When it comes to wedding cakes, many couples are opting to go creative (and perhaps less expensive) with cupcake wedding cakes. These cakes run the gamut from simple tier arrangements to looming cupcake towers, each cupcake festooned with cascading icing flowers.

According to the top wedding cupcake experts at WeddingCupcakes.org one of the primary reasons for this trend toward single serving mini cakes is that couples can save money. They report that, on average, couples will spend $4 – $15 per person when opting for a traditional wedding cake, while professionally made cupcakes will likely run in the neighborhood of $2 - $4 per cupcake. A substantial savings!

Another advantage that cupcakes offer over traditional tiered wedding cakes is the greater variety couples are able to offer their guests. It gets expensive and impractical to cater to a variety of tastes when it comes to single cakes, but cupcakes offer much greater versatility. Serve a range of flavors such as lemon, vanilla or chocolate, or treat your guests to some creative options such as carrot cake, cardamon and cinnamon or raspberry. Special dietary needs can also be taken into account. If couples know they’ll have diabetic, gluten-intolerant or vegan guests in attendance and wish to fully accommodate them, it’s simple enough to put in a request for a few specially made cupcakes. This can also help with guests who have specific food allergies.

Culinary guru Martha Stewart presented a wedding cupcake tower on her site with a simple spin to make them all the more personal, and to give them the extra hint of being geared for a wedding. She suggested a fondant heart impressed with the first initial of bride or groom atop each, and pairing a ‘groom’ cupcake with a napkin stamped with the bride’s (color-coordinated, of course) initial when serving.

A method such as the one suggested by Martha Stewart can overcome the one objection that people seem to be voicing about wedding cupcakes: that they’re not formal enough. There are a number of ways, however, in which the cupcakes can be made special, personal and wedding-appropriate.

Presentation counts for a lot, and the tiny cakes can be presented in tiers to give the illusion of a single cake. They can also be decorated with elaborate iced patterns and decorations to rival even the fanciest of wedding cakes. For some more traditional couples, cupcakes will always seem to be dessert for children’s parties rather than an appropriate choice for a wedding.

Speaking of children’s desserts: if children are to be in attendance at a wedding reception, there’s no better cake idea to delight them. In fact, couples will likely find that many of their adult guests revert to that same childhood delight when served a beautifully designed cupcake. There’s an aspect of fun in peeling off the wrapper and eating around the edges in such a way that one central dollop of frosting is saved for last!