Throughout history, weddings have always been big affairs – with hundreds of guests and large wedding parties.
There were often large menus, complemented by happy hours, rich appetizers and generous gifts for the guests.
And not to forget: a multi-layered, elaborate cake that could challenge even the most skilled pastry chef.
But today, after the COVID-19 pandemic and in the face of difficult economic conditions, weddings have changed fundamentally. They are more intimate, with smaller bridal parties and fewer guests.
There are also changes in the most popular wedding times: more and more couples are opting for the cooler months, such as autumn.
And then there is the wedding cake.
Six Stark County bakeries weighed in on new trends and how they can pamper newlywed brides and grooms in high-calorie but fun ways.
Here’s a look at what All Occasions Bakery, The Cake Lady, Eatz & Treatz, Hartville Kitchen Restaurant & Bakery, Sprinkle City Bakery and Café, and Stuffed Pastry do for weddings.
The vision and the tasting
Most couples come with an idea or photos of their dream cake and all bakeries welcome this inspiration. It helps set realistic expectations, especially if the bakery cannot deliver the desired design.
Each bakery offers a consultation upon request, as well as a tasting kit for cakes, fillings and frostings, or small cakes for a small fee, usually applied toward the final cake order. Most bakeries recommend that couples take the tasting kit home to sample the flavors without distraction.
Trends on the dessert table
Dessert tables have become a staple at weddings, often replacing or complementing the traditional tiered cake. Couples now offer a variety of sweet treats that appeal to a range of tastes and dietary preferences.
The most popular items on these tables include:
- Cupcakes and mini cakes in various flavours
- Sugar cookies and individually printed cookies as wedding gifts
- Macarons, cake pops and mini cheesecakes
- Lemon slices, brownies and blondies
- Individual trifles and individual cake glasses
- Cake tables, especially popular in autumn and winter
A shift towards personalization and intimacy
As weddings have become smaller and more intimate, personalization has taken center stage. Couples are choosing cakes and desserts that reflect their personal tastes, but are also opting for unique decorations, custom monograms and themes that resonate with their relationship and history.
Here’s a look at our local bakeries’ projects for this wedding season:
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7230 Portage St. NW in Jackson Township; 330-809-0799
All Occasions Bakery is owned by Lisa Fink and her daughter Aspen Reed, the head decorator. The bakery offers a sampler box with four of their most popular cake combinations as filled cupcakes. These include white almond with raspberry filling, French vanilla with strawberry filling, chocolate with raspberry filling and chocolate with peanut butter filling.
Popular trends from this bakery include two-tiered cakes for the couple to enjoy at the event, accompanied by tables of mini desserts for guests. Seasonal flavors like pumpkin pie with cream cheese frosting or carrot cake are also popular during the cooler months. Couples are also opting for vintage-style heart-shaped cakes, with white frosting on white with pearls or swirls, a picture or small figurine of their beloved pet as part of the cake, and cakes adorned with dangling fresh flowers. Gluten-free options are available.
1100 S. Main St. in North Canton; 330-498-9337
Gail Jones and her daughter Misty Brown run The Cake Lady, with Gail baking and Misty decorating. The bakery, purchased 11 years ago, is known for its frosting. It offers tastings and consultations by appointment and offers up to four types of cake, including almond, raspberry, white, chocolate and marble, as well as seasonal options such as lemon in summer and spice or pumpkin pie in fall.
The bakery sees a spike in its wedding business in October and on weekdays, but it is busy year-round, especially from May to September. Two-tier cakes have become the most popular choice, with many couples opting for a small cake for wedding photos and either cookie or cupcake tables for guests.
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1289 Edison St. NW in Lake Township; 330-714-6774
Located in the Hartville Marketplace, Eatz & Treatz specializes in custom desserts and dessert tables. Owner Alyson Oser makes desserts for one or two weddings a month, focusing on bite-sized sweets. During her consultation, which is ideally in person, she seeks to understand the client’s dream dessert table and budget, followed by a tasting. Oser then puts together a tiered list of offerings in a range of price points, with orders accepted three to six months in advance.
Trending items include dessert carts with a tiered look, monogrammed sugar cookies, mini cheesecakes, lemon bars, cupcakes, cake pops on sticks and mini trifle. Cake pop stands are also popular, with gluten-free options available upon request.
1015 Edison St. NW in Lake Township; 330-877-9353
Known for its wide variety of cakes, pies and cookies, Hartville Kitchen Bakery offers cakes in chocolate, yellow, marble, almond, carrot, banana, red velvet and German chocolate flavors. Couples can purchase and sample small gourmet cakes in any of these flavors.
Head baker Craig Douglas said Hartville Kitchen Bakery will no longer offer take-out cakes larger than two tiers, but will produce larger cakes for weddings in the bakery. Popular trends include custom-printed sugar cookies as wedding favors and dessert bars featuring 8-inch round cakes in a variety of flavors. There has also been an increase in celebration cakes for the happy couple and sheet cakes that are easy to cut and serve to wedding guests, as well as cake tables.
706 S. Main St. in North Canton; 330-933-0767
Sprinkle City Bakery caters to both large and small weddings and often includes a small cake for the couple and a dessert table for guests. Items include bars, cookies, truffles, macarons, cheesecake shooters, and cake jars, among others.
Couples can order a sampler box with six unfrosted cupcakes and cups with frosting and filling, which they can mix and match as they wish before deciding on the flavor and decoration of their wedding cake.
The bakery offers two-tier or mini cakes to suit every budget and encourages couples to bring pictures of their vision. Most orders are for pickup, delivery is subject to availability and gluten-free options are also available. The bakery is busy with wedding and party orders year-round.
1310 S. Main St. in North Canton; 330-526-6500
Stuffed Pastry is relatively new to Stark County and offers a sampler box upon request, allowing customers to choose from the most popular cake flavors, fillings and buttercreams or create their own. Couples can sample on site or take the box home to decide on their favorites.
Popular cake flavors include red velvet, chocolate, vanilla, almond and lemon with fillings of fruit, ganache, cannoli, chocolate cream and caramel. All cakes are four layers and the bakery takes at least a month to make wedding orders, ideally more. Most requested desserts include mini eclairs and personalized sugar cookies, as well as a centerpiece cake that the couple can cut and use for photos during the reception. Gluten-free options are available.
Whether they opt for a traditional cake or a modern dessert table, today’s couples are finding creative and delicious ways to make their wedding unique and memorable. With a wide variety of flavors, styles and options to choose from, local bakeries are well-equipped to bring these sweet visions to life.
Reach Bev at [email protected] or 330-580-8318.
