The Best Wedding Cakes of 2017

The real weddings we featured in 2017 were filled with awesome details, from stunning wedding dresses to amazing wedding bouquets. These celebrations rocked another category too: They delivered big when it came to wedding desserts. It was clear that many brides and grooms set out to serve cakes that were totally unique, and in turn, they impressed us time and time again with their big-day confections.

In terms of taste, there were a few trends worth noting this year. First, we came across multiple floral flavors, including rose and lavender. Some couples also went a nostalgic route, offering throwbacks like Funfetti. If you can't settle on just one taste, fear not—many pairs chose to have a mix. On the decoration front, we saw an uptick in cakes that embraced couples' interests, from a tennis-themed dessert and a butterfly-covered confection to a treat inspired by the bride's artwork. Color was definitely a big theme this year, and berries and botanicals were as popular as ever. Naked cakes continued to reign as well, but were reimagined in new ways.

To showcase all of the incredible desserts we saw in 2017, we rounded up some of our favorite cakes from the past 365 days of real weddings. These sweets stood out for a wide range of reasons, from their delicious layers to their stunning designs. Check out the complete list before setting out to plan your own dessert. No matter what theme or season you chose for your big day, these confections provide unbeatable inspiration.

This creative couple had their vows written on the icing of their cake. The text added a subtle splash of pink to the white Amy Cakes dessert.

Buttercream Bakeshop decorated this colorful cake with swirled icing, which was inspired by the bride's abstract watercolors. 

For this wedding, The Cakery made a confection featuring three different flavors: lemon cake with raspberry-buttercream filling, chocolate chip, and chocolate. The botanical decorations were truly unique.

We love the fresh berries and petite blooms adorning this naked cake. The natural style fit well with the wedding's rustic setting.

How can you not be impressed by this confection? The huge dessert was created by Melissa's Fine Pastries, was six feet tall, and was layered with blueberry compote and lavender mascarpone.

Fondant cacti made this Dayton Cakery treat so fun, and the pink color definitely helped it stand out.

This lovely dessert wasn't just decorated with roses—it was flavored with them, too. Rice flowers, dahlias, and wax flowers also adorned the Synie's cake.

The story behind this cake is incredible. According to the bride, the head chef at Patisserie Daniel decorated it during her wedding's cocktail hour. "He literally just went around the yard picking flowers from the garden and placing them on it," she shared.

Cakelets are a great alternative to a single cake, and these ones were absolutely gorgeous. Each was painted with an impressionist-style pastoral scene by Maggie Austin Cake.

The icing on this Sift Bake Shop dessert was impressively smooth, and also impressively durable. "They somehow transported our cake in the rain, on a boat, and the buttercream held up," the bride remembered.

This Nine Cakes cake included a mix of delicious flavors (Funfetti, dark chocolate, and caramel, to name a few) that tasted so good, the bride ate three slices. Real lunaria was a gorgeous addition.

It's nearly impossible to tell these sugar flowers apart from real blossoms. This Jonathan Caleb cake also included an edible version of the couple's monogram.

This semi-naked cake was made by Lelé Pâtisserie, had layers of almond and citrus cake, and was topped with cherries, berries, and red blooms from Lavenders Flowers.

Tennis references could be found throughout this wedding, including on the cake. Small racquet designs were hidden within in the blue-gray, geometric confection by Bobbette & Belle.

The sugar flowers on this Madison Lee's Cakes confection were inspired by the bride's wedding dress. The dessert was Funfetti-flavored.

We wish all grooms could bake a confection this cute! The small dessert was made of carrot cake and cream-cheese frosting.

Instead of a traditional wedding cake, this couple opted for a Bundt dessert from Creative Cakery.

Bugs were a big theme at this wedding, and even appeared on the cake. The talented Jason Schreiber made the critters look beautiful. 

This cake boasted Italian cream, tiramisu, and champagne-and-raspberry flavors. We love the sweet simplicity of the dessert's decorations: white and red flowers, and wraparound greenery.

Magpies Bakery embraced this wedding's autumn date by using seasonal design staples—like acorns, privet berries, and feathers—to adorn the cake.

Floral accents are common on wedding cakes, but these were definitively original. The hand-crafted blooms wrapped around the Sylvia Weinstock Cakes dessert uniquely.

This impressive cake was designed by T Bakes and included double chocolate, lime-scented chiffon, and lemon-scented chiffon.

This wedding's almond Pastry Aspen cake had apricot filling, and was decorated with other bright fruits, a few red flowers, and greenery.

Green and white look gorgeous when combined. GhilaDolci Bakery added architecture-inspired piping to this cake's fondant.