This Is How You Do Ice Cream Cake on Your Wedding Day
It’s January 2nd and we’ve already got a pretty good idea of what’s going to play out in weddings this year. From backyard weddings to Living Coral, doughnut everything to statement ceremony florals, gold gowns to neon signage, the trends have been identified (by a number of sources, too), and it’s just a matter of time before we start seeing all of them start swallowing up our feeds - in the best way possible. And speaking of backyard bashes, Meghan Trainor had her very own when she married Daryl Sabara on Saturday, December 22nd. People got the exclusive on their fairy tale day, and now that details have emerged - and there are so many good ones, we wish we could cover them all - we’re zeroing in on the tastiest tidbit. Getting obsessed took no time at all, you could say we came to a ‘LOVING THAT’ consensus lickety split 😉.
It wasn’t her three ensem changes - including a stunning and beyond sparkly Berta gown - or the fact that she and her hubby exchanged personal, handwritten vows; it wasn’t that she walked down the aisle with her daddy to an original song that she wrote, inspired by her future husband, or that her bae literally ambushed her with a rehearsed and perfected dance performance that medlied a few of their favorite songs, rather, it was her stone [cold] solid choice in dessert. She had three cakes: a traditional, tiered vanilla wedding cake, a secret birthday cake that her family surprised her with to celebrate her 25th birthday, and the proper pièce de résistance, a red velvet-Oreo cookie ice cream cake. Hell yes.
Still waiting for photos of this decadence to get leaked (leaked? Or melted??), but until then, we talked about it amongst ourselves and decided that ice cream cakes will always be wedding worthy. As long as Mint Chocolate Chip remains a favorite flavor, ice cream cakes will preveil in popularity. Because, really, what looks prettier than a cake that’s just been sliced into - revealing a beautiful cross-section of mint green and amazingly-moist chocolate, vanilla, or some totally unique sponge layers? Not much. Not much.
We know tons of people who’ve done ice cream cakes successfully at their weddings and even talked to a few planners to see how feasible a frozen confection really is for the reception - and here were some of their thoughts. Sprinkled in with some gorgeous photos. Notice no dripping? Photographers must have been proud! 👍😅
From those who have done it and lived to tell the tongue-numbing tale
“Our cake was from Denville Dairy – we’re big fans and loved the idea of doing something a bit different as our dessert option (especially since I never eat the cake at weddings and wanted to serve something people would get excited about). They did a fantastic job and we couldn’t have been happier with how the cake turned out.”~ Cristin+Dan
“I have personally served a Fudgie the Whale Carvel Cake at a wedding, per a groom’s request. And it was at the New York Public Library.” ~ Amy Shey Jacobs, Owner+Founder of Chandelier Events
Takeaways and tips worth melting for
Wow, Olaf owns my life…
Consider sweet connections to your relationship.
If you and your partner are ice cream lovers, maybe you met when you were both working at Cold Stone over the summer, or perhaps your relationship blossomed over repeated arguments about your favorite flavors and the eventual adoption of a shared flav-orite? We love the idea of couples sharing a little scoop, er slice of their past with their guests, so if you have a favorite ice cream shop or only prefer one place, because their Double Chocolate Mocha Fudge or Cannoli Cream is just 💣, then definitely approach them about having a sweet role in your special day.
Remember, groom’s cakes are still legit.
It’s been awhile since groom’s cakes were lighting up our radar, but they’re still a super chill choice. If ice cream cake for everyone isn’t the way you want to go, but your groom only subscribes to a Carvel, Dairy Queen, or Baskin Robbins kind of life, then let him have it! You don’t have to serve it to everyone, but it can still be a cute picture and reminder that he got to have his cake AND eat it too. Plus, having a variety of options to offer to your guests is always a best practice for weddings. Meghan Trainor had a sampling of three scrumptious cakes, so everyone’s tastes were taken care of.
Don’t discount the non-cake ice cream cake example.
And if you can’t do your wedding without something cold and sinfully satisfying, then try a configuration that still looks fetch, satisfies your ‘I scream for ice cream’ intentions, and won’t be dribbling into a pool of whipped frosting all over your carefully-curated dessert table. We like something like this ice cream cookie/wich situation. Often, these sammies can be frozen to perfection so that they keep their shape and integrity for much longer than a traditional ice cream cake. Just top with some pretty flowers and asked the bakery or creamery to vary up the ice cream flavors+colors inside for a totally photogenic look 👌.
From those a little frost-bitten by the ice cream cake trend
“I love ice cream cakes personally, but as a planner, I’ve actually tried to talk some of my couples out of it. Just because they can melt so quickly once they’re defrosted. They aren’t conducive to changing timelines.” ~ Nicole Sheppard, All Who Wander Events, Owner+Chief Event Designer
“A big part of the wedding cake is having it on display throughout your reception. Wedding cake tables are an important decorative element in a reception and usually one of the first thing guests see. So, obviously you’ll just need to be sure you have the proper cooling devices on hand to make sure it won’t be melting when the couple and their guests are mixing, mingling and dancing. In this case, I usually advise my clients to have a ‘grand reveal’ of the cake during the reception. The ‘wow’ moment for the guests and an opportunity to surprise your spouse with their coveted cake and/or maybe even a unique cake topper.” ~ Whitney Cox of Vegas Weddings
Takeaways and tips worth melting for
Consider an ‘inspired by ice cream’ alternative.
If the melting potential is too much of a concern, then do something in the spirit of the dessert without going to literal. Nicole actually encourages her ice-cream-idolizing couples to think about other ways to be playful, young, and colorful. She says it’s just as fun to opt for something festive like Funfetti or champagne-flavored cake layers or do something sundae-inspired, by asking the bakery or caterer to go all out with sprinkles on the outside of the cake. And we love taking it even a step further, by layering in a gourmet ice cream bar. A la mode for the winnnnnn.
Do the prep work so that cake (and all its cookie crumbles) doesn’t crumble.
Inevitably, melting will always be a concern when it comes to ice cream wedding cakes, but that doesn’t mean it’s too much of a [chocolate syrup] slippery slope. If you can ensure the following, you’ll be in good shape!
- Enlist one of your bridal party people to pick up your ice cream wedding cake the day before your reception, so that it’s at the venue and ready to go when you need it.
- Even before that, talk to your bakery/creamery/caterer partner about packing your cake in dry ice - and even throwing in some extra - to keep it as ice cold as possible.
- Confirm with your venue that they’ll have plenty of freezer space in their kitchen/banquet hall to hold your cake - and then give them the heads up that timing will be KEY to keeping your cake ready for its closeup.
- Alert your maître d' or wedding assistant that you’ll want your cake taken out in enough time to defrost (so that you don’t have issues when you go to cut it), but not too long that it starts to soften.
And don’t shy away from DIY.
If your venue, bakery, caterer shies away from ice cream wedding cakes - those flawless pictures are high priority (after all) - then consider making your own ice cream wedding cake. There are crazy amounts of recipes out there, and the flavor combinations are mouthwatering!