Having photographed hundreds of weddings, I’ve seen the good, the bad, and the ugly when it comes to wedding cakes. Then I’ve seen some incredible works of art. Some of the best wedding cakes in the world. And then there was Scott & Angus’ wedding cake that eclipsed them all, but more of that later…
I’ve been lucky enough to work with Ben The Cake Man on numerous occasions, and his cakes always blow me away. Quite a few of my couples have had his cakes at their own weddings, and Ben also invited me to come to his place of work to take photos of a few of the wedding cakes he was working on, including the brilliant tattoo-themed wedding cake you see below.
Below you’ll find 14 of my all-time favourite wedding cakes — from elegant floral designs and alternative cheese towers to full-on 3D projection-mapped cakes. I’ve also included tips on choosing a baker and what to consider when planning your own wedding cake, based on what I’ve learned standing behind the camera at hundreds of receptions.
Tattoo-Themed Wedding Cake by Ben The Cake Man
One of the first cakes I photographed at Ben’s studio immediately caught my attention. The design is inspired by traditional tattoo art: bold red roses, blue swallows in flight, and hearts wrapped with “True Love” banners, all crafted in fondant against a smooth cream base. Every element is hand-sculpted with incredible detail. It’s the kind of cake that works beautifully for couples who want something with real personality and edge. If you’re after a wedding cake that feels like a piece of art rather than something off a shelf, tattoo-style designs like this are a brilliant choice.
Elegant White Lace Wedding Cake
This four-tier white cake is a masterclass in classic elegance. The intricate lace piping covers the entire surface with delicate floral scrollwork and tiny fondant butterflies, while yellow calla lilies add a subtle pop of colour on top. It’s the kind of cake that suits a formal venue or a traditional church wedding perfectly. From a photographer’s perspective, white-on-white cakes like this are stunning against darker backgrounds. The detail really comes alive when you get in close for those macro shots.
Vintage Birdcage Wedding Cake
Another one of Ben’s creations, and a real showpiece. This grey and silver multi-tier cake is topped with a fondant birdcage complete with pink sugar roses. The couple’s monogram sits in an ornate frame on the middle tier, and there’s a beautiful fondant dove perched alongside delicate lace trim at the base. If you’re planning a shabby-chic, garden party, or vintage-themed wedding, this style of cake sets the tone perfectly. The muted colour palette photographs beautifully and gives the whole table a refined, cohesive look.
Wedding Cake with Cascading Purple Roses
Sometimes a single bold colour choice is all a cake needs to become the centrepiece of the room. This four-tier white cake features cascading sugar roses in shades of purple, lilac, and dusty pink that tumble naturally down the tiers. The craftsmanship on the flowers is remarkable, and each petal looks lifelike. It’s a beautiful example of how floral sugar work can elevate a simple design into something extraordinary. I photographed this one against a dark backdrop, and the colours absolutely popped.
Ben The Cake Man at Work
I was lucky enough to visit Ben at his studio and photograph him in action. Watching him hand-paint details onto a pastel “Mr & Mrs” cake, complete with a teapot topper overflowing with sugar flowers, really gave me an appreciation for the skill and patience that goes into every creation. If you’re looking for a baker in the UK who can bring any vision to life, I can’t recommend Ben The Cake Man highly enough.
Heavy Metal Themed Wedding Cake: Vikki & Chris
Vikki and Chris are both huge metal fans, and their cake was designed to match. Built on a deep purple base, it features hand-painted logos from Motorhead, Metallica, Korn, and Iron Maiden, with a red heart bearing their names and custom fondant figurines of the couple bursting out of a polka-dot teapot on top. Roses, skulls, and colourful fondant details cover every tier. This is the kind of cake that becomes the talking point of the entire reception, and as a photographer, it gave me some of my favourite detail shots of the day. Themed wedding cakes like this are becoming more and more popular as couples move away from tradition and lean into what makes them who they are.
Alternative Wedding Cake: Pork Pie and Cheese Layers (Rhiannon & Jack)
Not every wedding cake needs to be sweet. Rhiannon and Jack’s cake was a towering stack of pork pies and cheese wheels, lovingly made by Jack’s mum. It was displayed on a rustic wooden log base surrounded by berries and fresh flowers, with a miniature bunting banner on top. The mix of golden pastry, aged cheese, and fruit made it look as impressive as any traditional cake, and the guests absolutely loved it. Savoury wedding cakes like this are a fantastic alternative for couples who aren’t big on dessert, and they double as an evening buffet centrepiece. If you’re considering something non-traditional, this is proof that it can look every bit as spectacular.
Cheese Wheel Wedding Cake Tower: Fran & Will
Fran and Will took the cheese wedding cake concept to another level. Their tower was built from European cheeses sourced from all over the continent, including a massive Parmigiano-Reggiano wheel as the base, stacked in graduated tiers and decorated with fresh greenery and white flowers on a silver platter. It looked absolutely stunning in the warm light of their reception venue. If you’re a cheese lover, this is the dream wedding cake. It pairs perfectly with wine, feeds a crowd, and makes for an incredible photo opportunity. The textures and colours of aged cheese are surprisingly photogenic.
Star Wars Themed Wedding Cake: Tally & Rich
Tally and Rich are big Star Wars fans, and their cake brought the force to their wedding day. The multi-tier design featured themed details and character elements that made every Star Wars fan at the reception light up. Themed cakes like this often become one of the most photographed elements of the entire day. Guests crowd around to spot the details, and they make for some of the most fun, candid shots I get to capture. If you and your partner share a passion for a film, book, or game, a themed cake is a wonderful way to weave that into your celebration.
Glamorous Gold and Jewel-Toned Wedding Cake: Holly & Ben
Holly and Ben’s cake had serious WOW factor. This ornate multi-tier design featured a pale blue and white base with lavish gold leaf detailing, gold picture frames set into the tiers, and deep burgundy ribbon trim. The top was crowned with an explosion of jewel-toned flowers, feathers, and rich purple and pink blooms. It was displayed on a table surrounded by pink roses, candles, and matching cupcakes, and looked absolutely spectacular in the soft, warm light of their reception venue. It’s the kind of cake that feels like it belongs in a grand ballroom. This style is unbeatable if you’re looking for a luxurious and glamorous cake that makes a significant impact.
Intimate Wedding Cake for a New York City Boat Wedding
I shot a wedding on a boat in New York City, and the couple chose a smaller, intimate cake that suited the setting perfectly. Not every wedding needs a towering five-tier creation. Sometimes a beautifully designed smaller cake is exactly right. When you’re working with a unique venue like a boat, space matters, and this couple nailed it. The cake was a charming focal point without overwhelming the table. If you’re planning an intimate wedding or elopement, don’t feel pressured to go big. A well-chosen small cake can be just as memorable and photographs beautifully.
Corpse Bride Themed Wedding Cake: Michelle & Rich
Michelle and Rich found their perfect match in this Corpse Bride-inspired cake. The four-tier design featured deep purple and black tiers with intricate white lace-style piping, bold red roses, and a skeleton bride-and-groom topper. Dark, romantic, and absolutely gorgeous. Tim Burton-themed weddings have a dedicated following, and cakes like this are at the heart of that aesthetic. Every tier had different details to discover, which made it a dream to photograph. If you love gothic romance and want a cake with serious character, a Corpse Bride or Tim Burton theme is a brilliant direction.
Woodland Themed Wedding Cake by Ben The Cake Man: Danielle & Chris
I can honestly say I’ve never seen another cake like this one. Ben The Cake Man created a woodland-themed masterpiece for Danielle and Chris, complete with intricate fondant forest details and, my favourite touch, a tiny snail. The level of craftsmanship is extraordinary. Every element, from the bark textures to the miniature foliage, looks like it belongs in an enchanted forest. This is the kind of cake that makes you stop and stare, and it’s a perfect example of why choosing a truly skilled baker makes all the difference. If you’re planning a woodland, rustic, or nature-inspired wedding, a cake like this will leave your guests speechless.
Willy Wonka Wedding Cake by Ben The Cake Man: Claire & Adam
Another Ben The Cake Man masterpiece, this time a whimsical Willy Wonka theme for Claire and Adam’s wedding. The design captured the magic of the Chocolate Factory with playful details like edible Wonka bars and a golden ticket that made every guest smile. Literary and film-inspired cakes like this are a popular niche in wedding design, and Ben’s ability to bring a fictional world to life in sugar and fondant is second to none. If you’re drawn to storybook themes, a Charlie and the Chocolate Factory-inspired cake is a fun, nostalgic choice that never fails to delight.
3D Projection Mapped Wedding Cake: Scott & Angus in Iceland
And then there was Scott and Angus’ wedding cake. This one is on a completely different level. They had a company fly from Canada to Iceland for their wedding, and the team set up custom projection-mapping equipment around the room to project animated visuals onto the cake’s surface from multiple angles. The result was a white cake that came alive with light, colour, and motion. Absolutely next level. I’ve photographed hundreds of wedding cakes, and this remains the most jaw-dropping thing I’ve ever seen at a reception. If you have the budget and want something truly unforgettable, projection-mapped wedding cakes are the cutting edge of cake presentation. They’re rare, they’re spectacular, and they guarantee that every single guest will remember your cake.
Bonus: A Birthday Cake by Ben The Cake Man
We love Ben’s work so much that we even had him design a birthday cake for our son, a custom superhero figure with hand-sculpted fondant details. Just goes to show that a great baker isn’t only for weddings. If you find someone whose work you love, keep them in mind for birthdays, anniversaries, and every celebration in between.
A Note from Your Photographer
If you’re planning your wedding and want a photographer who’ll capture every detail, from the cake to the confetti, check out my wedding photography portfolio or get in touch.
Wedding Cake FAQs
Q: How much does a wedding cake cost? A: Wedding cake prices vary widely depending on size, design complexity, and your baker. In Canada, expect to pay anywhere from $300 to $500 for a simple two-tier buttercream cake and $1,500 or more for an elaborate multi-tier fondant creation with custom details. Highly specialized designs like the 3D projection cake above cost significantly more due to the technology and logistics involved.
Q: How far in advance should I book my wedding cake? A: Most bakers recommend booking 6 to 12 months in advance, especially during peak wedding season from May to September. Popular bakers can get booked up quickly, so start your search early to avoid disappointment.
Q: Can I have a non-traditional wedding cake? A: Absolutely. Some of the most memorable cakes I’ve photographed have been cheese wheel towers, pork pie stacks, or dessert tables instead of a single cake. The key is choosing something that reflects who you are as a couple. There are no rules.
Q: What wedding cake flavours are most popular? A: From what I’ve seen at hundreds of weddings, the most popular flavours tend to be vanilla sponge with buttercream, rich chocolate, lemon, and red velvet. Many couples now opt for different flavours on each tier so guests can choose their favourite.
Q: How do I choose a wedding cake that photographs well? A: As a photographer, I’d suggest choosing a cake with some height, three tiers minimum for real impact in photos. Interesting textures or details give me great close-up shots, and it’s worth considering how the cake will look against your venue’s backdrop. Dark or boldly coloured cakes pop against light settings, and vice versa.
Q: Should I have a cake topper? A: It’s entirely personal. Some of the best cakes I’ve photographed had no topper at all, and the design itself was the statement. Others had custom toppers that perfectly captured the couple’s personality, like the figurines on Vikki and Chris’s heavy metal cake. Go with whatever feels right for you.
Happy cake hunting!
Further reading: Best Wedding Cakes in Montreal: 5 Talented Designers You’ll Want to Know About
