A departure from cake

dinners.

“They are a great, classic American comfort food and a simple decadence,” said Ginny Lawhorn, managing partner at Sticky Rice Baltimore.

What sets their tot bar apart is the offerings of kimchi, broccoli, vegan spicy mayo, buttermilk ranch and house-made tot sauce, a spicy Sriracha-based concoction. Prices for 100 people range from $350 to $600.

Doughnuts aren’t the only dessert getting special treatment at weddings.

Gelato stations, ice cream carts and elaborate milkshake stations are growing in popularity.

“A lot of people chose specialty desserts other than wedding cakes,” said Stephanie Bradshaw, a Baltimore-based wedding planner who does a number of upscale weddings. “People’s palates are more refined. They’re having wedding cakes, but they are having other things. Everybody likes options.”

Redling said she first started seeing elaborate milkshakes at weddings at her hotel a year ago.

“We’re doing everything with more of a culinary twist,” she said, adding that some of the most popular milkshakes are topped with colorful cotton candy or cupcakes.

The tradition of cake cutting also seems to be outdated.

“We don’t even announce the cake cutting anymore,” Bailey said. “There is this awkward pause when the bride and groom cut the cake. We just decided to let the band keep playing. Almost all our couples do a photo op cake cutting away from the guests. Yes, it’s something they want to look at 20 years from now, but they don’t necessarily want the tradition.”