A Scottish wedding might make you think of tartan kilts, sipping from a quaich, ceilidh dancing, or the “must do” ending to any Scottish wedding – a merry, happy tears-filled Loch Lomond or Auld Lang Syne sing-along. I see this a lot and, personally, I don’t think anyone does a wedding better than the Scots. No wonder 20% of weddings held in Scotland every year are between non-residents, and there are a fair number of wedding planners like Rebecca Barnett Weddings who have helped couples from places like Los Angeles, Dubai or Sydney get married in Scotland. But a Scottish wedding cake? Does such a style exist? Yes, and no. Here’s how I, and some of my couples, have got wedding cake inspiration from Scotland at these weddings in Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire.
Traditional wedding cake designs for a Scottish wedding
I’ll caveat this little subheading by saying that there isn’t a “traditional” Scottish wedding cake design. What I have seen, and do design myself, are cakes with nods to Scotland.
The tartan, the thistle, and the traditional emblem
Shaun and Stacey at Maryculter House wanted their cake to tie in with the Scottish theme and style of their venue, kilt colour etc. I had a edible tartan icing wrap, made by Tempting Edible Prints, to match the groom’s tartan. They also had sugar thistles and a stag’s head on the top, which is very fitting in Maryculter. This was not dissimilar in some ways to this cake with the stag head at Mar Lodge.
Pheasants, feathers and (other features)
Martin and Leanne at Norwood Hall Hotel (where I am a preferred wedding cake supplier) had a cake that focused heavily on Martin’s pastime as a ghillie with a pheasant stencil, and feathers from his shooting expeditions as the floral detail on the cake.
Cake ideas for a Scottish wedding that don’t ‘look’ Scottish
Getting married in Scotland doesn’t mean you need to go down the tartan look. It is very traditional and a bit fairy-tale like. It certainly suits lots of the wedding venues that I am a supplier for in the North East of Scotland. But it isn’t for everyone.
So what if you want to let other aspects of your wedding shine and want something a little more understated and classy? Your venue might be very ‘Scottish’ but your wedding theme and certainly your wedding cake design doesn’t need to be.
Here’s what 3 couples chose for their wedding cake design in quintessentially Scottish settings
Hints of Scotland or just something you like…it can all work beautifully.
Pearls on a whisky barrel
Louise and Iain at the Barn at Barra Castle recently had a simple decorated cake with pearl detailing. Sat atop an old whisky barrel (there’s your Scottish bit), as many cakes do at Barra Barn, it’s subtle yet dazzling. I like how delicate the pearls are and how they bleed down the sides of the cake from the top of each tier. Louise loved the simplicity of this design and chose to wear pearl earrings and necklace too on her big day.
Flowing flowers
Mr and Mrs Middleton got married at Ardoe House Hotel, a 19th-century baronial mansion, in August 2024. This is a popular wedding venue in what was apparently inspired architecturally by Balmoral Castle. It doesn’t hold Royal Family ties but it does have turrets and stained glass windows so it’s got a traditional charm about it. My couple and I decided upon a 3-tier cake with sugar flowers across the centre, and placed on a wood slice. This was a replica of a cake I had made at a course in Glasgow, and when the bride saw this on my social media and at a wedding fair, it was an easy decision. The tricky bit? Deciding on cake flavours. They finally settled on salted caramel, raspberry, white chocolate, and vanilla.
All the family together
Norwood Hall Hotel has an even greater history having been built on the site of a 15th-century castle. It’s a Victorian mansion with log fires, sweeping staircases (perfect for THAT wedding dress shot) and amazing interiors. Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire really do have no shortage of Scottish-y venues to choose from. Sabina and Darren and I settled on a semi-naked cake with a figure of their dog on the side.
Got a vision for a full-blown Scottish-style wedding complete with traditional Scottish design? I’d love to bring that idea to life for you. And if it’s something else you’re after for your Aberdeen or Aberdeenshire wedding, I’d love to talk too!
Contact me to discuss your wedding day plans.
