The cake cutting ceremony is one of the key moments in a wedding reception that is not without its challenges. From lighting to positioning, the proper techniques and preparation are critical to delivering consistently incredible images for your clients. In this article, we’re going to provide some cake cutting photography tips to level up your wedding reception photography.
Cake Cutting Photography Tips: At a Glance
This guide covers everything you need to know about photographing the cake cutting ceremony, from technical camera settings to creative composition and lighting setups.
- Understand That All Couples Are Unique – Adapt to different styles and traditions
- Watch the Cake Exposure – Prevent blown highlights on white cakes
- Be Careful of Your Angles – Position yourself to capture both subjects
- Get the Ideal Background – Use guests as your backdrop
- Use Storytelling and Photojournalism – Cover wide, medium, and tight angles
- Capture Joyful Expressions – Be ready for genuine reactions
- Find Unique Angles – Move around for creative compositions
- Get the Audience’s Perspective – Shoot from among the guests
- Perfect Your Off Camera Lighting – Set up professional flash techniques
- Frequently Asked Questions – Common cake cutting photography questions answered
Understand That All Couples Are Unique
The first thing to keep in mind with cake cutting photography is that all couples and all weddings are unique. Some may choose to have a non-traditional cake cutting during their elopement photography, as you see in the image below. Others might skip the traditional tiered wedding cake entirely in favor of a dessert bar, cupcake tower, or cultural alternative like a French croquembouche or Filipino cake pull.
Others may choose to have a quiet cake cutting ceremony in an intimate, private setting, as you see in the image below. These private moments often produce some of the most authentic, emotional images because the couple feels less pressure to perform for an audience.
Make sure you stay flexible and stay aligned with the couple’s style and vision. Don’t try to force specific photos that don’t match the scene or couple’s vibe. Have a conversation during the consultation or at the rehearsal dinner to understand what they’re envisioning, whether that’s a playful cake smash, a dignified traditional cut, or something completely unexpected.
Watch the Cake Exposure
Watch out for the exposure on the cake. A white cake can easily “blow out” and lose all of the detail when you use flash, so make sure you’re using the right flash power and the right flash position. This is especially true for fondant-covered cakes, which have a smooth, reflective surface that can create harsh hotspots. Consider turning on your highlight alert (often called “blinkies”) so that you’re immediately aware when the details are gone.
The key is to expose for the cake itself rather than the couple’s faces, then bring up the shadows in post-processing if needed. It’s much easier to recover shadow detail than it is to bring back blown highlights on intricate fondant details or delicate sugar flowers. If you’re shooting in manual mode, take a test shot of the cake before the couple approaches and dial in your settings accordingly. For most situations, keeping your flash power at 1/16 to 1/32 will help prevent overexposure while still providing enough fill light.
Be Careful of Your Angles
Cake cuttings can be unpredictable in terms of the action, so be sure you’re in a position where you can see both the bride and the groom as well as the cake itself. The most common mistake photographers make is getting too focused on the cake and losing sight of one partner’s face. Position yourself at roughly a 45-degree angle to the couple rather than directly in front of them or to the side.
Compositionally, use the cake as a context piece and frame the couple beside it. Because the groom is often taller than the bride (but not always), place the groom behind the bride when positioning the couple near the cake. This prevents the groom from blocking the bride’s face or hands during the cutting action. If you have any input during coordination, suggest that the couple stand slightly angled toward each other rather than both facing the cake straight on. This creates more dynamic images and ensures both faces are visible from your shooting position.
Get the Ideal Background
Like first dances and toasts, the ideal backdrop for cake cutting is the audience (or guests). This adds energy, context, and emotion to your images while avoiding distracting elements like exit signs, service doors, or cluttered catering stations. If a coordinator or wedding planner asks, be sure to inform them of your preferred shooting direction. In cases where you are tasked with coordinating the cake cutting session, try to position the couple between you and the other guests.
When scouting the reception space, identify potential background issues before the cake cutting begins. Look for harsh overhead lights that might create unflattering shadows, bright windows that could blow out your background, or decorative elements that might appear to “grow” out of the couple’s heads. If the cake table has already been placed in a less-than-ideal location, work with what you have. You can use a wider aperture to blur a distracting background or position your off-camera flash to create separation between the couple and whatever is behind them.
Use Storytelling and Photojournalism
Consider storytelling when capturing the action and cover wide, medium, and tight angles of the couple as they cut the cake, feed each other, make toasts, and react to the situation. A comprehensive set of images should document the entire sequence: the approach to the cake, hands on the knife, the first slice, plating the cake, the feeding moment, and the reactions that follow. Be careful not to miss moments as the entire sequence can start and finish in a matter of a couple minutes.
The photojournalistic approach means anticipating what will happen next rather than reacting to it. Watch the couple’s body language and facial expressions for cues. If you see them exchange a mischievous glance, be ready for a playful cake smash. If they seem nervous or uncertain, guide them gently through the process. Your wide shots establish the scene and show the cake in its full glory, medium shots capture the interaction between the couple, and tight shots focus on the emotional details like their expressions or the way their hands work together on the knife.
Capture Joyful Expressions
Be ready to capture joyful expressions. Keep your camera up and take a few extra photos to ensure that you get a set of great photos with both subjects smiling. The best expressions often come in the moments between the “official” actions, such as when the couple makes eye contact after successfully cutting the first slice, or when they share a laugh about something only they understand.
Photo by Marie Filonenko at MAGAZYN in Poznań, Wielkopolska Poland
The moment when the couple feeds each other is a bit more unpredictable. Some couples are more stoic and traditional during the moment while others are more playful. Some will even get into an all-out messy “cake war.” Be ready to capture anything that happens! Use burst mode during these moments to ensure you don’t miss the peak action. Even if you capture 30 frames of the feeding moment, you’ll be glad to have options when it comes time to cull and edit.
Photo by Charles Moll at Rialto in Bozeman Montana
Photo by Jessie and Dallin at Walker Farms in Lindon, UT
Find Unique Angles
After you’ve gotten the traditional angle mentioned above, consider moving around and zooming in and out to find different creative angles and crops that help you tell a complete story. Try shooting through foreground elements like floral arrangements or candles to add depth and visual interest. Get low for a dramatic upward angle that emphasizes the height of a tiered cake, or find an elevated position to capture an overhead perspective that shows the entire scene.
Don’t be afraid to experiment with reflections in mirrors, windows, or even the shiny surface of the cake knife. These creative details add variety to your gallery and give clients images they might not have expected. Just make sure you’ve already captured the essential, safe shots before venturing into more experimental territory.
Photo by Laura Skebba Photography at Thunderhead Pines in Smithville, OH
Photo by Luzye Photography at Occasions at Laguna Village in Laguna Beach, CA
Get the Audience’s Perspective
Consider stepping back among the wedding guests to capture an angle from their perspective. This can add to the photojournalistic feel of the moment and create artwork that feels less posed. These over-the-shoulder shots or through-the-crowd compositions put the viewer in the scene and convey the atmosphere of the celebration in a way that traditional portraits cannot.
When shooting from the audience perspective, look for guests who are engaged and reacting positively to frame your shot. A grandmother wiping away happy tears or friends cheering can add emotional weight to the image. Use a longer focal length (85mm to 200mm) to compress the scene and blur the foreground guests slightly while keeping the couple sharp. This technique creates a sense of intimacy and makes viewers feel like they’re peeking into a special moment.
Photo by Jeroen Savelkouls at Molen de Ster in Utrecht The Netherlands
Perfect Your Off Camera Lighting
Pinned constant or off-camera flash lighting is ideal for photographing the cake cutting. This lighting method only takes 1-2 minutes to set up, and it works in any scene or location. It does, however, require an assistant or 1-2 light stands. The advantage of off-camera flash over on-camera flash is that you gain control over the direction and quality of light, which helps create dimension and separate your subjects from the background.
It’s important to position the light so that shadows are minimal, whether it be a shadow cast from the cake over the couple, or from the bride over the groom, etc. (note the diagram above). A common setup places the main light at roughly 45 degrees to the couple and elevated slightly above their eye level. This creates natural-looking light that flatters faces while providing enough illumination for the cake details.
The flash power will have to be adjusted based on the distance between the light and the couple. Whereas we generally recommend setting the flash power to 1/8-1/16 during most of the reception, the flash power may have to be reduced to 1/16-1/32 for the cake cutting. Whatever the case, make sure the flash power is set lower than the ambient lighting and/or modified with a softbox or umbrella to minimize shadows while shooting close up. On-camera fill flash is also an option, but it’s really the photographer’s preference. The key is to balance your flash with the ambient light so your images don’t look artificially lit.
Secondary angles (other than tight vs. wide angles) are typically not needed for photographing the cake cutting, so second and third shooters should focus on VIPs or other guests’ reactions. These candid shots of family members watching the cake cutting can be just as valuable as images of the couple themselves, adding emotional depth to the final wedding album.
Multiple light sources allow for more dynamic lighting options and up the production value by providing rim lighting and separating the couple from the background. Making simple adjustments can utilize the background lighting to create flares or backlighting for the couple (see the image below). A second light positioned behind the couple at roughly 135 degrees can add a beautiful rim light that separates them from a dark background and adds a professional, polished look to your images.
Frequently Asked Questions About Cake Cutting Photography
What camera settings should I use for cake cutting photos?
Start with an aperture of f/2.8 to f/4 to ensure both partners are in focus while still achieving some background blur. Keep your shutter speed at 1/125 or faster to freeze any movement, and adjust your ISO based on ambient light conditions. If using flash, set your shutter speed to your camera’s sync speed (typically 1/200 or 1/250) for optimal results.
How long does a typical cake cutting ceremony last?
Most cake cutting ceremonies last between 2 to 5 minutes from start to finish. This includes the couple approaching the cake, cutting the first slice, plating it, feeding each other, and any brief toasts that follow. Because it moves quickly, you need to be set up and ready before it begins rather than scrambling to adjust settings once the action starts.
What lens is best for cake cutting photography?
A versatile zoom lens like a 24-70mm f/2.8 is ideal because it allows you to quickly shift between wide establishing shots and tighter compositions without changing lenses. If you prefer primes, an 85mm f/1.8 or 35mm f/1.4 work well for portraits and environmental shots respectively. Having a second camera body with a different focal length ready is even better.
How do I avoid harsh shadows when using flash for cake cutting?
Position your off-camera flash at 45 degrees to the couple and use a modifier like a softbox or shoot-through umbrella to diffuse the light. Keep flash power low (1/16 to 1/32) and balance it with ambient light so the flash serves as fill rather than the dominant light source. Avoid positioning your light directly behind the cake, which can cast the cake’s shadow onto the couple.
Should I direct the couple during the cake cutting or let it happen naturally?
A hybrid approach works best. Before the ceremony begins, briefly suggest optimal positioning (groom slightly behind bride, both angled toward each other). Once the cutting starts, let the moment unfold naturally while staying ready to capture genuine reactions. Save any additional direction for a brief pause between cutting and feeding if the couple seems uncertain about what to do next.
