25 Colorful Wedding Cakes That Are Almost Too Pretty to Eat

Four-tier blue wedding cake with pink, white, and dark florals on cake stand and blue table — Photo by Charla Storey Photography; Cake by Cakes by Shannon Star

You’ve got it all figured out—the perfect wedding dress, the best venue, the prettiest flowers, even the place cards you’ll be using on your big day. But sometimes, the last thing you think about when planning your wedding is what kind of wedding cake you want. The choices can be overwhelming, to say the least. Sure, you could go for a classic white buttercream, maybe with some fresh florals. But what if you don't consider yourself a traditional bride? What if you don't want something that's so completely classic? In that case, these colorful wedding cakes will be right up your alley.

While you could forgo the cake altogether and serve a different kind of dessert like pie—if you consider yourself both an untraditional bride and you still want a cake, an easy way to modernize the white, tiered, tried-and-true dessert is to make a simple switch. Just add color. Colored wedding cakes can bring a ton of personality and fun to your reception. Plus, they look absolutely amazing in wedding photos.

Colorful wedding cakes can come in the form of bold dramatic shades or something more subtle like a pretty pastel hue. You can even incorporate a colorful pattern, such as a pretty and modern marbled base, into your post-wedding dessert for an unexpected use of hues.

A delicious advantage of colorful wedding cakes? These anything but vanilla, big-day desserts allow for you and your baker to create a confection that's truly you. After all, you're already injecting your and your fiancé's personalities into so many aspects of your big day, so why not your cake as well? If summer is your favorite season or you're throwing a destination wedding, choose a tropical hue for your colorful wedding cake to match your style and wedding theme. If you consider yourself to bear modern sensibilities, an edgy black wedding cake will fit your personal style.

Want to see inspiration to help you find the colored wedding cake of your dreams. Read ahead to see some of our favorite examples of colorful wedding cakes.

01 of 25

Capture the Palette

Pink pastel two-tier cake with white and orange florals and gray and terracotta fondant — Photo by Beatrice Howell

This pastel cake was the perfect blend of a California wedding’s palette. Pink frosting, along with terracotta and soft tan fondant, capture the highlighted hues of the celebration.

02 of 25

Pick a Sculptural Creation

Green and yellow sculptural wedding cake with ruffle tiers — Photo by Norman & Blake

For a Big Sur wedding, the bride and groom chose a wedding cake design that evokes the waves along the California coast. The sculptural confection used shades of greens and yellow for the creative tiers.

03 of 25

Add an Accent Tier

Three-tier cake with painted white floral bottom and mauve top tiers adorned with florals — Photo by Nicole Berrett Photography

We love the pretty mauve hue of the two top tiers of this colorful wedding cake. And the hand-painted florals on the bottom tier is the perfect finishing touch.

04 of 25

Select Pretty in Pink Frills

Pink buttercream three-tier cake with rosemary, figs, berries, and florals — Photo by Especially Amy; Cake by Krista Graham

With ombré mauve buttercream and a topping of figs and posies, this three-tiered confection is the very definition of "too pretty to eat."

05 of 25

Favor Feminine Florals

Black four-tiered wedding cake with painted and real flowers — Photo by Stewart Uy Photography; Cake by Vanilla Bake Shop

The modern black backdrop of this wedding cake makes the feminine floral print really stand out.

06 of 25

Go for a Watercolor Wash

Three-tier pink and white watercolor cake with pink and white florals — Photo by JoPhoto; Cake by Sugar Magnolia Cake Boutique

This three-tiered confection is iced with multiple shades of pink vanilla Swiss meringue buttercream to create a watercolor finish.

07 of 25

Pick Something Simply Sweet

Pink single-tier wedding cake with lavender on top on cake stand above cupcakes — Photo by Mariel Hannah Photography

With a blush buttercream and a sprinkling of lavender on top, this single-tiered confection is sweet and simple.

08 of 25

Or Go for Something Blue

Three-tier blue wedding cake with pink and white flowers — Photo by Charla Storey Photography; Cake by Cakes by Shannon Star

With four mouthwatering tiers and accenting blooms, this dusty blue wedding cake will add a pop of color to your reception.

09 of 25

Select Summertime Citrus

Tropical asymmetrical five-tier orange and yellow lemon wedding cake — Photo by A Heart String Wedding Co.; Cake by Nine Cakes

With lemon and chocolate layers, buttercream icing with a color-wash finish, and a cascade of fresh citrus, this colorful wedding cake totes some seriously tropical vibes.

10 of 25

Gravitate Toward Sunset Shades

Abstract two-tier white wedding cake with orange and pink frosting brushstrokes — Photo by Nicole Donnelly Photography; Cake by Nicole Bakes Cakes

Channel the sunset with your wedding cake. This petite two-tier design uses abstract brushstroke-like doses of colorful frosting for a modern look.

11 of 25

Pick a Chic Rusty Hue

Rust colored four-tier wedding cake with pink and red florals — Photo by Charla Storey Photography

This stunning shade of rusty red could fit any wedding season, from summer bashes to winter "I dos."

12 of 25

Choose Beachy Blues

Watercolor blue and white wedding cake adorned with florals on table with glass floral arrangements — Photo by Brandon Lata Photography

At a coastal wedding, a blue and white cake with a soft watercolor painted frosting helped capture the seaside aesthetic of the island celebration.

13 of 25

Take an Artful Approach

Buttercream painted yellow, blue, and white two-tier wedding cake with florals — Photo by Soul Cake

This creative cake uses frosting in a unique way to incorporate a wedding’s colorful yellow and blue palette. Small floral clusters bring extra life to the design.

14 of 25

Tie It Back to the Tablescapes

Six-tier terracotta hued wedding cake with painted florals, a monogram, and white flowers — Photo by Joe + Kathrina

The terracotta plates in the reception tablescape served as inspiration for this stunning cake design at a dinner party wedding. The style was adorned with florals and the couple’s monogram.

15 of 25

Paint With Petals

Single-tier white cake with pink and orange flower petals — Photo by Larissa Cleveland; Cake by Franny's Cup and Saucer

A single-tier white cake can get a beautiful dose of color with the help of edible flower petals. This pretty design has a lovely mix of yellow, orange, and pink shades from a mix of florals.

16 of 25

Print Something Perfect

Tile printed blue and white cake with pink and peach florals and greenery on cake stand — Photo by Josh and Dana Fernandez; Cake by Buttercup; Florals by Bramble and Bee; Planning & Design by Belle of the Ball

If you're marrying in a locale with unique architectural details like tiled floors and artisanal touches, consider recreating that look on the cake in a colorful tint.

17 of 25

Cover It in Pink Blooms

Two-tier painted buttercream pink, orange, and purple cake with large pink florals — Photo by Gianluca Adovasio; Cake by Alexandra’s Cakes

Perfect for a summer wedding or bridal shower, this colorful wedding cake is looking pretty in pink.

18 of 25

Frost an Arrangement

White two-tier buttercream cake with painted floral design with white, red, orange, blue, and yellow florals — Photo by Fabiana Skubic Photography; Cake by Miri Nadler of 10 Bloom Cakes

With a talented baker, you don’t need to add real florals atop your wedding cake. This unique creation has bright and bold blooms painted onto a two-tier cake with buttercream.

19 of 25

Show Your Moody Side

Purple single-tier fig wedding cake with textural frosting and purple florals — Photo by Gabrielle Desmarchais Photography; Planning & Styling by Le Cœur Bohème; Florals by Hellébore Créations Florales

We can't decide what we love more: This cake's cool shape, the decorative figs, or this frosting's moody hue. This design would be perfect for a fall wedding.

20 of 25

Serve Something Sunny and Sweet

Yellow two-tier cake with painted buttercream peach florals — Photo by Sweet Heather Anne

A yellow cake with a pretty peach floral design made from painted buttercream is sure to brighten up your wedding reception.

21 of 25

Go Vintage

Pink two-tier vintage lambeth cake with cherry topping — Photo by Angel Sheree Photography; cake by nicole bakes cakes

Want a retro cake style? Consider choosing a colorful lambeth cake in a fun hue. This colorful style is perfect for an eclectic affair.

22 of 25

Let Your Inner Rainbow Show

Three-tier wedding cake with navy bottom, watercolor painted white tiers, and rainbow interior adorned with florals — Photo by Alexandra Lee Photography

For their garden wedding, two brides brought color to their cake with a watercolor-inspired buttercream painted design with a surprise rainbow filling.

23 of 25

Use Sugar Flowers

Three tier white cake with blue and white watercolor sugar flowers — Photo by Jen Huang Photography

Painted sugar florals can add a delightful dose of color to your cake design. We love how this style embraces an ombré watercolor palette.

24 of 25

Have Fun With Fruit

Two-tier white wedding cake with painted oranges and greenery adorned with oranges and florals — Photo by The Ganeys

Delight your guests with a charming colorful cake like this one, which is decorated with painted designs of oranges on the vine. Sliced oranges on top help drive home the cheery theme.

25 of 25

Let It Blossom

Pink three-tier cake with cherry blossoms and textured frosting florals — Photo by Sotiris Tsakanikas Photography

Cherry blossoms served as inspiration for this charming pink cake. Real cherry blossoms, as well as textured floral frosting designs, decorate this sweet confection.

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