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By Lei Lydle
Founder and Editor
Last Updated: 9/30/2008 6:58:48 PM |
The wedding cake has been an important part of the wedding celebration since Roman times when a thin wheat cake, representing bounty, was crumbled over the bride's head to ensure her fertility.
Nowadays we are much too civilized to crumble cake over the bride's head. Instead, the bride and groom cut the cake together and take beautiful photos...and then, in some cases, the groom lovingly smashes the cake in the glowing bride's face - not too civilized after all are we?
Anyway, two traditions have become standard in most wedding celebrations: cutting the cake and saving the cake top for the 1st anniversary.
Cutting The Cake
The cutting of the cake is a tradition that occurs during the reception. The bride and groom cut the cake together and the groom feeds a piece to the bride and then the bride feeds the groom. After this little ceremony, the guests are served.
When Do We Cut The Cake?
You should cut the cake just before dessert at a luncheon or dinner reception and just after the guests have been greeted at a tea or cocktail reception.
How Do We Cut The Cake?
The groom should place his right hand over the bride's right hand, and together you cut into the bottom layer.
How Do We Feed Each Other?
Please don't smash the cake into each other's faces. Instead, the groom should feed the bride her first bite and the bride should feed him. This taste of the first slice serves as a symbol of the bride and groom's willingness to share a household.
Who Gets Cake Next?
After the bride and groom have completed their cake cutting ceremony. The bride should cut pieces for her parents and serve them. The groom should follow by cutting pieces for his parents and then serving them. The rest of the cake is cut by the catering staff or friend designated in advance and served to all of the wedding guests. The supserstitious believe that it is bad luck for a guest to leave the reception without tasting the cake.
Saving The Cake Top
Another wedding cake tradition is to have the top layer of the cake made out of fruit cake. This layer is saved and frozen for the bride and groom to eat on their first anniversary. Many couples do this, but it really doesn't taste very good a year later. Oh well - it's tradition!
How Can We Keep It Fresh?
Seriously, no matter what you do, a one year old piece of cake is not going to taste good. If you just have to follow this tradition, your best bet will be to wrap the top of the cake very carefully so that it is airtight before you freeze it.
New Twists On This Tradition
Since this tradition is really a celebration of the first year of marriage, many brides have decided to celebrate a little differently. One of my friends decided to eat the cake top on her one month anniversary instead so that the cake would still taste decent - I think she just may have just been hungry... At any rate, you could always try this and make a small replica of your wedding cake on your one year anniversary.
Wedding Cake Under A Pillow?
A piece of the bride's cake under a single person's pillow will lead to " dreams of a future spouse", according to tradition. So, if you don't want to save the cake top, you could have the caterer pack slices in decorative boxes to send home with guests with small paper inserts describing the tradition. (My guess is that most single people don't know about this cake under the pillow tradition.)
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Shannon from West Orange, NJ says... |
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I had the top tier of our wedding cake made of cheesecake (the rest was pound cake) and just yesterday was our First Anniversary so we pulled out the cake and I have to say, the cheesecake held up wonderfully! If I were doing a blind taste test, I would never have known it was a year old! So go for the cheesecake on the top tier! It will last! Happy Weddings!
Wedding Date: 09/29/2008 |
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Posted: 9/30/2008 1:52:58 PM |
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Alicia Gallegos from Baldwin Park, CA says... |
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My husband Max and I got married last year on 07-07-07.
Of course I carefully saved the top layer of our 5 tier cake. I asked our cake designer to make it my favorite, cheesecake, of course. I also thought my chances of this type of cake would holding up a year later would be pretty good. Hopefully it will taste decent too.
Well our one-year anniversary is fast approaching and will be here in one week. However, we won't be home as we will be celebrating in New Orleans. So I have decided to save our cake for when we return. I have heard its bad luck to not cut the cake on your actual day, but, we must be practical too.
So for all of you brides and grooms, don't fret over when to cut your cake, do it when you can and celebrate by inviting over your closest family and friends when you do so.
By the way, I was very very pleased with our wedding cake. If you live in the Los Angeles area, I highly recommend www.cakedivas.com; they are superb!!
Of course, feel free to visit our wedding website, read our story and view our pictures at www.aliciamax.com
Wedding Date: 07-07-07 |
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Posted: 7/2/2008 1:06:14 PM |
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Valerie from Anaheim, Ca says... |
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I have a quick question. Who pays for the wedding cake? My dear Bridzillia friend is trying to push the fact that us bridesmaids have to pay for her cake because she say's its the tradition. I thought is was the bride's parents who pay for the cake. I don't know who pays for what because I got married by the justice of the peace. HELP PLEASE!!!
Wedding Date: 11-22-02 |
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Posted: 7/28/2005 5:26:30 PM |
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Heather from Houston, Texas says... |
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We shared the top layer of our cake tonight. It actually tasted great! My mother wrapped it very tightly for us in Saran Wrap and then Reynolds Wrap. Much to our suprise it was great! My husband said he didn't even remember it tasting so good the first time!
Wedding Date: 1/10/04 |
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Posted: 1/10/2005 10:42:04 PM |
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Gary from England says... |
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When we cut the cake, the photographer told us of a tradition of holding the knife upside-down.
Does anyone know the reason behind this?
Wedding Date: 23/04/2005 |
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Posted: 4/25/2004 |
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Lisa from Surrey, British Columbia, Canada says... |
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We just pulled our 12 year old wedding cake from the freezer. We did not eat it on our first anniversary. Is it bad luck to throw it out???
thanks
Wedding Date: Feb 21, 1992 |
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Posted: 4/25/2004 |
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carolyn from depoe bay,or says... |
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please send me the prices for your wedding cakes. thank-you
CarolynWentz
Wedding Date: 6-22-04 |
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Posted: 4/23/2004 |
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AudraC from Ventura, CA says... |
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Is it okay to take a piece off of the top layer...not the whole top tier to save? I have four different flavord on four tiers and I don't want to waste one whole flavor.....
Wedding Date: 7/3/04 |
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Posted: 4/8/2004 |
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Mary-Elizabeth from Windsor, Co says... |
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I came to your site to find the reason for keeping the top of the cake.. My husband asked me "Why do people keep this for so long.. Are we really supposed to eat year old cake??" I told him I didnt know exactly why, but that it is tradition, and yes, we needed to at least have a bite. To our surprise, the cake tasted really good. My mom also wrapped the cake top in 3 layers of plastic wrap, then one layer of foil, and we also put baking soda next to it.. Hmmm.. Moms must know best.. The cake was fine.
Wedding Date: 021403 |
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Posted: 2/15/2004 |
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Sarah Konitzer from suring wi says... |
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Iam just looking for different styles of cakes from the 2000 generation. Everything I've been able to see is 70's and 80's and I would like to see more ideas.
Wedding Date: 04/23/05 |
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Posted: 2/10/2004 |
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Ana Laura Martinez from Exton, PA says... |
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I think the cake is out of style these days and most couples out of the USA are cutting a fake cake and giving to thier guest a dessert table. This way they have options instead of the cake that to tell the true nobody likes and it is very expensive.
thanks
Wedding Date: July 3, 2004 |
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Posted: 1/26/2004 |
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Carolyn from Oregon City, Oregon says... |
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Thank you SO MUCH for discouraging the practice of smashing the cake in each others faces. Not only is it rude and messy, it is uncomfortable to watch. It is so much sweeter to see shared bites and respect for the occasion.
Wedding Date: April 7, 1963! |
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Posted: 1/14/2004 |
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ROR from Tustin, CA says... |
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It's been a year and we finally pulled the cake out of our freezer and to our surprise it it tasted great!!! My mother wrapped in 3 layers of saran wrap. We kept in our freezer with a box of baking soda next to it. When we unwrapped it still smelled like chocolate and frosting. When we ate the cake it was still moist and fluffy. I was so amazed on how well it was tasted and smelled!
Wedding Date: 1/4/03 |
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Posted: 1/9/2004 |
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