Rustic weddings are as popular as ever, with part of the appeal being their warm, intimate atmosphere. Rustic weddings are often held in barns or outdoors in the country, offering a cozy and romantic ambience in nature. The relaxed atmosphere makes guests feel like part of a close-knit community.
Rustic and country weddings are versatile and the perfect theme choice for couples who want to add their DIY touches to the occasion. From creating seating signs to wedding favors, it’s a cost-effective choice. Since our talented artisans craft beautiful rustic cake serving sets, we were particularly interested in rustic wedding cake table ideas. Browsing through the internet, we saw everything from a vintage sewing machine table used as a cake stand to wooden planks balanced on old whiskey barrels.
The Plateau cake serving set has a warm, rustic copper patina, perfect for a rustic wedding dessert table.
The ideas for setting up a rustic wedding cake or dessert table are endless. It’s easy to see how this type of wedding has become so popular.
Photo by SplitShire
History of the wedding cake
The tradition of having a wedding cake dates to medieval England, when wedding guests would bring small cakes to the wedding reception. The couple would receive the cakes, stacking one cake on top of another. Once all the cakes were in place, the couple would try to kiss over the cake tower. If the couple was able to kiss without knocking the tower over, it meant good luck and blessings.
In 1840, Queen Victoria’s wedding cake started a trend for white icing. White sugar at that time was very expensive, so the white icing became a symbol of both purity and affluence.
The cake had tiers that were supported with pillars, decorated with sugar flowers, doves, and figurines. Multi-tiered white cakes became fashionable at aristocratic weddings, and as sugar became more widely available in the 19th century, white cakes became the standard for weddings.
Today, wedding cakes are still a key part of the wedding reception. Whether a traditional tiered cake or a more modern dessert is served, wedding cakes are still considered a symbol of love and happiness.
Photo by Jonathan Borba: Pexels
The Cake Cutting Ceremony
The cake-cutting ritual began in the 20th century. At first, it was only the bride who cut the cake, apparently as a symbol of her soon-to-be domestic duties. This evolved into a joint act, which stood for the couple’s partnership.
Feeding each other a piece of the cake (which often turned into smashing the cake playfully) became an opportunity for a photograph.
Although cake styles have changed, the cake-cutting ritual has persisted over time.
Guests will admire this Sundance artisan-made cake serving set, and they’ll appreciate the effort you put into the cake-cutting presentation.
Cutting the wedding cake
It’s a special moment that you’ll remember for the rest of your life, so be sure you have the right tools for the job. While many caterers will provide a cake serving set, often the bride’s family or the couple will want to personalize the moment with unique wedding cake and knife servers. And what could be more memorable at your rustic wedding than cutting your wedding cake with an artisan-crafted cake serving set?
Photo by Blackstock Country Estate
How to cut the wedding cake
For a traditional 3-tiered cake, the couple usually will cut their first piece from the bottom tier. Traditionally, the husband places his hand over the bride's as they use the knife to cut the first slice. This symbolizes his love and support. Using the cake server or spatula, they place the cake slice on a plate. The couple usually takes turns feeding each other the cake, and this can often become a bit of a cake-smashing session!
The bottom and middle of a tiered cake are usually served to the guests for dessert, as a token of appreciation for attending the couple’s special day. Lastly, the top tier of the wedding cake is often saved and kept frozen to be shared by the couple again on their first wedding anniversary.
The Brielle Mango Wood Cake Stand is ideal for this rustic wedding dessert table.
Do I need to have a wedding cake?
The simple answer is no; you certainly don’t need a wedding cake. It’s your day, after all!
You may choose to have a smaller cake for the cake-cutting ceremony that you can save for your first wedding anniversary. You can then have the caterers serve your guests a sheet cake for dessert in a matching style and flavors.
You can opt for a dessert table with assorted desserts in bite-size portions so guests can have a variety of desserts. (Count on about 3 pieces per guest.)
For those who like pie, why not have a mini pie table? Use your cake serving set to slice a piece of pie to share your first sweet bite as a married couple. Customized cookies in your wedding colors featuring both of your first names make for a delightful dessert, and you can have extras made as wedding favors for your guests to take home.
Photo by Jibarofoto Pexels
Other options include cupcakes or a donut wall. We’ve even heard of one wedding where the couple opted for a gelato cart!
We hope you’ve enjoyed this look at rustic weddings and the history of wedding cakes, and the cake-cutting ceremony.
Are you planning your nuptials? Or perhaps you’re looking for a wedding gift for a favorite soon-to-be-wed couple? We invite you to shop our cake and pastry serveware. Along with our 2-piece rustic cake serving sets, you’ll find traditional style pastry forks, handcrafted mango wood cake stands, and other distinctive stainless steel flatware. Each cake serving set is handcrafted by skilled artisans, making it a one-of-a-kind set perfect for wedding cake cutting ceremonies and for serving and enjoying cakes and pies for years to come.
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