Cake Table? Dessert Table?

We have a small cake for ourselves and a variety of passed desserts for the guests.

You can have whatever you want. We had both

Our venue provides a dessert table with the cost of everything, so we'll have both. I personally like the idea of having a small cutting cake and then cupcakes for the guests, individually packaged as a sort of "favor" since there will also be the dessert table. My FH wants a big tiered wedding cake. I think I'll eventually win this one since he doesn't realize the cost of the big tiered cake.

Many all-inclusive vendors give more flexibility with dessert, esp. if they are not supplying an in-house wedding cake. This can include in-house dessert table, outside cake, a donut wall (skies the limit just ask your venue). My groom and I fed each other macarons for pictures. Guests received lemon creme brulee for plated dessert, and a finger-food dessert table during dancing. No actual cake, no cake cutting costs.

We’re doing a petite cake with a dessert bar with 5 options of desserts. I love the look of a dessert bar if it’s set up right.

We’re doing a small cake for us and a bunch of other desserts for the guests. Donuts, cupcakes etc

We are doing both! Based on conversations with a few of my guests/family, I have realized that the older generations like having cake whereas the younger generation tends to like bite sized desserts because if they are drinking, then cake is too heavy (again this is just my personal guests). My planner also confirmed that theory in what she has seen at weddings, that there is an age divide between who eats what. I definitely wanted cake and I am a huge sweet tooth and so we opted to do both. I didn't want to get a lot of cake and have no one eat it so we decided on cake for a third of our guest count and bite sized desserts for the other two thirds. Personally, I didn't want to do cake just for us because it seemed like such a tease for anyone who might see the cake and expect some to eat.

We're planning on a small piece of cake for each guest and a dessert table large enough to feed everyone. We wanted madeleines because we had them for dessert at the dinner where he proposed. We'll have a sit down dinner though, so cake will be served by catering staff. The dessert table will be like a buffet while people drink after dinner.

I want to do a dessert table and small cake, my mother is not on board 😂.
I told her we can get a Costco sheet cake if she needs to have enough cake for everyone and just have them cut it in the kitchen. I have NO desire to spend a billion dollars on a cake only a few people will eat… even my fiancé doesn’t like cake.

It’s personal preference. Some people serve cake only, others serve cake and desserts and others skip cake/cupcakes (they are essentially the same) entirely and serve only alternative desserts.



The dessert table, whether with cake/cupcakes or without, originated in the NYC area as a Viennese table and migrated to other parts of the country. In some areas and social circles a cake and coffee or dessert reception without appetizers or a full meal is the expected norm, and used to be much more common in widespread areas than it is now. It’s really not a new idea even if Instagram tells you otherwise.

View Quoted Comment Wow! Thank you for the education!!! 🥰

I'm getting a small cake for tradition sake but doing a dessert table of cookies, cupcakes, and other assorted treats. I knew I could not do just a cake from the beginning because quite a few of my guests are vegan and my cake will not be vegan. This way I can make sure there's something for everyone.

Hi ! We actually had both, but guests appreciated more the dessert table. They had more choice, there were 3 different desserts, ice cream, fruit, etc.