18 Lace Wedding Cake Ideas Perfect for Elegant Celebrations

The classic design evokes a vintage and timeless feel.

Three white lace wedding cakes of varying size on cake stands decorated with pink and green florals

Photo by Laura Gordon Photography

Lace is one of the most timeless and elegant fabrics that brides choose time and time again for their wedding dresses. But, the delicate material isn’t just reserved for bridal attire. Using a lace-inspired design to adorn your wedding cake will instantly evoke a sophisticated and romantic feel at your reception. Although lace wedding cakes are a beautiful addition to any type of wedding, they’re especially strong candidates for traditional celebrations with formal dress codes, vintage soirées that replicate a past decade, or dreamy fêtes in a garden. If you’re donning a lace gown or your venue has lace-inspired architecture, this type of confection is also a suitable choice.

There are so many ways to channel this textured look into your dessert design. You can either ask your cake baker to recreate the fabric through piping or press the pattern on to fondant. You can also be as simple or as bold as you’d like: Trim the edges of your treat with lace or select an all-over design that makes a big impression. If you want some extra pizazz, you don’t have to limit your cake to just lace, either. Dress your sugar fix up with colorful petals, sparkly accents, or unique cake toppers. While white is the go-to hue, you can try embracing different colors for an unexpected look.

If you’re looking for more inspiration, we’ve got you covered. Here are 18 lace wedding cake ideas that will make a splash on your big day.

01 of 18

Emphasize Intricate Piping

Three-tier white Lambeth piped vintage cake with lace detail

Photo by Chad Wu Photography

Using icing to adorn your tiers is a common way to create a lace design. Have your cake baker pipe your confection with a design that’s reminiscent of the delicate fabric. An all-white cake with white details is a classic look, but the intricate Lambeth-style piping makes this display stand apart from the rest.

02 of 18

Recreate Your Wedding Dress

Five-tier cake embellished with lace edge

Photo by Nyk + Cali

If you’re sporting a lace-embellished dress, you can draw inspiration from your outfit to inform your cake design. When Jordana Schrager tied the knot, she selected a five-tier white cake decorated with lace detailing that matched her Monique Lhuillier gown. The bride made her confection the focal point by presenting it on an irridescent tablecloth surrounded by multicolored blooms.

03 of 18

Embrace Real Flowers

White lace four-tier wedding cake with purple florals

Photo by Olivia Leigh Photographie

While a lace wedding cake is eye-catching on its own, garnishing your sweet treat with vivacious flowers will up the ante without detracting from the textured look. A cascade of purple and blue blooms wrapped around a multi-tier confection is the perfect accompaniment to a cake that incorporates floral lace. Not to mention, if you choose a white base, the vibrant hues will really pop against the neutral background.

04 of 18

Channel a Vintage Feel

Catie Li's three-tier Lambeth piped wedding cake on white table

Photo by Haley Rynn Ringo Photo

Whether you’re duplicating the Victorian era or the Golden Age of Hollywood at your nuptials, lace helps evoke a vintage vibe. For model Catie Li’s reception, the bride wowed her guests with a three-tier design engulfed in piping that’s reminiscent of the timeless fabric. The monochromatic look combined with the attention to detail makes it both effortless yet lavish. 

05 of 18

Look to Beadwork

Four-tier cake tan and white with beaded accents and toped with anemone flowers

Photo by Everlasting Moments

A simple lace pattern is stunning without any add-ons, but lining the lace pattern with beaded detailing will add a touch of shimmer to your confection. With a metallic sheen on each tier and the careful beadwork on the exterior, this cake befits glamorous weddings. The organic design also lends itself to a garden fête in the warmer months. 

06 of 18

Decorate With Greenery

Four-tier lace wedding cake with greenery

Photo by Love is Rad

In addition to flowers, greenery is another decorative element that will enhance your lace wedding cake. Silver dollar eucalyptus and other green leaves provide a botanical touch that juxtaposes the meticulous piping pictured above. For an embossed look, stick with white on white. We love this option for outdoor festivities, whether it’s a tented reception or a forest fête.   

07 of 18

Draw Inspiration from Your Venue

Three-tier lace wedding cake with florals inspired by Lake Como wedding venue

Photo by Nora Photography

Whether you’re saying “I do” at a French château or a palace in Lisbon, look to the surrounding architecture to inspire your lace design. For their wedding, Feyi Okunlola and Toluwani Adejuyigbe hosted their special day at a villa in Lake Como, Italy, and their cake designer worked the elements of the locale into their dessert display. The end result was a romantic lace-inspired look topped with sugar flowers.

08 of 18

Display a Trifecta

Jasmine and JT's three monochromatic white cakes topped with blooms

Photo by Laura Gordon Photography

Why settle on just one lace wedding cake when you can serve three? This trio of single-color confections each exhibits a different lace design, which increases the visual appeal. Plus, the varying heights add to this intrigue.   

09 of 18

Incorporate a Pop of Purple

A five-tiered Mexican wedding cake with cascading purple flowers on purple table

Photo by Jose Villa

A white cake with a dainty lace pattern is a traditional look. But, for something more contemporary, embrace a pop of color. While a shiny gold hue peeks through these hand-drawn layers of lace, ruffled purple piping brings this post-dinner dessert to life.

10 of 18

Feature a Subtle Pattern

Two-tier square cake with lace pattern on the bottom

Photo by Kristen Beinke Photography

Love the lace look but want to err on the side of simplicity? Decorate just one tier with lace embroidery and keep the others bare. While the bottom layer features a subtle lace pattern pressed into the fondant, the top of this cake is untouched. The sharp square edges make the design even more pronounced.  

11 of 18

Include Gilded Accents

Gilded wedding cake with lace and pineapple lambeth piping on top of baby's breath

Photo by Magi Fisher

From Art Deco events to glamorous affairs, gold embellishments add a glitzy look to any cake. Ornate lace (featuring a pineapple motif) infused with gold foil is an extravagant way to dress up your dessert. Presented on a cloud of baby’s breath, your sugar fix will certainly make a statement.

12 of 18

Make It Monochromatic

Two-tier old-world lace wedding cake with gray piping

Photo by Emily Magers Photography

An all-white lace look is usually the go-to option, but why not ditch tradition with another monochromatic hue? This gray cake with beautiful piping complemented Allie Hankins and Adam Chang’s old-world wedding theme and kept guests guessing with the gray shade.

13 of 18

Serve Double

Five-tier cake with lace detailing and a smaller cake on the side

Photo by Dani White Photography

To supplement your main cake, serve a smaller version on the side. On display next to one another, these lace-embroidered cakes with dotted and floral patterns provide the ideal photo op. Freeze the miniature duplicate after your big day and enjoy a slice on your first wedding anniversary

14 of 18

Accentuate With Pearls

Lace wedding cake with a pink hue, floral details, and pearl accents

PHOTO BY JOEL SERRATO

Pearls are having a moment in the wedding world. To incorporate this trend into your wedding cake, adorn your lace confection with metallic and pearl sprinkles. Set against a light pink backdrop, these details will shine.  

15 of 18

Match Your Cake Stand

Four-tier lace wedding cake on silver stand

Photo by Marni Pictures

If your lace cake is reinforcing a vintage aesthetic, serve your sweet on an antique cake stand, too. This silver embroidered item evokes old-world elegance when paired with an equally intricate sweet. Plus, it could function as your “something old.” Bonus points if it’s an heirloom item from your family.

16 of 18

Select a Single Tier

Small vintage wedding cake with lace piping on marble and gold stand

Photo by Rose Vanilla

A towering confection with multiple tiers is an opulent way to curb your sweet tooth, but a single-tier cake can be just as bold. On a small cake, these piped details are the main attraction. If you’re hosting a micro wedding or eloping with your significant other, this size is all you need.  

17 of 18

Settle on an Organic Theme

Two-tier floral lace cream and white wedding cake

Photo by Marni Pictures

Are you marrying your partner in a scenic garden, courtyard, or any other venue engulfed in flowers? Then, reproduce a lace pattern filled with blooms and vines on your grand dessert of the evening. Here, delicate sugar flowers and leaves generate a luminous glow on a two-tier cream cake.   

18 of 18

Choose a Blue Background

Three-tier vintage piped wedding cake with blue and white frosting on wood stand

Photo by Shannon Moffit

For another alternative to white on white, combine white details with a colorful background. This buttercream piping is more distinct on a light blue base. Not only is this confection brimming with color, but the texture also demands attention.

Related Stories