44 Creative Wedding Dessert Bar Ideas (2024)

Though wedding cake is arguably the most popular big-day dessert option, it's far from your only choice. If you and your partner are in the midst of dreaming up your wedding menu and want to offer something sweet in addition to or in place of a tiered cake, consider building a dessert table. Filled with any treats you love most (cupcakes, brownies, cookies, ice cream, pie, churros—the list goes on and on!), a wedding dessert table gives guests the opportunity to indulge at the end of the night.

A dessert table can be as simple or elaborate as you'd like. Some couples choose to offer a few small desserts alongside a larger wedding cake while others prefer to create an entire spread of decadent offerings in lieu of a tiered confection. Whichever route you go, know that the dessert bar is a great opportunity for personalization: You could share desserts made using family recipes, referencing favorite childhood flavors, or honoring your heritages; another option is to serve offerings that speak to the two of you, like ice cream from the shop you visited on your first date or your go-to restaurant dessert order.

As you select your big-day desserts, remember that—in this instance—more is often more: Variety and novelty make a wedding dessert table that much more enticing for guests, and building a big spread is a good way to ensure that there's something for everyone on offer. Need a little inspiration for your own setup? Ahead, we're sharing 44 beautiful, creative wedding dessert tables that are guaranteed to entice and delight your guests.

38 Handheld Desserts to Suit Any Reception

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Pair Small Treats Back to Your Wedding Cake

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For a cohesive dessert table, select a wedding cake and mini treats in the same aesthetic style. Here, a three-tiered cake featured pastel fondant accents that mirrored the design seen on a selection of petit fours and chocolate truffles.

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Make It All Mini

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Offering an array of single-bite desserts means that guests get to indulge in one of everything. Mini chocolate mouse pies, fruit tarts, and petit fours were all available to guests during this brunch-themed wedding in Illinois.

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Say 'Oui' to Macarons

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For a more unconventional Parisienne-themed dessert bar, why not serve mountains of colored macarons? These pink and white macarons are the perfect romantic option laid out on this elegant, Victorian-inspired, glass top table.

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Make Your Display Dramatic

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As you plan your wedding dessert table, be sure to give some thought to the display's setup—not just the options offered on it. At this celebration planned by Grit & Grace, a tiered display of desserts served in martini glasses—which were made by the team at Dover Hall—was made all the more dramatic with the help of dry ice smoke.

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Offer a Little Bit of Everything

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Can't decide on just one dessert for your reception? This celebration's display of sweets is proof that you don't have to. For their Austin nuptials, this couple plated up everything from donuts and cookies to mini pudding cups and tarts, and attendees were able to help themselves to whatever looked most appealing.

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Fill the Table to the Brim

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Want your wedding dessert table to wow? Take notes from the spread at this Texas reception, where mini frosted bundt cakes, fruits, candles, and florals were arranged around a single-tiered cake to create an abundant, inviting display.

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Accent Your Spread With Plenty of Florals

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Fall colors were in full bloom with the floral accents on this spread of whoopie pies, bundt cake, and cookies. Arrange a variety of different bouquets around (and on) the dessert table for a similarly dazzling display.

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Build a Donut Tower

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Who doesn't love a donut? While donut walls were wedding mainstays a few years back, we prefer the look of a clean, modern donut tower. Make like this couple and serve different flavors on each level of a beautiful bookshelf for a statement-making setup.

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Swap Cake for Churros

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Instead of cake, opt for a more unconventional treat: churros. Serve them in cones or sliced up in small glasses, then invite guests to help themselves to a sprinkling of extra cinnamon powder or melted chocolate dip at a dedicated churro station.

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Serve Bite-Sized Sweets

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If you want to keep guests dancing, serving small desserts that they can quickly enjoy between songs is key. At this San Francisco wedding, s’mores brownies and mini berry cobblers were perfect single-bite treats that attendees could grab as they wished.

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Choose a Dessert Pairing

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What's more fun than a standard dessert table? A table of dessert pairings, of course. At this Malibu wedding, matcha hot cocoa bombs and cookies shaped like the couples' dog were on offer as a fun dessert option. Attendees could make a mug of hot cocoa and dip their sweet treat right in.

Offer a Unique Sundae Station

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Everyone loves an ice cream station, but we want to encourage you to think outside of the box when it comes to your wedding dessert table. This couple created a profiterole sundae station, where guests were able to top their favorite flavors of ice cream with a cream puff and an array of different toppings. Talk about a sweet no one would pass up!

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Create a Cream-Puff Tower

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This chocolatey croquembouche stopped the show with a few other tarts alongside it. Make the tall tower the focal point of your dessert table and display the rest of the desserts on shorter platters. Add feminine touches to the croquembouche by weaving in pink flowers.

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Mix Pies and Cake

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Single-serve pies mix well with a classic wedding cake. The rich shades of these pecan and berry pies brighten up a semi-naked, two-tiered gilded cake.

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Treat Everyone to Your Childhood Favorites

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If you have a sweet tooth for treats other than cake, why not serve a hodgepodge of your favorite saccharine treats? Curate your dessert bar based on your own tastes like this couple did when they served their go-to childhood comfort treats from brownies to chocolate-dipped pretzels.

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Invite Guests to Dig Into Croquembouche and Cookies

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For a statement-making dessert table, you can't go wrong with croquembouche, a French dessert made from choux pastry puffs and caramel. At this Vancouver wedding, the couple served the towering treat alongside an array of different cookies and invited guests to dig right in.

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Treat Guests to Family Favorites

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Do you have a family member who is know for their exquisite desserts? If so, see if they'd be willing to help personalize your reception by baking some of their signature sweets for guests to enjoy. At this wedding in Texas, the bride's grandmother whipped up an array of Italian cookies for guests to enjoy during the reception or take home at the end of the night. While this is a big undertaking for a family member, the payoff is particularly sweet.

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Go With an Unexpected Offering—Like Waffles for Brunch!

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Don't be afraid to mix sweets, even those that aren't traditionally served at dessert bars. Macarons and small cakes dripping in gold were paired with stacks of waffles to celebrate this Parisian brunch wedding.

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Make Your Dessert Table Thematic

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Tying the knot during the winter? Take notes from this fun dessert table, dreamed up by Lauryn Prattes Events: The team at Occasions Caterers created a spread of treats that nod back to the holiday season. A red buche de noel, chocolate mouse in martini glasses topped with bright red truffles, and ornaments with small sweets were among the offerings at this holiday-themed celebration.

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Swap a Table for a Cabinet for an Eye-Catching Display

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You don't have to use a table for your dessert bar. These platters of tarts were served in an open cabinet with floral accents so that guests could easily see what was on offer.

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Create a Cone Bar

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Cones aren't just for ice cream. At this wedding in the woods in New York, an epic dessert bar featured cones filled with delicious fillings like peanut butter, rainbow cookie, and lavender-honey.

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Offer a Supplement to Wedding Cake

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A simple marble cake is accompanied by equally understated whoopie pies. We love how these treats stand out against the shibori indigo backdrop—a perfect combination of modern and bohemian.

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Create a Display That Nods to Your Heritage

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Take a cue from your roots as you're selecting your big-day dessert offerings. As a callback to their heritage, this couple created a Mexican Pan Dulce Bar, where guests were invited to take home assorted local pastries and cookies. It's a sweet way to feel close to your family at your wedding.

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Make It Summer-Friendly

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For a summer-friendly dessert station, why not have a station for chilly treats? Include popsicles, creamy ice cream, gelato, and even alcohol-infused sorbets for a refreshing treat! Your (outdoor) guests will thank you later.

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Build a Cookie Table

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Serve a selection of your favorite cookies—especially ones with thematic heart cut-outs—for guests to enjoy during the reception. They're a great addition to a cake table or delicious all on their own.

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Frame Your Table With Architecture

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If designing a dessert table, consider where you place it within your venue. At this Italian wedding, the couple decided to frame the display underneath an architectural arch and framed it further with florals and pampas grass.

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Share Your Favorite Desserts in Place of Cake

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Since the bride and groom at this Atlanta wedding weren't fans of cake, they created a dessert table packed with all of their favorite treats instead. Guests helped themselves to peach cobbler, berry shortcake, red velvet cupcakes, chocolate chip cannolis, and s’mores pies. Feel free to serve any sweets you love most at your reception.

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Give Your Table a Little Dramatic Flair

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Guests definitely won't skip your wedding dessert table if you decorate it with dramatic flair. At this wedding in the Dominican Republic, a four-tiered confection from Milona Cakes and an array of mini desserts from Casa de Campo Catering & Events were marked by oversized tropical floral arrangements.

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Make Everything—Including the Cake—Mini

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Mini desserts and a caged single-tier cake keep this dessert table modest but full. A display like this makes it simple for guests to grab a variety of different bite-sized morsels and try a little of everything.

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Offer a Variety of Frosted Sponge Cakes

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We don't know what's more tempting: these mini sponge cakes—piled high with flavored frostings—or the floral-filled display? If you're dreaming up your own dessert table, consider offering a similar array of bite-sized cakes or copy this bloom-heavy setup and add in your favorite sweet treats.

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Serve Local Delicacies

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If you're hosting a destination wedding, consider serving desserts that are popular in the region. This Athens wedding featured local fruits and sweet treats.

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Create a Table Full of Meaningful Offerings

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Who says dessert is just for the end of the night? As a nod to the bride's Persian heritage, this couple served traditional sweet treats during their Vancouver wedding's co*cktail hour.

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Add Height to Your Display

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Are you and your partner big dessert lovers? Make like this couple, who tied the knot in a minimalist wedding in Charleston, and created a display packed with fruit tarts and mini pies for everyone to enjoy.

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Lean Into Nostalgia

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At this timeless wedding in New Orleans, the bride decided to honor her parents with her clever, nostalgic dessert table. When her mother and father tied the knot 39 years earlier, they served guests slices of a Barbie cake; when it was her big day, the bride added one to her dessert table as an extra-sweet surprise.

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Go With Restaurant Dessert Classics

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Want your wedding dessert table to wow? Offer an array of crowd-pleasing desserts—restaurant mainstays like creme brulee, tiramisu, and strawberry shortcake are guaranteed winners.

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Offer Mini Desserts Alongside Cake Slices

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Planning to serve a wedding cake at your reception but still want to treat guests to more options? There's no rule that says you can't. Make like this couple—who tied the knot during a classic celebration in California—and have your caterer arrange slices of cakes and mini desserts (here, petit fours, eclairs, and tarts) so family members and friends can indulge in whatever looks best to them.

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Choose Mini Cheesecakes

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You can serve anything you'd like as part of your wedding dessert table. For their nuptials in South Africa, this couple offered guests homemade toffees, shortbread hearts, and mini lemon meringues for their attendees to enjoy. Displaying them on a mix of different platters and cake stands keeps everything looking interesting and inviting.

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Include Something for Everyone

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In addition to the wedding cake served at this Oregon celebration, the bride and groom also offered a table full of their favorite sweet treats. The selection included lemon tartlets with toasted meringue, chocolate budino tartlets, French almond cake, mixed berry galettes, and chocolate shortbreadcookies.

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Build a Spread of Mini Options

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The key to a dessert table that wows? Options! At this celebration, guests were able to dig into everything from mini cheesecakes and macarons to chocolate-covered strawberries and tarts.

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Curate a Dessert Library

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Bookshelves don't have to only hold literary treats. One couple chose to use modern bookcases adorned with florals to house a variety of delicious bites at their Palm Springs nuptials.

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Impress With a Pie-Exclusive Menu

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This couple opted for an all-pie dessert bar and sourced them from a local farm. To make sure your guests will find one they like, diversify your crusted options from fruit pies to banoffees.

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Add (Cake) Pops of Color

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Bright colors are a fun way to draw attention to your dessert table while cake pops are a great supplement to a smaller wedding cake. Teasing out the bright colors of the two-tier cake, this couple flanked the main confection with cake pops in similar pink and periwinkle shades.

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Plate Up a Little of Everything

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At this Colorado wedding, the couple encouraged guests to help themselves to mini sticky toffee pudding, flourlesschocolatecake, and New York-style cheesecake bites.

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Display Platters of Options

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When it comes to your dessert table, don't feel like you have to limit yourself to just a few options. Instead, plan to serve everything you love most, like this couple did for their fall wedding in Minneapolis, and organize each offering on its own platter for guests to easily choose from. A mix like this one—with macarons, cake pops, berry tarts, and mini milkshakes—is sure to have something for everyone.