20 Tall, Skinny Wedding Cakes That Will Bring Your Dessert Table to New Heights

modern cylinder wedding cake gold wire halos
Photo: Maria Lamb

Make a statement with these slender confections.

01 of 20
modern cylinder wedding cake gold wire halos
Maria Lamb

If you're in the process of designing your wedding cake, you're most likely thinking of ways to make it stand out in your reception space. Although there so many different ways to do this (think gilded accents, hand-painted decorations, and vibrant floral displays), we think there's one foolproof cake design trend that will ensure all eyes are on your big-day dessert: a stack of tall and skinny tiers. While we think these types of confections are statement-making all on their own, lengthy, slender layers also cater to a wide range of decoration options—meaning you can make your treat as subtle or as over the top as you'd like.

Sure, today's wedding cakes come in all shapes and sizes, but there is something so dramatic about the following tall and skinny treats. To get a sense of how eye-catching these confections can be, just look to this five-tier marbled masterpiece from Lilac Cake Boutique. The pros broke up three same-sized cylindrical tiers with two white, barely-there micro sections. Gold wire halos were added for even more volume. Want your tall dessert to feel a little more subtle? Bookmark the all-white options ahead.

Whether you decide to make your big-day treat feel extravagant for your glamorous event by decking it out in gold foil or desire an elevated floral-covered confection for your garden celebration, a tall and skinny wedding cake will fit right onto your dessert table, whatever your theme. To help you choose whether to go all out in the decoration department or let your dessert's dramatic tiers do the talking, we've rounded up some of our favorite examples from real events.

02 of 20

Floral Display

floral-filled cake and dessert display
Vicki Grafton

An outdoor event calls for a floral cake and dessert display. That's why Buttercream Bakeshop covered this cake in flowers; Floral & Bloom took the same approach when creating this rose-adorned table.

03 of 20

All White

four tiered white frosted cake with sugar flowers
David Wheeler Photography

Your cake's height and width will make it a stand-out—even if it's all-white, like this MonAnnie Cakes creation. For an extra dose of color, ask your baker to create a lifelike display of sugar flowers.

04 of 20

Cubed

tall four tiered white bas-relief wedding cake
Allen Tsai Photography

Not only can you experiment with the height of your cake's tiers, but you can also play around with their shape. A Spoonful of Sugar Cakes created this skinny dessert using cube-shaped sections.

05 of 20

Deckled Edges

tall three tiered white frosted wedding cake
Elizabeth Warrick

Make your tall tiers feel dainty with the addition of deckled edges and minimal bas-relief accents, as seen on this Batter Up Cakery dessert.

06 of 20

Regal

seven tiers, realistic sugar flowers wedding cake
Roberta Facchini

If you're looking for an over-the-top cake for your royal-inspired big day, look no further than this towering Elizabeth's Cake Emporium design. Its seven tiers, realistic sugar flowers, and gilded accents make it perfect for any regal dessert table.

07 of 20

Macarons

single tiered cake with pyramid of macarons
Katie Pritchard Photography

Traditional tiers aren't the only way to bring height to your big-day confection. The Sweetest Couple used a pyramid of macarons to top this skinny single-tier.

08 of 20

Floral Appliqués

seven tiered Floral Appliqués wedding cake
O'Malley Photographers

Finishing off your skinny confection with a gorgeous floral arrangement on the bottom tier? You'll need to prevent the cake from feeling bottom heavy. Make like Midori Bakery and balance it out with other sweet details (think blush-hued fondant and delicate floral appliqués) up top.

09 of 20

Statement Tier

rose gold statement tiered wedding cake
Stephanie Yonce Photography

The tallest section of your cake doesn't have to be the one that stands out the most. Sweet Fix's mauve bottom tier (wrapped with a suede string) still made a statement against the pink watercolor motifs, gold foil, and roses above it.

10 of 20

Geometric

Geometric designed wedding cake
Sophie Lake Photography

Don't be afraid to add extra height to your big-day dessert with geometric add-ons. The white décor on this Malarkey Cakes treat gave it a little more dimension.

11 of 20

Textured

tile-shaped fondant appliqué covered cake
Rebecca Rizzo Photographics

Add texture to your narrow cake by layering fondant pieces on top of one another. The tile-shaped accents on this Sewell Sweets creation gave off a modern and bohemian vibe.

12 of 20

Monogrammed

Monogrammed wedding cake
Sarah Bradshaw Photography

A tall cake can be both extravagant and understated. For proof, just look to this all-white Buttercream Bakeshop dessert, which still felt elevated thanks to its lifelike sugar flowers and intricate monogram.

13 of 20

Floral

painted vine of flowers wedding cake
Shanell Photography

Showcase your confection's verticality by making like Sweet Heather Anne and painting on a vine that trails from the top to the bottom tier.

14 of 20

Various Sizes

various sized tiered wedding cake
Kristina Lorraine

Julie Michelle Cakes proves that merging two wedding cake trends—micro-tiers and tall, skinny cakes—offers pretty results.

15 of 20

Lace

lace and bright florals wedding cake accents
Kristen Marie Weddings + Portraits

Although your tall dessert will have a big presence, you can still make it feel delicate and feminine with lace and bright florals, as evidenced by this Cakelava treat.

16 of 20

White Flowers

five tiered white frosted sugar flowers decor wedding cake
The Ganeys

Painted floral vines aren't the only way to play up the height of your cake—a string of sugar flowers has the same effect. A vine of white posies crawled up the side of this dessert by Honey Crumb Cake Studio.

17 of 20

Emerald and Gold

emerald and gold cake
Kelli Durham

Achieve height in unexpected ways, like with a non-edible tier. A shimmering gold vine supported the top half of this Shelby Elizabeth Cakes confection, which looked as if it were floating.

18 of 20

Fresh Flowers

three tiered white frosted cake with floral decor
Danielle Bond Photography

A skinny top tier acts as the perfect pedestal for your confection's fresh flower arrangement, as evidenced by this Elevate Cake treat.

19 of 20

Rose Topper

floral bottom tier four tiered flower topped wedding cake
This Modern Romance

Balance out a floral bottom tier with a single rose topper, like M Cakes Sweets did here on this narrow confection.

20 of 20

Seamless

15 thin tiered white frosted cake with think sliced fondant in between
Ether & Smith

Mask the tiers on your tall and slender treat with thin layers of fondant for a more seamless look, à la this Sugarcups dessert.

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