A cake that's a cut above the rest

Traditionally wedding cakes have been known for having several tiers of rich fruit cake covered in elegantly decorated white icing, with the first tier saved to celebrate the christening of the couple's first child. This tradition is one that stems back to medieval times when the cake was stacked as high as possible to test the fate of the newly married couple. If the couple could successfully kiss over the top of the cake they would enjoy a long and prosperous marriage. More recently though the trend has developed for unique alternatives to wedding cakes, a statement feature that holds more symbolic meaning for you as a couple.

So, whilst your grandparents were expected to conform to tradition nowadays it's perfectly acceptable - in fact it's encouraged that you ensure your wedding has your own unique spin. So, if you want something that's different why not opt for a quirky and unique alternative to wedding cakes. It could be that you share a favourite dessert, long for a savoury dish or just want to step away from the crowd and break with tradition. If so, take a look at our ideas to wow your guests and make your day a cut above the rest.

Savoury unique alternatives to wedding cakes

When you first think about wedding cake, the connection to sweet food made from a mixture of flour, butter, eggs and sugar instantly springs to mind. But if you and you partner are keen to switch things up a bit and are dreaming about unique alternatives to wedding cakes why not try one of these savoury options.

Cheese wedding cake

A cheese tower is a fun and quirky, quickly becoming a firm favourite with couples searching for unique alternatives to wedding cakes. Are you both firm cheese lovers and wish to bring a touch of class to your ceremony? A cheese tower wedding cake is a statement cake that gets your guests talking, Wedition customers Zoe and Jon had a fabulous and colourful cheese wedding cake tower at their wedding at Audleys Wood.

You could choose a selection of your favourite cheeses and arrange them yourself at home and serve with crackers and port on your wedding day. But if you are short of time and want to buy a pre-made cheese cake for your wedding, Waitrose has an extensive range of Cheese Wedding Cakes on sale.

Real Wedition Weddings: Zoe and Jon opted for two wedding cakes, one traditional and one alternative, they chose to have this fabulous cheese tower.

Photo credit: AZ Rehman Lemontree Photography

Pork pie wedding cake

A savoury and unique alternative to wedding cake, a pork pie could be served to your wedding guests as the ideal accompaniment to a glass of champagne. Imagine the delight on your guests faces as the mouth-watering smell of hot crust pastry fills the air. The opportunities are endless - will you go for meat flavourings of chorizo and herbs, or lemon and parsley? A pork pie really is a unique alternative to wedding cakes. It's a perfect fit for a rustic themed wedding as the handmade artisan feel of the tiered pork pie.

Sweet unique alternatives to wedding cakes

Still got a sweet tooth but want a unique alternative to traditional wedding cakes? Shying away from the traditional fruit cake and opting for a sweet alternative wedding cake is becoming increasingly popular. Is there a certain dessert that you both love or something you enjoyed eating on your first holiday together? Here are just a few of our favourite unique alternatives to wedding cakes:

​Profiteroles - alternative wedding cake

Keen chocolate lover or a fan of French patisserie? A profiterole tower is a tasty, attractive and unique alternative to wedding cake. 

Real Wedition Weddings: Wedition couple Samantha and Garion married at The Ravenswood. They certainly gave their wedding guests the wow factor by serving an impressive seven-tier profiterole cake as a unique alternative to a traditional wedding cake. Samantha shared the story of this profiterole tower inside their Wedition, as one of the co-owners of The Ravenswood, Sam is rather fond of chef Mark's profiteroles so she asked him if he would create this stunning French patisserie masterpiece for her wedding day.

Photo credit: Balance Photography

But you’ll be surprised to learn that this option isn’t as modern as you might think. Dating back to 18th century France, this unique alternative wedding cake started off life as a croquembouche which loosely translates to ‘crunch in the mouth’ - a tower of cream-filled choux-pastry balls piled into a high tower and decorated with caramelised sugar, chocolate, sugared almonds or candy ribbons. In France the pyramid is stacked high around four-foot tall and presented with sparklers.

​Macaroons - unique wedding cake

Bring a little bit of French charm to your wedding day with this unique alternative to wedding cake. Nothing screams French chic more than macaroons does it bring back memories from your proposal in Paris or do you both just love tucking into this sweet treat. Macaroons are a unique alternative to wedding cake that your guests will find very moreish. A tower of these sugary meringue-based treats makes for an elegant display for your special day and works especially well as a gluten-free option. Opt for individual macaroons stuck to a triangular base or stack them individually on a tiered cake stand. The delicate combination of almond meringue treat filled with a silky-smooth filling comes in a diverse range of colours and flavours so you can match your unique wedding theme effortlessly.

Real Wedition Weddings: Wedition couple Zoë and James opted for this fabulous macaroon tower by The Vanilla Cake Company. The couple were seated at a lovely table in a bay window at the Four Seasons Hotel, Paris enjoying some fabulous red wine, Champagne and chocolates. It was at this moment James proposed to the ecstatic Zoë, much to the delight of the other restaurant goers. The staff bought out a tray of macaroons and red roses to congratulate the couple. By sharing the story of their proposal inside Wedition, their wedding guests were able to learn just how special this alternative wedding cake was to the couple.

Wedition Hot Tip: After you've 'cut' into the tower you can place the macaroons into mini favour boxes with ribbon to give to your guests to take home a taste of your wedding.

Photo credit: Ideal Imaging by Alistair Jones

Cupcakes - different wedding cake

Small and dainty, guests can easily pick these up and enjoy them without getting their hands too messy. They are also a great way to avoid having to organise for the cake to be cut up by the caterer and you could stay with tradition by cutting into one of the top tier cakes and feeding each other a bite! Cupcakes work especially well during the hot summer months when guests are looking for a lighter option. Recently I attended my brother's wedding where cupcakes were the cake of choice chosen as a unique alternative to wedding cake. They were picked because very early on in the relationship the bride used to bake cupcakes for the groom. Over time this became something they did together and a few nights before the wedding they used the old trusted recipe and added handmade butterfly toppers made from vintage travel maps.

Wedition Hot Tip: Share the story behind your wedding cake choices within your Wedition, your guest will love learning the details of your day, making it even more memorable.

Photo credit: Funky Photographers

A few things to consider

Regardless of whether you opt for a sweet or savoury unique wedding cake alternative, there are a few things you might like to consider when making your choice;

• Will you contact a local bakery, organise your creation with a supermarket or create your unique alternative wedding cake at home?
• What style of cake best reflects your theme and love story?
• Does your unique alternative to a wedding cake need to be adapted for any guests with dietary requirements?

Share the story of your alternative wedding cake with your guests

Including the reasons behind why you opted for a unique alternative to wedding cake and the elements included can be a lovely way to help your guests understand the significance behind your bespoke cake. Wedition is the perfect place to share this, perhaps a dedicated section to the meaning behind your choice is something you'd like to explore further?

Let Wedition help you stand out from the crowd and create a treasured memento that your guests will be talking about for years to come - get in touch with liz@wedition.co.uk

For more inspiration take a look at the unique alternatives to wedding cakes over on our Pinterest.