Don’t let them eat wedding cake — get inventive with alternative treats

Cutting the wedding cake is a traditional photo-op, capturing the couple’s first intimate moment together. Now, however, couples are moving away from the tradition entirely and instead offer a dessert table of sweet and savory goods that reflect their own personalities and suit every taste and dietary restriction.

“Couples are searching for things that are more memorable for their guests and that are a departure from the old-school wedding cakes their parents had,” says Jayce Baudry, Épicerie Boulud’s executive pastry chef. His decadent Cannelé Tower has become a popular choice for weddings.

For a stylish statement, Ladurée (Laduree.us) arranges classy macaron in flavors like salted caramel and orange blossom. Or, for a gluten-free option, Murray’s offers a selection of pre-made cheese towers online or they will customize any combination (MurraysCheese.com). If you prefer a less savory option, Ample Hills Creamery (AmpleHills.com) offers multiple sizes of layered ice-cream cake with fudge or salted caramel and whipped cream, adorned with your choice of toppings like chocolate-covered gummy bears. They’ll even throw in a custom cake topper.

“An ice-cream wedding cake says a lot about the happy couple,” says founder Jackie Cuscuna. “What better way to illustrate and reflect their personalities and interests than with a custom designed cake topper.”

“Cakes can compete with a lot at a wedding so we also make cake truffles — all the flavor in a tiny ‘I’m not-going -to-stop-dancing-package,” says Anna McGorman, culinary director of Milk Bar.

Eleni Gianopulos, baker-in-chief of Eleni’s, suggests cookies over cake. She offers personalized cookies — in just a few clicks you can make your own dessert art from uploaded photos.

“People put out the cake and no one eats it, whereas a photo cookie can go home with you,” she says.

Alternatively, an artisanal doughnut wall from Dough can be accented with initials or other personalized touches. Dough is known for their seasonal flavors, along with classics like the New York cheesecake, covered in cream cheese frosting, a hint of orange zest and sprinkles of graham cracker.