The origins of the Wedding cake
Wedding cakes weren't always the fruit or sponge concoctions with icing you get these days though, once upon a time, in ancient Rome, marriage ceremonies ended with a barley cake or a cake similar to a scone, broken over the bride's head for luck and fertility. The newly married couple would eat a few crumbs of the 'wedding cake' and the wedding guests would gather some crumbs as a symbol of good luck.
Most popular wedding cake traditions
Your wedding day is very important and of course, choosing the perfect wedding cake is high up on a list of priorities after the dress, the ceremony and ensure your guests are well looked after. It's also nice to include some of the most popular wedding cake traditions into your ceremony, so here are some of them.
Cutting the cake
Cutting the cake is one of the first things a newly married couple does today and is a special moment. Historically the new bride cut the cake on her own as a symbol of losing her virginity, but today the couple cut the cake together, possibly due to the larger more intricate cakes we have these days. It's a sweet photo opportunity, up there with the first dance.
Saving the top tier
Now this works best with fruitcakes that are rich in alcohol to preserve it, but saving the top tier of a wedding cake is a tradition that goes back years since multi-layered wedding cakes came about in the 19th century. It was thought that you saved the top tier for the first anniversary which often coincided with a christening or birth of a first child. Today as couples often wait longer before having children the top tier is saved for the first anniversary. If you have a sponge cake on your wedding day, you can always have a small cake made later for your anniversary.
White wedding cakes
Cakes were traditionally white as the sugar used for icing was white, and it also symbolised purity. Over time, a whiter than white look became almost a status symbol. When Queen Victoria married Prince Albert in 1804 the wedding cake was covered in white icing and that is where the term 'royal icing' comes from. Today the sky is the limit when it comes to the wedding cake, and a bespoke wedding cake can be any colour or design you like, and reflect your tastes and your personality.
Groom's cake
The tradition of having a groom's cake started in 17th century Victorian England and were often small cakes given to the guests as presents, at the end of the night. Today it's a popular tradition, especially in the US and often the cake is only limited by your imagination, with chocolate cakes, croquembouche and decorative unusual cakes that focus on the groom's interest popular. Even Prince William had one on his marriage to Kate Middleton.
Feeding the cake
A new tradition is feeding each other cake on the wedding day as a commitment to each other. Sometimes this is replaced by another tradition, smearing or smashing the cake into each other's face! It's a great idea for non-traditionalists and people who have a great sense of humour. It makes for great wedding photos and a great wedding video but think about the mess, and be sure to have a load of napkins on hand to clear it up after!
So here are some of the most popular wedding cake traditions. Which would you have?
*In collaboration with Bethany Taylor
wow this is so interesting! had no idea where these traditions stemmed from before. reallt informative xx
ReplyDeleteThank you.
DeleteI like that there are so many different options these days, although I must admit I prefer a traditional fruit cake.
ReplyDeleteSome do some don't, I had a chocolate cake when I got married :)
DeleteWhat an informative post! We had a steampunk wedding, with a rather fantastic tophat steampunk wedding cake. Such good fun!
ReplyDeleteThat sounds fun Elizabeth!
DeleteI like the tradition of cutting the cake as something you do once you're married, but I'm not sure about keeping the cake x
ReplyDelete