How to Decorate a Winter Wedding Cake

Co-authored by Karen Brown and Amber Crain

Last Updated: October 21, 2021 References

A cake with season-inspired elements can be a beautiful addition to a winter wedding atmosphere. Choose wintry frosting colors like white and ice blue, or go for an earthier tone with chocolate icing and red detail work. Incorporate natural elements like fresh herbs, fresh flowers, pinecones, twigs, pine needles and sprigs of holly as seasonal accents. Velvet ribbons, pearls, metallic accents, snowflakes and baubles can also look festive.

Method 1

Method 1 of 3:

Choosing a Color Scheme

1
Select an all-white cake. A stark white wedding cake with all-white accents can make a beautiful wintry impression. White frosting can create a stunning snowy effect and there are countless ways to feature this look. For example, you could have a several-tier cake with white buttercream frosting to mimic snow. Scatter edible snowflakes made out of fondant icing on top of the tiers.
- Dust the cake with sparkling sugar to create the effect of glittering snow. ^{[1]
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- For a unique look, consider accenting with icicles made out frosting. ^{[2]
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2
Go with a frosty color like ice blue. ^{[3]
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Expert Source

Karen Brown
Wedding & Event Planner

Expert Interview. 21 June 2019.} This is a particularly great choice if you are already incorporating blue into your overall wedding theme. Tint the frosting or fondant with a very light blue color. The frosting should have a smooth texture so the tiers look like snowy ice blankets. To continue the natural theme, decorate with pinecones.
- For a snowy effect, speckle the pinecones with white royal icing and dust them with sparkling sugar. ^{[4]
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  Research source} Create more natural texture by accenting with chocolate “pine needles.”
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3
Choose rich reds and chocolate browns. ^{[5]
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Expert Source

Karen Brown
Wedding & Event Planner

Expert Interview. 21 June 2019.} If you'd prefer not to have a mostly white cake, you still have plenty of options. Have a chocolate cake, or alternate cream and chocolate tiers for an earthy vibe. Rich reds are also very seasonal and red accents look great on a chocolate cake. ^{[6]
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Research source} For example, you could place sprigs of red berries on the tiers.
- To enhance the Christmas vibe, put sprigs of holly around the red berries.
- For a less rustic look, line the tiers with red rosettes made of royal frosting or create a red stripe with a velvet ribbon.
4
Go for drama with gold or silver. ^{[7]
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Expert Source

Karen Brown
Wedding & Event Planner

Expert Interview. 21 June 2019.} If you want to keep it simple, consider using gold icing on the cake. Use metallic elements to accent, such as gold or iridescent colored rosettes made of icing. Gold icing can be hand painted onto your cake for a very elegant look. If you prefer silver, start with a white cake and create all of the accents in silver. ^{[8]
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Research source} Make one of the tiers silver or go all out and gild your entire cake.
- Consider the color theme of your wedding. If you are using warm colors like deep red, chocolate brown and cream, accent with gold. If you're using cool colors like ice blue and bright white, accent with silver.
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Method 2

Method 2 of 3:

Accenting with Natural Materials

1
Embellish with fresh herbs and other greenery. Use fresh rosemary sprigs to accent the tiers of the cake. Fresh rosemary smells great and is very seasonal. You could arrange the springs on top or even press them into the icing around the side of each tier. Springs of holly and fern are also great greenery choices. ^{[9]
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- Create arrangements with green pine needles and incorporate pinecones for a winter forest look. Make sure the greenery you choose is food-safe or take precautions to make sure the greenery does not touch the cake.
- For an even more rustic look, use small twigs, pinecones, brown pine needles or cinnamon sticks on the cake. Make sure the greenery you choose is food-safe or take precautions to make sure the greenery does not touch the cake.
2
Incorporate fresh or dried flowers. White roses and baby's breath look lovely on a winter wedding cake. Create small arrangements featuring both or circle the base of each tier with sprigs of baby's breath to create a charming boho effect. Use a frothy bundle of baby's breath as an elegant cake topper. If you're using red in your wedding, this is a great opportunity to use deep red roses on your cake.
- Peonies and lilies look festive on winter wedding cakes, as well. Make sure to take precautions as lilies are considered toxic.
- Poinsettias are also an option, but only if you are going for a Christmas theme. Again, make sure to follow food safety by ensuring the Poinsettias do not touch the cake or cake frosting. Poinsettias are considered toxic.
3
Decorate with real berries. Use sprigs of red Christmas berries to give your cake a seasonal vibe. Sprigs of holly go well with these berries, so consider arranging them together. Cranberries, raspberries, blueberries and black berries also look festive. Use a variety of berries or focus on your favorite kind. ^{[10]
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- Create arrangements or simply scatter whole berries on top of each tier.
- Dust the berries with powdered sugar for a frosty snow effect.
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Method 3

Method 3 of 3:

Using Other Decorations

1
Decorate with satin bows, velvet ribbons and other fabrics. Satin bows look elegant encircling tiers of wedding cake, especially white and cream colored bows. Tuck sprigs of red Christmas berries or rosemary through the center of the bows to complete the seasonal look. If you want a more rustic vibe, use pieces of burlap, lace or twine instead. ^{[11]
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- Wrap gold or red ribbons around the cake for a striped gift-wrap effect.
- Strips of silver lace also look festive and wintry. ^{[12]
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2
Decorate with pearls and baubles. Pearls look stunning on cream frosting and their luminous quality adds to the shimmery snow effect. Use pearls around the base, embed them in the frosting or arrange them on top of the tiers. Incorporate ornamental Christmas balls in complimentary colors for a more seasonal look.
- You could use metallic beading in gold or silver to create a gilded, glittery effect. Crystals look lovely, too. ^{[13]
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Use something untraditional for the topper. Instead of the typical bride/groom topper, go for something seasonal that matches your wedding's theme. A rustic wedding could have a topper arrangement created out of burlap, fresh herbs and cinnamon sticks. Tiny owl figurines can create a forest-like vibe or tiny snowmen could represent the season. ^{[14]
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- You could also top the cake with an elaborate arrangement of natural materials. Try a combination of pinecones, fresh herbs, twigs, berries, baby's breath and fresh flowers. ^{[15]
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Expert Q&A

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Question

What are winter wedding colors?

Karen Brown
Wedding & Event Planner
Karen Brown is the Founder and Creative Director of Karen Brown New York, a full service event planning company. Karen has planned hundreds of successful weddings, corporate parties, award ceremonies, product launches, galas, and fundraisers over the past decade throughout the United States, Mexico, and Canada.

Karen Brown

Wedding & Event Planner

Expert Answer

For the bride’s dress, creams, ivories, and metallics such as silver or gold are great winter colors. For guests, warm colors such as burgundy, brown, purple, gray and greens are appropriate choices.

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How can I arrange raspberries on a wedding cake to make them look like roses?

Community Answer

Arrange them in small circles, or cut them in half. Either way would work. Be careful of the juice, though, as they easily stain.

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How to Decorate a Winter Wedding Cake

Steps

Choosing a Color Scheme

Accenting with Natural Materials

Using Other Decorations

Expert Q&A

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References

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