It’s the age-old question every bride and groom-to-be must ask themselves: to cake or not to cake? Wedding cake dates back to Roman times and is a long-standing tradition, however times are changing and with so much choice, and costs ever spiralling should you even have a wedding cake? We love a wedding cake, and everything it stands for, however that doesn’t mean you can’t mix it up a bit and put a modern twist on how it is cut and served..
History of Wedding Cakes: the Evolution of a Sweet Tradition
Wedding cakes began in Ancient Rome, when marriage ceremonies ended with a scone-like wheat or barley cake broken over the bride’s head for luck and fertility. The new husband and wife would eat a few crumbs together as one of their first unified acts as a married couple. Once the newlyweds had their share, wedding guests would scoop up the leftover crumbs for good luck.
The Romans brought their bread-breaking wedding tradition with them when they conquered Britain in 43 CE. We took the tradition one step further, throwing the bread at the bride to show her fertility.
By the medieval days, the English elaborated on the wheat cake and started stacking spiced buns, scones, and cookies as high as possible— the beginning of the tiered cakes we see today. The bride and groom would try to kiss over it, and legend said if they smooched successfully without letting the whole thing topple over, they’d have good fortune.
Today, having a wedding cake as part of your day is completely personal choice, there are no hard and fast rules about it. While some couples opt for a simple cake with just a few layers, others go all out with towering multi-tiered cakes adorned with everything from flowers to fondant figures. Whatever you choose, make sure it reflects your personal style as a couple.
Our Take on Cutting the Cake
Traditionally, the wedding cake is cut after the wedding breakfast and speeches; it signals the last formal part of the wedding reception. The bride and groom cut the first slice together, and if you follow tradition, feed each other the slice of cake. The rest of the cake is then cut and served to the guests, keeping the top tier cake for the christening of the couple’s first baby. The cutting of the cake was also taken as a sign that older guests may leave if they wish.
As lovely and traditional as this all sounds, what normally happens is… everyone has had a few drinks and are keen to get on the dancefloor. Ties and hats may have been removed and not everyone is as interested as they might have been a few hours ago. Therefore, we propose a new model… why not cut the cake before everyone sits down for the meal?
Hear us out, everyone is engaged and relatively sober (including yourselves we hope), and it is a good way to gather everyone ready to sit down for the meal. It makes for a much slicker movement to the dining area as everyone naturally gathers to see you cut the cake. It also gives caterers (like us) more time to prepare the cake and have it out ready on your coffee and tea station. Also, on those hot sweaty days it ensures the cake is looking at its best -especially those heavy icing cakes.
Different Ideas for Serving Cake During Wedding Receptions
There are many differing opinions on how and when the wedding cake should be served. Some believe that it is a timeless tradition that should be respected, while others see it as an outdated custom that could be replaced or updated. The other factor to consider is whether you want your cake primarily as a centrepiece or whether you lean more towards its primary function of being something to eat and enjoy.
If you’re undecided on what to do, consider some of these different ideas for serving cake during your wedding reception:
- Serve cake as the traditional dessert after the meal has been completed. This is a classic option that will please everyone. If you are serving the cake instead of dessert, we serve this with berries and cream to enhance the presentation and make it more of a dessert.
- If you like the idea of the photo opportunity or want to maintain some of the tradition, make it light-hearted and go for a novelty cake such as a Colin the Caterpillar who has seen somewhat of a spike in wedding cake turnout.
- If you have a budding baker in your family, they could perhaps provide individual cupcakes for people to take home or to be served with the tea and coffee
- Forgo wedding cake altogether and spend the money on enhancing the wedding breakfast.
Whatever you decide with your wedding cake, we hope we have given you some food for thought and new ideas on how you might incorporate your wedding cake into your special day.
Image credit: The Unscripted