Macarons (above)
As a mess-free bite of something sweet, macarons never fail. Patrick’s Bakery & Café makes the perfect macaron rendition, crispy on the outside but soft on the inside, and available in pistachio, raspberry, lemon and chocolate. For weddings, most clients opt for the miniature version, which may be part of a larger selection of desserts at a sweets table or incorporated into place settings when guests arrive. Even better? They can double as a party favor.
Dessert Shooters (above)
The flavors for the three-bite dessert shooters from Cocoa & Fig will win over the crowd, from chocoholics to fruit fanatics. Shown here are Key lime, dark chocolate, strawberry cream and lemon meringue—but that’s a mere shortlist; options go on and on, from tiramisu to Southern banana pudding to very berry shortcake. Shooters are usually served in conjunction with other small desserts like cupcakes, cake lollies and macarons, with a small wedding cake as a focal point for the table, if desired. They present beautifully whether butler-passed or on footed cake stands as a centerpiece, and can easily be made gluten free.
S’mores Bar (above)
Gateaux Inc. debuted their s’mores bar at a farm wedding with a late-night bonfire. The casual classic is elevated by touches like wrought-iron skewers, inlaid cutting boards, mason jars and refined ingredients like homemade strawberry marshmallows, white-chocolate almond bark and waffle kuchen (shown here, assembled), plus extra-dark chocolate squares, homemade peanut butter swirl marshmallows and ginger snap cookies. Add the possibilities of toasted coconut marshmallows, dulce de leche, chocolate-covered graham crackers, mint-filled chocolate thins—you get the idea. S’mores are often served later in the evening as a late-night snack, and become part of the entertainment itself. 
Doughnuts (above)
There’s nothing that can’t be dressed up to fit in at the ultimate black-tie affair. Mojo Monkey Donuts is extending the doughnut craze to weddings, with opulent flavors like the rosehip Bismarck, filled with rosehip curd and topped with dark-chocolate buttercream and rose petals dusted with sugar. Combined with simple frosted cake doughnuts (shown here with pink-colored icing and vanilla icing with roasted pistachios), a doughnut spread can offer enough cakey goodness to forgo the traditional cake altogether. The custom options are nearly infinite, with tiered stands and ceramic plates, and they can be tied into wedding theme colors using icing, fruit, sugar, jimmies and buttercreams.
Tarts (above)
Walking into Patisserie 46 is like entering a Parisian bakery; for weddings, the bakery creates individual tarts to add an ultra-European feel to your festivities. Flavors vary by season, but staples such as lemon with lemon cream and lime dust, or raspberry with vanilla pastry cream and fresh raspberries are always available. Petite gateaux round out the list of options, including a blackberry version filled with layers of white-chocolate mousse, pistachio and blackberry gelée. Usually served in lieu of a wedding cake, the petite desserts are often part of a sweets table, but can be served plated.
Sugar Cookies (above)
Easy to pluck from a dessert table, sugar cookies, like these from A Piece of Cake, can be a perfect custom-designed wedding favor. Boasting a bit of nostalgia, they can be cut into a variety of shapes to represent the couple, from bride and groom silhouettes and wedding cakes to poodles, sports cars and shoes. Abstract designs and patterns add elegance, especially frosted in colors that match your reception. Cookies are mostly used as favors, but they may also be placed on a dessert buffet in addition to the wedding cake.
