ET LØFTE EVENTS

CONSIDER THY CAKE

Copyright Et Lofte Events

© Melissa Nowakowski May 2010

The wedding cake is viewed by many couples as a staple in the wedding reception. Whether it's one tier or five, it's rare to not see a wedding cake or something equally symbolic (cupcakes anyone?) at a wedding. For some, the cutting of the cake is a relished tradition. For others, it's a moment that they feel simply delays the launch of the "party".

When deciding whether or not to incorporate the tradition of the cutting of the cake (or to have a wedding cake at all for that matter), first understand the history and symbolism associated with it.

So what started it all? During the Roman Empire, the wedding cake was actually a loaf of barley from which the Groom would take a bite, then break the rest over the Bride's head. Yup, you heard that right! This apparently symbolized the breaking of the Bride's virginity. Once the bread was broken over the Bride's head, the guests would collect any crumbs that had fallen to the ground. This was due to the belief that the crumbs that fell from the Bride's head ensured fertility. Thankfully this tradition and the symbolism of breaking bread over the Bride's noggin didn't last beyond the Roman Empire.

From the 17th century and moving into the 19th century, the "Bridal Pie" was common. This was often a mince or mutton pie with a glass ring buried within the filling. Tradition states that the woman who found the glass ring within the pie would be the next to wed. Eventually, the Bridal Pie gave way to "Bridal Cakes" which were single-tiered and white (to symbolize purity). Also, white icing required the most refined of sugars and therefore the "whiter" the cake, the higher in stature the Bride's family was.

It is believed that the multi-tiered cake as we know it today drived from English royalty. The first top "tiers" were dummy cakes made of sugar as the density of real cake tiers would merely sink into the bottom cake. Eventually these dummy tiers graduated to real cake held up by pillars. Then, as cake bakers became wise to methods of holding cake tiers up sans pillars, the tiered cake as we know it today emerged.

So what about the act of "Cutting the Cake"? This symbolizes the first task that the Bride and Groom will do together as husband and wife. The Bride and Groom take hold of the knife and slice and plate the cake together. Then the Bride and Groom would feed each other the slice of cake, symbolizing their committment to love and provide for each other.

So now that you know the history and symbolism behind the Wedding Cake...is it right for you? If you're game for the symbolism but want to spare yourself the cost of a multi-tiered cake, the popularity of cupcakes or just want something a little different, consider these fun alternatives:

SMASH CAKES

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Why should little kids get all the fun? These hollow shells of chocolate, shaped, decorated and filled with candies are "smashed" with a mallet by the Bride and Groom. The candies can double as a wedding favour by providing the guests with cute little bags with which to help themselves to the candy!

PIES

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Why not draw on tradition at its best and cut a slice of pie baked with love by Grandma or your favourite Aunt or heck, even the Bride and Groom? Pies are also a tasty alternative for guests to enjoy with the late night table.

PUDDING

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Who doesn't love chocolate, vanilla or butterscotch pudding? Fill champagne flutes or martini glasses with flavoured pudding and stack them into tiers. The Bride and Groom toast each other with a flute then serve each other a spoonful of pudding. Any pudding fans in the crowd can then help themselves to a glass of pudding for a sweet treat.

EDIBLE ARRANGEMENTS

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Missing that sweet tooth or totally health conscious? Consider tiered fruit arrangements from which the Bride and Groom feed each other a piece of fruit. And, of course, guests are welcome to feed off the arrangement afterwards!

If you like the symbolism but hate making it a momentous occasion within your reception, consider these fun yet subtle gestures in its stead:

CHAMPAGNE TOAST

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This is most often conducted by the Best Man at receptions anyhow, so why not use it to its fullest meaning? The Bride and Groom help each other "pop" open a bottle of champagne, fill each other's flute then toast each other and sip their champagne.

A-LA LADY AND THE TRAMP

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If spaghetti happens to be the first dinner course (although this would work for any course), why not kick off dinner with a romantic gesture? Place one end of a single string of pasta in each of your mouths and nibble on it until you're joined in a kiss. Super cute and a brilliant photo op, this gesture can also take guests back to their youth when they first saw the movie.

BREAKING BREAD

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No, we don't mean the tradition of breaking bread over the Bride's noggin! If the venue or caterer allows, the Bride and Groom can bake a favourite type of bread together prior to the wedding and have it served to the guests tables in lieu of the venue's usual bread baskets. Include a small note on the basket of homemade bread letting the guests know that the Bride and Groom baked it together with love. While it isn't necessarily the first task as husband and wife, it still symbolizes the couple working together now and forever.

As you have seen through the eyes of history, the "Cutting of the Cake" is simply tradition, not an absolute rule. That said, if the cutting of the cake isn't for you, never feel that you're committing a sin for not including it in your wedding plans.After all, personalizing your wedding is just that -- personalizing it so that it is a reflection of the two of you as a couple. Therefore feel free to play with traditions or omit them completely to make your wedding...well, "you".