Wedding cakes for Gwinnett Historic Courthouse weddings.

The Gwinnett Historic Courthouse anchors the square in downtown Lawrenceville, and weddings held there borrow all of its formality: high ceilings, a dramatic staircase, stone and woodwork, and a building that photographs beautifully from the street. Ceremonies and receptions both happen indoors, with the restaurants and shops of the square available to guests before and after.

It is a venue that rewards a cake with strong lines. Against so much architecture, a tall cake with clean edges and a single decorative idea — a band of piping, one sweep of florals, a soft color gradient — will read clearly from across the room and in photographs taken from the balcony or stairs.