As the old saying goes, “You can’t have your cake and eat it too.” But with the rising trend of dessert buffets, you can have your cake and ice cream, pastries, chocolate berries and more.

Steering away from the traditional tiered cake, many couples are opting for personalized cupcakes to serve each guest. These bite-sized confections are fun and can be served more quickly than conventional cakes. Other popular alternatives are chocolate fountains, truffle stations or chocolate-covered strawberries.

To really impress guests and satisfy a sweet tooth, serve a variety of delectable treats in a sprawling dessert bar. Consider these possibilities when narrowing down the sweet choices to suit your wedding.

Ethnicity

If you’re Italian, try incorporating biscotti or tiramisu to sweeten the meal. Other signature treats include flan or sopapilla cheesecake from Mexico, peking dust or almond tea from China or marzipan from Germany. This is a great way to embrace your cultural background or blend two heritages.

Childhood treats

Growing up, we all had our favorite afternoon snacks. Help guests feel like a kid again with a dessert bar of licorice, malted milk balls and popsicles.

Travels

For worldly couples, treats from their travels bring fond memories and help the guests enjoy a taste of an exotic or foreign place. Add some culture to your cuisine with maple taffy from Canada or gelato from Florence.

Pam Smith, owner of Capanna Coffee and Gelato, said their shop offers 60 gelato flavors, with up to six featured at an event.

“We have even served gelato from champagne flutes,” Smith said. “You just need to use a little creativity.”

Themes

Using a theme reflects the couples’ personality and creates a light-hearted transition to the reception. For sports fanatics, decorate cupcakes or pastries with your favorite team’s logo and rent a popcorn machine. If you enjoy visiting amusement parks, set a carnival theme complete with cotton candy, funnel cakes and anything fried on a stick.

No matter what you select, a dessert bar is sure to end your wedding on a sugar-high note.