Wedding 101
The Cake Cutting
The cake cutting has been a staple at weddings for thousands of years. It started as a symbol of fertility, with the husband breaking a wheat cake over his new wife's head to represent that he was ready to start a family and was hopeful that she would give him many children. The guests would clamor to eat the falling crumbs, which were believed to bring good luck. In the 16th century, wedding cakes begin to be served in layers with a delicious frosting. Today, it is commonly seen as the desert to your first official meal as husband and wife. Whether you serve each other gently, or given to your guests' pressure to treat each other to a face full of frosting, this is one of those moments that your guests will not want to miss. In this article, we will discuss some fun ways to get your guests a bit more involved in your cake cutting.
PROVIDE A GROOM'S CAKE
In the South, it is a pretty common practice to have a groom's cake in addition to the formal wedding cake. Often, this cake is chocolate covered with chocolate frosting and chocolate covered strawberries, or more commonly it is a theme cake. Remember the movie Steel Magnolias? The groom's cake was shaped and decorated as an armadillo (good times). Here on the East Coast, I have not seen many groom's cakes, but I have seen a few. I have seen cakes shaped like a surfboard, tuxedo, and a Red Sox cap. Make sure your MC knows that you will be having a groom's cake, and is prepared to explain its significance if necessary, and play some special music.
HONOR A BIRTHDAY/ANNIVERSARY
The cake, or that dress... I can't decide which stands out more.
If one of your guests in attendance will be celebrating a birthday or a special anniversary on your wedding day, have the MC invite him or her up to join you at the cake table so that you can present them with the second slice of cake. If it's a birthday, perhaps you could put a lit candle in the slice and invite everybody to sing Happy Birthday to them. As always, make sure your MC is aware that this is going to happen and will be prepared to make the introduction.
CUPCAKES INSTEAD OF A CAKE
You can replace the traditional wedding cake with a pyramid display of creatively decorated cupcakes. When the time comes for the traditional cake cutting, the bride and groom can sink their teeth into one shared cupcake from opposite sides. Then, your guests can be invited to come up and collect their own cupcakes for dessert.
CHOCOLATE FOUNTAIN
Rather than a cake, perhaps melted chocolate is more to your liking. Your guests will find the chocolate aroma irresistible, and you can add an assortment of fruits and sweets for dipping, and your guests will enjoy a very entertaining dessert. If your venue does not offer a chocolate fountain as an option, there may be a local rental company in your area that can provide one as well as the chocolate and food items for dipping.
ICE CREAM SUNDAE BAR
You can decide to forgo the traditional cake cutting and host an ice cream sundae bar instead. With a variety of toppings to choose from, the guests will be able to create their own sundaes to enjoy for dessert. Guests also watch the bride and groom feed each other from a Sunday that they create together.
CANDY BUFFET
To give your guests some creative options for a satisfying Sweet Tooth, you can arrange a buffet table assorted candy treats (M&Ms, Sweet Tarts, Hershey Kisses, red licorice, sugar-covered fruit slices) with scoops and containers.
There's no shortage of things that you can do to make your cake cutting a memorable and special event. The goal is to find creative ways of entertaining and involving your guests, and have them talking about your wedding for years to come. Thanks!