So we've very nearly made it to the end of January. We've tried our darnedest not to talk about wedding cakes for a whole month, but today, we cracked.

Because there's a trend we've admired for a while now, that we couldn't hold off on sharing any longer. Small, mighty, and entirely chic, it's one-tiered wedding cakes.

These cool cakes are enjoying a moment right now. And at a time when weddings are becoming more about personal touches, rather than lofty statements, we think this striped back touch is the perfect example of how to pare back your day without scrimping on style.

Despite the tradition for wedding cakes being at least three tiers high, (or like, 17, if your names are Kate & William), the truth of it is, a lot of that delicious cake ends up uneaten.

Now that fruit cake is a less popular choice, wedding cakes don't last as long as they used to, and how many of us will really freeze the top tier for our first child's Christening?

In some cases, when dessert is also served at your wedding, the cake gets overlooked, and for others, a larger wedding cake is just too big for the number of guests. With wedding cakes costing upwards of 200 or 300 quid, that's a lot of eggs, flour and cash going to waste.

Food waste is a major problem with modern day excess, particularly in hospitality, so as with all catering choices you make, it's important for couples to asses how much food they'll really need at their wedding, and avoid the impulse to go overboard.

And while a smaller wedding cake is still a work of art that has a valuable pricetag, chances are a one-tiered wonder will cost you less on the bottom line than something more elaborate.

If you're planning to DIY your wedding cake, a single tier is a no brainer. By stacking up a layer cake, you can still ensure your bake has height, grandeur, and enough icing to fill your guests, without all the construction and transport logistics of a multi-tiered cake.

Aside from the practical, financial and ethical reasons to choose a one-tier cake, there are also a lot of aesthetic ones too. Smaller cakes allow you to be really creative with colours, textures, and toppings, and to play around with different techniques, flavours and fillings, without the worry of being able to stack it, or recreate it to scale.

Oh and the best thing about choosing a single-tiered wedding cake? You can always have more than one!

Be inspired for your own one-tiered bake, with 25 of our favourite takes on the trend...

1. Textured Blue

2. Gold Leaf

3. Coconut & Barley

4. All Scream for Ice-Cream

Cake by Kind Ice-Cream

5. Luxe Bake

Photo by Natashia Nicole Photography via Style Me Pretty

6. Ombre Love

7. Bundt Banter

Photo by Feather & Twine Photography via Wedding Party

8. Clean Palette

9. Barely Iced

Cake by DreamCakes, Photo by Jason Wasinger via Bridal Musings

10. Delicious Damask

11. Dark & Opulent

Cake by A Bake Shop, Photo by Rachel Solomon via Style Me Pretty

12. Say It With Swirls

13. All That Glitters

14. Floral Topper

15. Shades of Purple

16. Pretty in Pink

17. Chocolate Drizzle

Cake by A Squad Bakeshop, Photo by Izzy Hudgins Photography via Bridal Musings

18. Confetti Cake

19. Sweet & Simple

20. Mad Hatter's Cake

Photo by Tin Sparrow Studio via The Knot

21. Polka Dot Dessert

Cake by Miss Cupcake Bakery, Photo by Olga Thomas Photography via Bridal Musings

22. Deep Purple

Cake by Call Me Cupcake

23. Forbidden Fruits

24. Italian Meringue

25. Elegant Appliqué

So much choice!

I just love the look of the pink and purple ones, and the idea of going for a different texture, like Bundt cake or cheesecake is pretty cool too. Those drizzle cakes look divine as well.

Right, we're off for cake...

Get more Wedding Cake Inspiration.