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Writer's picturePamela Lewis

Top 5 trends for wedding cakes in 2024

Slice up something sweet for your big day with Couture Cakes of Greenville.

Tattooed Southern couple cutting a trendy, retro, heart-shaped wedding cake
Heart-shaped wedding cake

We have been looking forward to one of our favorite topics, wedding cake! And who better than the one and only Susan McMakin, owner of Couture Cakes of Greenville, to share her Top 5 trends for wedding cakes in 2024. Unique flavors, throwback looks, classic minimalism and, best of all, flavor reigning supreme. Dive in for a taste of the new year.


Greenville South Carolina couple cutting a classic, minimal wedding cake
Classic white-tiered wedding cake

Learn more about how Susan went from Architecture to baking to become the Upstate's premier option for the most stylish (and delicious!) wedding cakes around.


Award-winning baker and cake artist Susan McMakin from Upstate South Carolina
Owner of Couture Cakes of Greenville Susan McMakin

When did you fall for baking?

"It all started when I was 13, learning from my great Aunt Betty. She was a fantastic baker, and I worked with her, honing my baking skills throughout high school and college. It's funny that my major in college at Clemson University was architecture, and I used to joke with my professors that I would rather make models out of cake, not foam core or balsa wood. The woodshop freaked me out, so I never wanted to go back there!"


Award-winning bakery counter with Valentine's Day cakes on display
Couture Cakes of Greenville counter

What was the turning point to turn your skill into a business?

"When my daughter was two years old, I decided to start my own business, and in 2005, I opened Couture Cakes of Greenville. Most business owners would laugh at the idea of building a new venture with a toddler, and I completely understand why! I wanted to be with her as much as possible, so she grew up right along my side in the bakery. In 2008, we opened the storefront that we still operate out of today in the heart of Greenville and now with a whole team of talented artists and bakers."


Beautiful, minimal bride first look at her elegant wedding cake
Bride's first look at her wedding cake

How has the business evolved over the years?

"It's funny, but after so many years of baking, I still feel the same excitement I did the first day I started when I see a bride gasp when she sees her wedding cake for the first time or a child smiling from ear to ear seeing their birthday cake. I wouldn't have guessed we would be such a big part of life celebrations for our customers. We have had children attend decorating parties at our store, then a little farther down the road, book their wedding consultation and order a first birthday cake for their child a few years later. This has been an unexpected joy of opening Couture Cakes of Greenville that I wouldn't change for the world. I love it! "


Couture Cakes of Greenville team Harry, Sandy, Susan, Ali, Valerie
Couture Cakes of Greenville team

How do you stay current with what your customers are looking for?

"We are known throughout the area for elaborate, intensely decorative cakes. Pre-Covid, we traveled extensively throughout the US to New York, California, New Mexico, Alabama, Georgia, and our surrounding areas honing our skills. We also follow social media to see what everyone is liking and sharing. Compared to when we started, most customers bring image examples for the look, but the flavor still reigns supreme. We are a team of cake experts, and you can never go wrong with perfectly executed simplicity!"


 

Celebrity wedding cake with a retro wedding cake topper
Gwen Stefani and Blake Shelton's wedding cake

Trend 1: Vintage-style wedding cakes are back!

Our mother's and grandmother's classic cake piping has seen a major return thanks to Gwen Stefani & Blake Shelton's wedding cake. Also, retro heart-shaped cakes are going to be big.


Luxury, oversized wedding cake with white fondant flowers
Statement wedding cake

Trend 2:  Taller, bigger, wedding cakes for 2024.

Couples with more extensive wedding guest lists want cakes that truly stand out.


All-white, 3 tiered minimalist wedding cake with fresh flowers and beautiful couple cutting the cake
Minimalist wedding cake

Trend 3: Timeless minimalist all-white cakes.

Simple, smooth and without piping, plus a few fresh flowers or greenery.


Cute, Upstate South Carolina couple kissing with a beautiful, classic wedding cake with an overhead floral arrangement
Overhead floral focused wedding cake

Trend 4: Floral installations surrounding the cake.

Simple tiered cakes framed by hanging flowers or arrangements below create even more impact for the cake cutting.


Perfect slice of classic white and almond wedding cake with greenery and a silver fork
Classic white and almond wedding cake

Trend 5: Taste reigns supreme.

Flavors that stand out, such as our sweet potato cake, strawberry lemonade, raspberry cake or perfectly executed classic white and almond. Choosing just one or two options per tier is important to avoid overwhelming guests or holding up service.



Toy Golden Retriever tasting a minimal, white wedding cake
Wedding cake surprise guest

Ready to dive into your own unique celebration?

Schedule a date with Susan and her team to dream up something sweet and host the 2024 wedding of your dreams with a curated package from Historic Hampton House 1908.

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