20 Hydrangea Wedding Cake Ideas We Love

Three-tier white cake with purple and blue hydrangea and other colorful flowers — Photo by KT Merry

Since flowers are an integral part of many weddings, incorporating fresh buds into your cake design is guaranteed to elevate your display. Hydrangeas are one particular variety that has the potential to transform your confection. When placed on your celebratory dessert, these round bunches of blooms provide a textured and voluminous look that evokes a romantic and elegant feel with a hint of nostalgia. Although hydrangea wedding cakes are suitable for any type of affair, they’re especially strong candidates for coastal, traditional, or garden nuptials. Since these clusters of flowers are in season during the summer months, they’ll be the perfect accompaniment to soirées set in June, July, or August.

The opportunities to incorporate these spherical bulbs into your confection are endless: Accentuate your sugar fix with fresh flowers or use fondant to decorate your tiers with a design reminiscent of the petals. You don’t have to limit yourself to this single type of plant; combine these flowers with roses, orchids, or peonies for a lush look. While hydrangeas are normally found in shades of blue and white, they’re also available in pink, purple, and green for a pop of color. Keep in mind that hydrangeas require cool conditions and lots of water to prevent wilting, so if your cake will be on display for multiple hours, consider using Dutch hydrangeas, which have large and hardy stems.

If you’re thinking about elevating your confection with these prolific shrubs, we’ve rounded up some of the best ways to accomplish this look. Ahead, find 20 stunning hydrangea wedding cake ideas that will make a splash at any celebration.

01 of 20

Dress Up a White Cake

A three-tier buttercream cake with purple-blue hydrangeas — Photo by Samantha Jay Photography

An all-white wedding cake provides the perfect base to spotlight hydrangeas. Arranged on three tiers of smooth buttercream, these flowers’ blue-purple hue, full shape, and fluffy texture become even more pronounced. Consider this no-frills design for traditional or minimalist nuptials.

02 of 20

Feature a Cascade

A seven-tier white cake with a cascade of white flowers — Photo by Elizabeth Austin Photography

A waterfall of abundant buds is one of the most striking ways to garnish a cake. Here, hydrangeas and other white flowers cascade down seven tiers of fondant and spill into a sea of more vivacious plants. White-on-white is a classic look, but with multiple tiers and a bevy of blooms, this design is well-suited for glamorous celebrations.

03 of 20

Play With Multiple Hues

A three-tier white cake with purple and blue hydrangeas and pink roses — Photo by KT Merry

With a colorful cake, you’ll instantly add personality and playfulness to your reception. If you want to feature a technicolor touch without going overboard, embellish a white cake with vibrant blooms. While the bottom half of this confection showcases purple and blue hydrangeas, the top half exhibits single-stem varieties in pink and cream. These pastel shades are ideal for spring or summer soirées.

04 of 20

Emphasize Texture

A three-tier cake with blue hydrangeas separating buttercream layers — Photo by Heather Durham Photography

For a cake brimming with texture, alternate layers of blue hydrangeas with tiers of buttercream. With the voluminous bloom and the smooth, whipped icing, your dessert will grab everyone’s attention. We love this option for weddings with a relaxed, organic, or romantic feel.

05 of 20

Cover Your Cake Stand

Maria and Giuseppe's three-tier white cake with tile-inspired tier — Photo by Alice Vicente

Instead of trimming your cake with hydrangeas, use the round-shaped blooms to envelope your cake stand. Since the blue-and-white mosaic pattern is the focal point of this confection, the flowers played a supporting role. By encircling the base with white hydrangeas, you’ll complement a bold design element, not overshadow it.

06 of 20

Embrace Maximalism

Eight-tier wedding cake with a cascade of white flowers and a floral arch — Photo by Second Shots Photography

If the motto “more is more” applies to your wedding, go all out with hydrangeas. Not only does this towering eight-tier confection include hydrangeas in the cascading design, but the bulb-like bloom also comprises the arch that frames it. With silver sequined embellishments, a soaring height, and high-end buds, this dessert befits upscale nuptials in a ballroom.

07 of 20

Mix in Complementary Blooms

Three-tier wedding cake with purple and pink florals — Photo by Amber Gress Photography

Although hydrangeas always make a statement on their own, supplementing them with other kinds of blooms will take your cake design to the next level. Orchids, roses, and baby’s breath are all types of flowers that will augment hydrangeas’ look and feel, especially on a blank canvas. For a bonus, select each bloom in a different color, like these shades of purple, pink, and cream.

08 of 20

Pipe the Petals With Frosting

Four-tier white cake with ruffled sugar flowers on the bottom — Photo by Imogen Xiana

Although using fresh flowers will definitely give your cake that wow factor, they aren’t always practical. Sugar flowers are edible, cost-effective alternatives that will withstand any temperature and aren’t limited to certain seasons. Instead of integrating real hydrangeas into your confection, ask your cake baker to pipe hydrangea petals with fondant. For a subtle look, engulf the bottom layer with this ruffled pattern, or go all out by embracing an all-over design.

09 of 20

Include an Organic Touch

Two-tier buttercream cake with blue hydrangea — Photo by Laura Gordon Photography

Are you saying “I do” in the great outdoors? Real hydrangeas already evoke a botanical feel, but serving your treat on a slab of wood will really channel the right ambiance. With two tiers of buttercream, a dotted rim, and white dogwood, you’ll create a pared-back, unfussy look for a natural affair.

10 of 20

Add a Pop of Pink

An eigh-tier white wedding cake with fresh pink and white flowers and a multi-cake bottom tier. — Courtesy of Waldorf Astoria Beverly Hills

Although hydrangeas are usually found in white and blue, pink varieties will bring a delicate, romantic look to your post-ceremony party. This eight-tier cake includes blush hydrangeas, orchids, and roses, and against a white backdrop, the bright hue stands out. While the quilt design, pearl accents, and engraved monogram pictured on this cake are worthy of attention, what really sets this confection apart is the assortment of hydrangeas preserved beneath the glass display table.

11 of 20

Combine With Roses

Simple buttercream cake with blue hydrangea and white roses — Photo by Kailee DiMeglio Photography

Roses are one of the most popular blooms couples choose time and time again for their special days, from their bouquet to their centerpieces. Due to their versatile nature and smaller size, they are the ideal accompaniment to a hydrangea-covered cake. Paired with white roses on a white cake, these blue hydrangeas are the star of the show.

12 of 20

Opt for Simplicity

Three-tier buttercream cake with blue hydrangea — Photo by Cameron Clark Photography

Cakes featuring hydrangeas don’t need any additional decorations for an eye-catching presentation. Bunches of blue hydrangeas positioned on each tier breathe life into a blank white cake in a tasteful, understated way. We love this look for a traditional or coastal wedding in Nantucket.

13 of 20

Infuse Greenery

Three-tier buttercream cake with hydrangea, roses, and greenery — FROM Katelyn Workman Photography

Hydrangeas are an appropriate decorative element for cakes at outdoor weddings, but greenery will also increase the botanical feel. Supplement hydrangeas and other seasonal blooms with verdant leaves, and layer garlands of greenery beneath the stand for a crisp and clean look. This is a gorgeous option for backyard celebrations or nuptials in a forest.

14 of 20

Integrate Deconstructed Buds

Three-tier white cake with purple and blue sugar flowers — Photo by Jen Huang Bogan

Hydrangeas are typically arranged in clusters, but for a bold and unexpected look, consider taking the blooms apart. This three-tier cake showcases deconstructed hydrangeas that were created with sugar flowers. The gradient of blue and violet on a white background is a beautiful choice for summer weddings.

15 of 20

Decorate Your Tabletop

Four-tier buttercream cake decorated with peach and white flowers — Photo by Rebecca Yale Photography

The last thing you want is for your hydrangeas to look wilted and lifeless. To preserve your blooms as long as possible, consider adding them to your cake table instead of on your confection. That way, you can keep the flowers in water until the last second. Scattering white hydrangea, peach blooms, and greenery around a four-tier Swiss buttercream confection is timeless.

16 of 20

Separate Square Tiers

Square emerald green wedding cake with white hydrangea in the middle — Courtesy of Peggy Liao Cakes

With crisp, clean lines and sharp angles, square wedding cakes are modern and artistic choices. Pictured here, a bunch of white hydrangeas separate two emerald tiers, which elongates the design and plays up texture. With the gilded trim and constellation-inspired accents, this dessert is ideal for astrology-loving couples or celestialcore aesthetics.

17 of 20

Accentuate Sparkly Details

Five-tier white cake on a gold stand with white hydrangea — Photo by Hannah Haston Photography

Want to add a touch of glimmer to your hydrangea wedding cake? Consider coating the bottom tier of your treat in edible glitter and placing the entire confection on a gold stand with intricate carvings. The fresh blooms will juxtapose the glitzy design, combining glamour with nature.

18 of 20

Highlight Your Cake Topper

Three-tier buttercream cake with blue hydrangea and silhouette cake topper — Photo by Gabrielle Burseth

If you want to infuse a personal touch into your sweet treat, top off your hydrangea wedding cake with a custom cake topper. A silhouette of you and your partner (and your beloved pets) is a versatile choice that will give your guests more insight into your relationship without detracting from the blue hydrangeas.

19 of 20

Animate a Semi-Naked Cake

Semi-naked wedding cake with strawberry filling and antique hydrangea — Photo by Olivia Rae James

With exposed tiers and a thin layer of icing, naked and semi-naked wedding cakes lend themselves to lots of decorations. Antique hydrangeas in pink tones give this simple cake a rustic edge that’s fitting for tented receptions on a vineyard or barn venues on a farm.

20 of 20

Garnish With Petals

Single-tier strawberry cake with purple and cream hydrangea petals — Photo by Jacob van Rozelaar

For micro weddings or elopements, you’ll probably need a single-tier confection. If you want to add some pizzazz to a small cake, scatter lilac and cream hydrangea petals on top of your dessert and around your table. This colorful look is fun for garden weddings.

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