please don’t hesitate to comment below! Happy reading xo – Naomi

1) Mishelle Handy Cakes, Sheradee Hurst Photography  2) ARTIESE STUDIOS via WedLuxe  3) Cakes By Krishanthi  4) Jen Wojcik Photography  5) Carmen and Ingo Photography  6) Savvy Fare Cakes  7) the knot  8) WojoImage Photography  9) Photo by Peaches & Mint  10-11) Pinterest  12) Emma-Lee Cake Design via sweet magazine

And I know these aren’t a cake, but I just had to include them! French lavender macarons with candied violets on top…um, yes please!

1) Peggy Porschen Cakes  2) Photo by Ann Kathrin Koch via smp  3) Photo via Craftsy member ModernLovers  4) Pinterest  5) May Bakes Cakes  6) Photo by Chantel Marie, Annie Bee Cakery  7) Photo by Rachel Havel  8) Casey Hendrickson Photography  9) Maggie Austin Cake  10) Flourish Designs, Sarah Maren Photographers  11) Rustic Garden Wedding  12) Found on junipercakery.co.uk  13) Pink Piccadilly Pastries

1) Sugarbelle Cakes, photo by When He Found Her  2) Nelle Cakes, photo by Yolande Marx  3) Erica O’Brien  4) The Cocoa Cakery  5) The Caketress  6) Maggie Austin Cake 7) Cake-ology  8-9) Maggie Austin Cake  10) Cloudberry Bakery  11) The Cake Whisperer  12) Sweet Cheeks Baking  13) Nadia & Co. Art & Pastry