"I'd marry you with paper rings."
Updated Apr 22, 202436 Wedding Dessert Table Ideas That Really Show Off the Goods
These cool displays take the cake.
Left photo: Lauren Fair Photography, right photo: Lucky Malone Photography,Design: Natalie Romine
Everyone is really excited to see you get married. And they're also really excited to snack on some celebratory sweets—whether you're opting for an amazing wedding cake, a wedding cake alternative, a big spread of your favorite confections or a blend of any of these. The wedding dessert table ideas below will give you some inspo on how best to show off your sweets of choice. We've got traditional tiered displays, decked-out wedding dessert tables, dessert bars made from repurposed furniture pieces and more creative ways to treat your treats right. Once you've got your inspiration images, find a wedding baker on The Knot Vendor Marketplace to stock your wedding dessert bar with the goodies you love.
In this article:
Wedding Dessert Table Ideas: Elegant | Simple | Rustic | Boho
Plus, How to Find Wedding Dessert Table Caterers & FAQs
Elegant Wedding Dessert Table Ideas
From classic tiered displays to sophisticated modern designs, these elegant wedding sweet table ideas will pair perfectly with a traditional affair. And an evening glass of good champagne.
1. Ruffled and Modern Serveware on a Dessert Bar
Mixing modern cake stands with ruffled platters to display desserts, including a unique wedding cake, evokes an elegant party at a sophisticated estate.
2. Marble-and-Gold Dessert Bar
White marble and gold are a classic combination of materials. Using platters within this palette is an easy way to make your spread look sophisticated.
3. Wall and Podium Dessert Display
Photo: Ashley Ludaescher Photography
,Baker: Papercake Events
This eye-catching lavender dessert bar feels modern, elegant and a little funky. Pastel florals flank the front of a line of podiums adorned with sophisticated pastries, while an ice cream wall anchors the display.
4. Opulent Floral Dessert Table
A floral chandelier and decadent floral arrangement are the perfect way to draw your guests' eyes over to where the goods are. Silver and gold metallic touches up the sophistication factor.
FEATURED VIDEO FROM THE KNOT
5. Modern Monochrome Dessert Display
A monochromatic macaron tower is the perfect centerpiece to a modern dessert display in black and white hues.
6. Sleek Crystal and Chrome Shelf Dessert Bar
A crystal-and-chrome color scheme is an easy way to make your dessert spread feel elegant. Bonus points if your sweets fit the color palette too.
7. Antique Furniture Doughnut Wall
Wondering how to make a donut wall look elegant? Tuck it into the drawer of a gorgeous antique desk.
8. Playful Balloon Dessert Display
Elegance and whimsy come together in this dessert bar. The balloon backdrop feels fun, but the clean lines and the classic brushed-gold shelves that flank each side of the table have a traditional look. Add a trendy wedding cake at the center and you'll be golden.
9. Romantic Pink Dessert Bar
Even if you're serving varied flavors of desserts, you can make the entire spread feel cohesive by unifying it through color. This couple coordinated their buffet to be anchored by their main wedding color: pink. Pastel pink icing, pink wrapping and pink garnishes brought the table together harmoniously.
10. Modern Dessert Bar With Macarons and Cupcakes
Macarons are a fun option if you're planning a modern wedding day because they can easily be made in a variety of eclectic and contemporary colors, like blue. To add to the modern feel, the couple chose to place all of the sweets on a mirrored table.
Simple Wedding Dessert Table Ideas
Your desserts are the stars here, so they really don't need much to make them shine. These simple wedding dessert table ideas let them be the center of attention.
11. Lucite Levels Dessert Table
These simple naked cakes, each adorned with a flower, are striking in their simplicity. Elevating them on lucite platforms of different heights lets their quality shine, while some interspersed votives add some twinkle.
12. Minimalist Shelf Dessert Table
A simple watercolor-like wedding cake is the centerpiece of this dessert table, which lays out a bevy of treats across simple white china. A few carefully placed dahlias are just enough decoration.
13. Sleek Floral Dessert Bar
Modern arrangements of red and white anthurium and pink delphinium in simple white vases provide the perfect frame for a few wooden shelves topped with arrays of sweets.
14. Classy Candlelit Cookie Dessert Display
A few glass vessels filled with cream-colored pillar candles and a little moss is all you need to spruce up this simple array of cookie jars.
15. Minimalist Dessert Wall
Some simple wood shelves against a colored backdrop are all you need to display pretty desserts like tiny tarts and panna cotta shooters.
16. Nostalgic Cupcake Dessert Bar
If you're working with a bright background, use white linens and simple cake stands to show off your sweets. Vibrant-hued cupcakes like these surrounding a small wedding cake feel unfussy and like a fun throwback.
17. Dessert Table With Marshmallows
Photo: Danielle Bennink
,Baker: PETIT SWEETS
As a fun alternative to cake pops, s'mores-inspired pops made of marshmallows coated in chocolate and graham cracker crumbs brought a cozy feel to this spread cloaked in simple beige tones.
18. DIY S'mores Bar
Looking for an interactive make-your-own dessert bar? This couple laid out all the fixings for s'mores so guests could roast a marshmallow and then assemble their own treat. This is an especially fun option if you're having a fall wedding or winter wedding where guests would welcome a late-night bonfire as temperatures drop.
19. All-Cake Dessert Bar
Sprinkle-topped mini cakes offer all the color you need on a simple, all-white dessert table.
Rustic Wedding Dessert Table Ideas
Maybe you're opting for homemade-looking pies or cozy cobblers for your wedding treats. In that case, a rustic wedding dessert table will display them in style.
20. Rustic Dessert Table With Wood Platters
The serving dishes you select for your dessert buffet will play a critical role in conveying your overall aesthetic or wedding theme. For this rustic wedding display, the couple placed the wedding cake and assorted pastries on wood platters and log slices.
21. Tiered Dessert Display With Mini Tartlets
If you're having a large table for your dessert bar, consider placing treats on rustic wood platforms of different heights so it's easy for guests to see what's being offered and snag the dessert of their choice.
22. Trio of Tables for Dessert Display
The more, the merrier. Instead of just one dessert table, this couple had a collection of three small sweets tables.
23. Vintage Wooden-Barrel Dessert Bar
Propping up a wooden tabletop with two wooden barrels is the perfect rustic dessert bar idea for a wedding at a barn or winery.
24. Assorted Pie and Greenery Dessert Spread
Photo: Love Tree Studios
,Baker: Peggy Jean's Pies
An array of pies, from mini pies to full-size ones, were laid out at this rustic barn wedding for guests to enjoy. Vines woven throughout bring a softer look.
25. Dessert Display on Silver Shelf
Your dessert table doesn't have to be an actual table—this couple selected a fun metallic shelf to house their sweets for the big day. Vintage serveware and some eucalyptus branches drive the rustic feel home.
26. Mini Pie Buffet in Vintage Cabinet
Cabinets are a fun option for dessert buffets since you can group desserts together in the different cubbies based on flavor. An assortment of mini apple and pecan pies crowned the cabinet here.
FOR YOU
24 Mountain Wedding Venues In the US for Peak Romance
Exchange vows surrounded by stunning mountain views and natural beauty.
16 Stunning National Park Wedding Venues You'll Love
With over a dozen spots to choose from, these venues showcase nature's finest backdrops for your perfect day.
The Top Library Wedding Venues in the U.S.
Book lovers will swoon over these dreamy library wedding venues.
27. Gelato Cart at Lakeside Wedding
This couple's dessert buffet was on wheels. They hired a fun gelato cart to make the sweets station more engaging for guests at the summer wedding. How's that for a wedding dessert idea.
28. Dessert Table With Assorted Bundt Cakes
A fun array of iced bundt cakes on cake stands were on offer at this wedding's dessert table.
29. Dresser and Greenery Dessert Table
The great thing about a dessert bar is that you can have fun with how you choose to display your treats and make it interactive. Doughnuts were served up every which way on this white vintage dresser draped in greenery—from a stack of rings to a tower of filled doughnuts on a plate.
Boho Wedding Dessert Table Ideas
Organic shapes and lots of texture are hallmarks of bohemian weddings, so incorporate some of those elements into your dessert display to keep the vibes consistent.
30. Boho Dessert Spread in Shades of Caramel and Brown
Photo: ASHLEY KELEMEN,
Baker: Hey there, Cupcake!
Coordinating icing ensured that all the desserts in this display felt cohesive and unified.
31. Funky Disco Dessert Table
Boho meets disco in this dessert display. Hot pink and orange trays are cute ways to show off some cookies, and a few mini disco balls sprinkled in between bring the fun.
32. Shortcake Dessert Wall
Photo: Lauren Kirkbride Photography
,Baker: LITHUANIAN BAKERY
While not quite a table, dessert walls have become especially trendy over the years. They're fun because they can be a wedding decor moment. Plus, they're practical since the vertical setup makes it easy for guests to walk up and pick a treat.
33. Dessert Table With Moon Flower Arrangement
Celestial motifs and bohemian aesthetics go hand in hand. Using a focal flower arrangement, like this crescent moon-shaped one, to anchor your dessert table can help it tie in with your centerpieces.
34. Tree Table Dessert Spread
Photo: Juliana Pessoa
Three tree stumps topped with a pane of glass are the perfect surface for feathery flower arrangements and a few plates of sweets.
35. Gilded Serveware Dessert Bar
Displaying more approachable desserts like doughnuts on fancy gold, antique-like platters and platforms will make them feel elevated and celebratory.
36. Music-Inspired Backdrop for Dessert Display
In keeping with the musical theme for their wedding, this couple commissioned a backdrop with music lyrics for their wedding dessert bar.
How to Find Wedding Dessert Table Catering
The easiest way to find catering or a baker to fill up your wedding dessert bar is through The Knot Vendor Marketplace. Just input your wedding location, then you can filter by different types of cakes and desserts. You can come in with ideas of what sorts of sweets you'd like, or let the baker direct you toward their unique specialties. Either way, working with a pro baker is integral to creating a cohesive dessert table at your wedding that includes options every guest will love.
Wedding Dessert Table Frequently Asked Questions
Wondering about wedding dessert bars and how to effectively assemble one at your wedding? We've got answers to some of your most burning questions.
What Is a Wedding Dessert Buffet, Bar or Table?
No matter what you call it—a dessert buffet, dessert bar, dessert table or dessert spread—they're all essentially the same thing: an array of desserts, beyond a wedding cake, at a wedding reception. Many couples choose to supplement their wedding cake with a collection of other desserts for guests to enjoy. Others may even forgo a cake altogether for a dessert buffet.
How Many Desserts for a Wedding Dessert Table?
Three to seven types of dessert is a good range to aim for, but the amount of desserts you display on your wedding dessert table depends on how many guests you have, if you have a wedding cake and—simply—the number of sweets you enjoy and would like to see in the spread. Just be sure to offer one or two options that are suitable for guests with allergies or dietary restrictions—for example a gluten-free mini apple pie for any gluten-intolerant guests. Basically, the best desserts for a wedding are ones that you and your partner enjoy, but also those that'll appeal to your guests.
What Does a Wedding Dessert Table Cost?
A spread of different desserts for, say, 125 guests could cost you just under $2,500. Though, the cost of a wedding dessert table is closely tied to your wedding location as well as the size and overall style of your bash—the more desserts or the fancier the desserts, the higher the cost. Choosing a single style of dessert to theme your table around, like an ice cream sundae bar or a s'more bar, will likely cost much less. Also, if you include the average cost of a wedding cake in your dessert bar amount, the number will be a good deal higher.
Is a Wedding Dessert Buffet Different From a Cake Table?
A wedding dessert table can be separate from the cake table, but it doesn't have to be. Traditionally, couples would serve one wedding cake that was the pièce de résistance of the evening's menu, and it would often be displayed on a small table by itself. If you're having both a cake and assorted desserts, then you can combine the displays at one longer table (a small cake-only table might not be the best bet for a dessert buffet, as it could feel cluttered).
Any Tips for How to Set Up a Dessert Table for a Wedding?
Our biggest tip for setting up a wedding dessert table is to coordinate with your wedding planner and caterer on when the dessert table should be set, since you don't want the sweets sitting out all through dinner. Set up the table with any decor or serveware, but leave it empty until dessert time. It's also smart to think about if there's a way you could repurpose the table before the treats roll in so it doesn't look like an afterthought. The desserts you could include in a wedding dessert table could be anything from cupcakes, to cookies, to petite versions of full-sized confections (cobbler, cheesecake, chocolate mousse panna cotta and the like). And the overall theme can definitely be "the desserts we like." But if you're having trouble deciding, choose a theme, like a chocolate fondue table or candy bar spread.
Do You Need to Have a Wedding Dessert Table Sign?
A menu sign can be helpful if you're having a lot of different types of dessert, so we'd recommend it. It helps guests know what's what, so they can curate their plates perfectly, and also can mark any desserts that are gluten free, vegan etc.
How Can You Tackle Wedding Dessert Table Ideas on a Budget?
If your budget is tight, scaling back on how many dessert varieties you serve will help to cut costs. Your caterer will also be able to advise you on the correct quantities to order, so you aren't paying for extra food.
How will weather affect an outdoor wedding dessert table?
Extreme hot weather might make your desserts melt, while cold weather won't be as much of an issue, unless you're aiming to serve some treats hot. But honestly, most desserts won't do well sitting out all evening. If you have treats that are temperature-sensitive, plan to lay out the desserts later in the evening, instead of having the buffet already set up when attendee
