The wedding dessert: When the dessert takes over from the cake

Trendy options for your wedding dessert

Instead of a traditional cake, we’re now seeing dessert buffets, cocktail stations and small individual desserts that create a more relaxed and sociable end to the dinner. It’s less about tradition and more about the experience. Here are four ways to approach your wedding dessert.

Small desserts in glasses and bowls

A trend that’s becoming increasingly common is individual desserts served in small glasses or bowls. Tiramisu, crème brûlée, panna cotta or meringue-based desserts are served in elegant coupe glasses or small bowls. This creates a stylish look and makes it easy for guests to help themselves to a dessert without having to wait for the cake to be cut.

What’s more, the presentation becomes part of the table setting, especially when the glasses are placed on a table where guests can help themselves.

Sharing desserts – when guests share

Another modern option is what are known as ‘sharing desserts‘. These might include long cakes, large platters of tiramisu or generous desserts placed in the centre of the table during dinner. Guests share the dessert and pass the platters round, creating a more social and relaxed atmosphere. This arrangement works particularly well for weddings where the dinner is a central part of the evening.

A drink for dessert

At many weddings, dessert is replaced by a drink. The Espresso Martini has become something of a modern classic, often served at a dedicated drinks table where the glasses are stacked in small towers. Guests can help themselves to a glass just as the dance floor opens. Other popular options include dessert drinks featuring chocolate, liqueurs or coffee – a way of combining dessert and the bar in a single moment.

The modern dessert table

A dessert table is a playful alternative to the classic cake. Here, small cakes, mini-tarts, chocolate, pastries and other sweet treats can be presented on platters and trays of varying heights. The table becomes part of the décor and can be unveiled later in the evening when guests start to fancy something sweet again. The dessert table creates a sense of abundance and allows guests to choose exactly what they want.

A dessert guests will remember

The most important thing about a wedding dessert today isn’t the presentation, but the experience. When the dessert becomes part of the celebration – something the guests gather round and talk about – it becomes more than just the final course on the menu. And sometimes, that’s exactly when the evening really gets going.