As we prepare to launch our Draper James wedding collection at the end of this month, we’ve been rounding up a few things that make a Southern wedding: the best Southern wedding venues, the best country wedding songs, and today, the best Southern wedding cake bakeries.
Here are our experts’ picks—any of which could add their own spin to Reese’s personal favorite Southern wedding cakes: “White cake with a a million tiers for the bride with fresh flowers to decorate and a decadent chocolate groom’s cake. Gotta have two!”
1. Art of Cakes Bakery (Maryville, TN)
Artist and designer Jessica Peddicord of Simply Jessica Marie makes a living designing custom wedding paintings and invitations. So it’s no surprise she’d be fastidious about the cake for her own recent nuptials. She says: “Art of Cakes Bakery provided the two most important details we were looking for in our wedding cake: light fluffy layers paired with rich, unique flavors, and an artistic approach to cake design. Our two-tier English toffee and strawberry cake with a dusty blue base adorned with sweeping gold brushstrokes was the perfect nod to both our fun whimsical personalities and my love of painting!”
2. Ashley Cakes (Raleigh, NC)
Rhiannon Nicole Banda, the wedding planner and floral designer behind Hey Gorgeous Events, says she never says “no” to a slice of wedding cake. Rhiannon adores Ashley Cakes for its “feminine aesthetic” and the fact that she can collaborate with the bakery to incorporate her creative floral designs. (The cake pictured below is from the Ashley Cakes Instagram.)
https://www.instagram.com/p/BM2iCFkAvvD/?taken-by=ashleycakesnc
3. Cake Designs (Montgomery, AL)
Blogger and cook Stacey Little of A Southern Bite turns to Cake Designs for his own family celebrations, so you know they’re up to his exacting standards. This “super old school spot,” he says, “has perfected the art of perfectly smooth buttercream” for cakes that check the boxes for both style and substance. (See our feature with A Southern Bite here.)
4. The Cake Place (Russellville, AR)
At Arkansas wedding venue The Barn at Twin Oaks Ranch, the setting is rustic, the parties are elegant, and the hospitality is truly Southern. Says Owner and Creative Director Lesleigh Smith: “We have worked with The Cake Place for over five years because they treat our brides like family! They even provide our brides with a top tier on their anniversary, so they don’t have to mess with keeping one in their freezer for year, then eating stale cake on their anniversary.”
5. Cakes by Anna (Atlanta)
Megan Roth and Kathleen Cone of the Atlanta food blog and Insta Hungry Girls Do It Better insist that Cakes by Anna is the place to turn for pitch-perfect wedding cakes in the Greater Atlanta area. “Not only are her cakes stunningly beautiful, but they also taste amazing—so rich and the icing is perfect!”
https://www.instagram.com/p/BO-5An_hzYR/?taken-by=cakesbyanna21
6. Confections on the Coast (Santa Rosa Beach, FL)
“Confections on the Coast is incredibly talented and can do anything with a cake,” says Ellen Flowers of fashion blog The Perennial Style of this bakery on Florida’s Emerald Coast. “What I love most is that they often design the cakes based on the bride’s gown. As someone who loves clothes, I especially appreciate that!” (See our style feature on Ellen Flowers here.)
https://www.instagram.com/p/BFnArkpxA2t/?tagged=confectionsonthecoast
7. Creme de la Creme Cake Company (Ft. Worth)
Wedding planner Jordan Payne of Jordan Payne Events enthusiastically recommends Creme de la Creme for the way its bakers flawlessly execute the complex designs her team comes up with and for their willingness to personalize cakes right down to the custom flavors. “From blackberry cream cheese to chocolate salted caramel and everything in between, this cake is so so yummy!” she says.
8. Dallas Affaires (Dallas)
The “traditional buttercream frosting” is what makes cakes by Dallas Affaires at once delicious and beautiful, according to Mary-Frances Hurt, Founder and CEO of wedding and event planning company DFW Events. The cakery is also happy to incorporate a couple’s family traditions into their dessert. Case in point: The stand used for this cake was purchased by the bride’s mother and used for the weddings of all three of the family’s daughters.
9. Favorite Cakes (Charlottesville, VA)
“The folks at Favorite Cakes are all about incorporating sweet Southern traditions,” says Lynn Easton of Easton Events. “Charms were baked inside this cake and the bridesmaids gathered around for the cake pull to see what their charms would mean for their future! This bride also drank out of her family’s heirloom silver goblets, so the cake was a special moment to give a nod to time-honored tradition!”
10. The Frosted Affair (Nashville)
Amanda Saiontz Gluck of The Fashionable Hostess blog adores the pristine cakes at The Frosted Affair, both for their peerless taste and the “attention to detail” the bakery places on each delicate decoration. (See our style feature on The Fashionable Hostess here.)
11. IveyCake (Franklin, TN)
“IveyCake’s knowledgeable staff is considerate and patient with brides navigating their wedding-day needs,” says Colson Horton, who does visual merchandising for Draper James and owns creative styling company And Delight Reigned. “The quality, flavor, and design are also excellent. And the fact that the bakery offers a delicious gluten-free menu is the cherry on top!” (See our style feature on Colson here.)
https://www.instagram.com/p/BHAGplrydLm/?taken-by=iveycakestore
12. Maggie Austin Cake (Alexandria, VA)
“Maggie Austin’s work is truly art,” says wedding planner Aimee Dominick of A. Dominick Events. “Every piece is delicate and so intricate. It almost breaks my heart to cut the cakes! I just love how unique the stained glass painting on this cake is and how real the protea look.”
13. Magic Muffins (Birmingham)
“These white initial cakes have been popular this year with many of my weddings,” says photographer Brittany Sturdivant of Love Be Photography. “I love the simplicity of the design and decorations, and I think that is what makes the cakes so timeless. The monogram definitely gives the cake the perfect Southern touch.”
14. Olexa’s (Birmingham)
Birmingham brides should head to Olexa’s for “simply decadent cake that’s overwhelmingly delicious,” says Erin Waldron, whose own unique company, P.E.W.S. (Purely Elegant Wedding Statements), rents rustic and elegant church pews in bulk for brides across the South.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BNA-WgygQlA/?taken-by=olexascafe
15. One Belle Bakery (Wilmington, NC)
If you’re looking for photo-perfect wedding cakes, it’s always smart to ask a photographer. Adam Gilbert, the Creative Director at award-winning wedding video and photography studio Blueberry Creative, recommends One Belle Bakery in Wilmington for “delicious confections” that are also dreamy to look at.
16. Panini Bakery (Dallas)
When Amy Havins of style blog Dallas Wardrobe got married in 2011, Panini Bakery provided her cake. And the local favorite spot remains her go-to. “Panini Bakery makes my all-time favorite cake: white cake with strawberry and whip filling. Similar to a strawberry shortcake, but better,” says Amy. (See our style feature on Amy Havins here.)
17. Savannah’s Hall of Cakes (Rincon, GA)
Tara Skinner, co-owner of wedding planning firm Posh Petals & Pearls sends her Savannah and Lowcountry brides to Savannah’s Hall of Cakes, a spot she loves for its client service and an “extensive flavor list” that includes Cookies & Cream, Vanilla Latte, Pumpkin Spice, and other unique tastes to accompany the classics.
18. Sugar Bee Sweets Bakery (Arlington, TX)
Serving the Dallas-Ft. Worth area, Sugar Bee Sweets is “hands-down” the favorite of photographer Tracy Enoch. “They always perfectly compliment the overall design of the wedding (this one was at the Dallas Arboretum), and are fabulous to the taste buds as well.”
19. The Twelve Five Cakery (Petal, MS)
“We love working with Melissa and her team at The Twelve Five Cakery for weddings and always look forward to seeing her creations on our rentals” says Lauren Soley, whose company, Lovegood Weddings, specializes in one-of-a-kind and vintage wedding rentals. The Twelve Five provided the cakes for this Mississippi bridesmaids brunch, while Lovegood provided the unique buffet table.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BPGGUyvgpYB/?taken-by=lovegoodrentals
20. Wedding Cakes by Jim Smeal (Charleston)
“Jim Smeal cakes are always a work of art, but this cake will always be one of my favorites” says Erin Whitsitt, Editor of A Lowcountry Wedding website and magazine, a publication featuring weddings along the coast of Georgia and South Carolina. “The intricate detailing that perfectly replicated the bride’s Amsale gown was mesmerizing.”
https://www.instagram.com/p/BE7MrRNOiVM/?taken-by=alowcountrywed
21. WOW Factor Cakes & Desserts (Charlotte)
As owner of online publication Charlotte Lately, a resource for restaurants, food, and lifestyle in the booming North Carolina town, Courtney Schramm is schooled on the best of what The Queen City has to offer. So when she recommends WOW Factor for its artistry and inspiring designs, we take her word for it. “It’s always amazing to see what the artists at WOW Factor have up their sleeves!” Courtney says. (See our city guide to Charlotte here.)
