photo by Jose Villa

Remember when there was a big wedding trend of instead of cakes, there were dessert bars, or pie stations, or smaller cake displays, etc? Well, tradition must be on the upswing, because we are seeing a lot of cakes making an appearance again, and the design is mostly simple, delicate, and sometimes even subtle. Here are some of our recent faves. Above, for summer in upstate New York, this ladylike floral confection from Nine Cakes deserved a custom made statement linen.

photo by Ryan Ray

Our springtime in Charleston wedding had both garden and modern design elements, with a strong marbleizing game.  Jim Smeal nailed it as always with this sleek stunner.

photo by Corbin Gurkin

White on white is majorly back. But to keep this one interesting and different, square tiers were selected instead of round, and handmade hydrangea blooms used throughout the wedding flowers were represented here… Cake by Jim Smeal 

photo by Liz Banfield

For another white on white cake, Jim Smeal added detailed architectural patterns noted each layer, giving it a glam Art Deco look… the hand made icing blooms softened it up for a that wedding touch. Keeping it clean around the bottom with a simple wooden board on a marble top table kept it inline with the sleep and simple chic look we were going for.

photo by Tec Petaja

Our minimalist natural bride opted for a simple white cake with textured “waves”, and just a hint of natural greens giving it an organic and earthy feel. Jim Smeal cake.

photo by Corbin Gurkin

Of course, we do still see some color and bolder styles.. Instead of adding any live blooms to this confection, Jim Smeal created and icing vine and floral pattern that really turned this cake into its own design focal point.

photo by Corbin Gurkin

This Jim Smeal cake, so perfect for a glam fall fete, was a chocolate lovers dream. The white icing flowers definitely pop and add a wedding-y touch and sitting atop a custom embroidered linen pull it all together into a picture perfect detail.