Wedding cakes have come a long way from when Steve Martin sputtered at the notion of paying $1,200 (roughly £800) for the sweet treat in the early 1990s movie “Father of the Bride.” Although you don’t have to shell out that type of money for a beautiful wedding cake, there are some new fresh looks for wedding cakes out there that you might want to glance at:

Black and white cakes
No longer is black eschewed as a morbid color that shouldn’t be allowed near weddings. Instead, black and white is a sophisticated, clean color palette that can create a gorgeous cake. Damask patterns are an especially popular wedding cake trend.

Abnormal shapes
A round cake will always be classic, but square, octagon and other shapely cakes are creeping up more frequently. For a funkier vibe, pair different shapes together.

Not a cake at all
Everyone knows about the cupcake trend that swept the nation. Many brides are still going that route, but for a new wedding “cake” trend, couples are serving assortment of pies, cheesecakes and other desserts with just a small wedding cake for cutting.

Exotic flavors
Only the crazy would turn down a really well-made classic vanilla cake and buttercream combination. But to be a little different, a lot of couples are choosing unexpected flavor combinations for a wedding cake twist. Some flavors that are at the top of the wedding cake trends are coconut, passion fruit, mango, espresso, amaretto and blood orange.

Ocean colors
Turquoise, aquamarine and baby blue are not only ruling the fashion runways, but it’s take the cake world by storm, too. Inspiration from the ocean creates some of the most coveted wedding colors — but stay away from seashells and starfish unless you’re actually getting married at the beach. Not into blue? Pink is the second color dominating wedding cake trends.

About the Author: Randolph Quan is a UK based wedding photojournalist. You can follow Randolph on Twitter or check out his wedding photography here.