In ancient Rome, the wedding ceremony included the breaking of barley or wheat bread over the bride’s head. This was said to bring good luck, and later the couple would eat a few crumbs, as would the guests. Years later, this tradition was replaced by a cake stacking tradition. Guests would bring cakes, which were stacked as high as possible. If the newlywed couple could manage a kiss over the stack, it was considered a sign of a lifetime of happiness and prosperity.
Today, the cake-cutting ceremony symbolizes the couple’s first shared act. It has become a long-standing tradition, and a beautiful cake serving set is an important part of this special custom.
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When to have your cake-cutting ceremony
According to the wedding experts at theknot.com, the cake cutting is usually after dinner and before the parents’ dance. It’s a cue that the wedding reception is almost over, and a time when guests who have young children or elderly guests might want to leave. If many young families are attending the wedding, consider scheduling the cake-cutting ceremony earlier.
Some couples prefer to do all the traditional couple wedding things, like tossing the bouquet and cutting the cake back-to-back in the ceremony. It gives the catering staff more time for cutting and serving the wedding cake for guests.
In the past, it was a tradition for couples to send a piece of cake home with their guests. While there are still couples that offer boxed slices of cake at the end of the evening, giving wedding favors has largely replaced this practice.
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Sundance 2-Piece Cake Serving Set
Why you need a beautiful cake serving set for your wedding
- The cake-cutting ceremony stands for the first shared task as a married couple. A beautiful artisan-crafted cake serving set is both a functional and elegant addition to the wedding cake table and photographs.
- The cake-cutting and serving set will become a cherished keepsake that can be used for future celebrations as a couple, from cutting and sharing a piece of the preserved wedding cake on their first wedding anniversary to celebrating family birthdays and holidays.
- A cake serving set is designed to be both beautiful and practical, made to be used for many occasions, making it a worthwhile investment.
- Handcrafted, high-quality sets can be passed down as a family heirloom. Some couples choose to have the set engraved. We’ve even heard of cake serving pieces being handed down with all the couple's wedding dates engraved. What a wonderful idea!
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Camellia 2-Piece Cake Serving Set
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Photo credit: theknot.com
Wedding cake traditions and their meanings
White is the color of purity, and traditionally, the wedding cake was referred to as the “bride’s cake.” Wedding cakes come in an assortment of colors, but for the most part, the base color is white.
Early American weddings also had a “groom’s cake”. This tradition continues in the southern US states, with the groom's cake often being chocolate to contrast the wedding cake. Sometimes these cakes can be quite elaborate, showcasing the groom’s hobbies and favorite sports teams.
During a wedding cake cutting ceremony that features both the wedding cake and the groom's cake, the couple typically starts by using their cake serving set to cut a piece from the wedding cake. Afterward, they move over to the groom's cake to cut a second piece. Once they finish cutting the cakes and posing for photos, the caterer will usually take over the cake-cutting process for the guests.
The groom’s cake is a popular tradition at Southern weddings, but the tradition is said to have originated in England during the Victorian Era. There were three cakes: a wedding cake, a bride’s cake, and a groom’s cake. The guests would eat the wedding cake while the wedding party would enjoy the other two cakes.
Another wedding cake custom dates to almost 300 years ago. The couple would first use the cake serving set to share a piece of cake, and then another piece of cake would be cut and placed in a small box to present to an unmarried lady who attended the wedding. That night, the lady placed it under her pillow. It was thought that the woman would then dream of her husband and would soon be married.
Photo credit: curiousandcozy.com
It seems there is one other wedding cake tradition that began in England in the 1600s. The tradition, called the Ribbon Pull, is now commonly referred to as the Cake Pull. Charms are attached to ribbons and placed in the bottom tier of the cake. The bride's unmarried friends each pull a ribbon from the cake. The silver charm they extract will reveal their fortune.
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A ring charm symbolizes the next to be married, and a telephone charm means that good news is coming. A horseshoe or 4-leaf clover brings good luck, and a heart signifies that love is on its way!
Wedding cake charms are a common tradition in numerous countries and usually precede the cake-cutting ceremony. The charms are pulled by the bridesmaids or single guests, or both. Only one ribbon holds the toy wedding ring, and the woman who gets it is said to be next in line for marriage.
We hope you’ve enjoyed this look at wedding cake traditions.
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Are you looking for a wedding gift for a special couple? We invite you to shop our cake and pastry serving pieces. Our beautiful cake serving sets make a wonderful wedding gift. Each cake serving set is handmade by a skilled artisan, making it a true one-of-a-kind gift, perfect for wedding cake cutting ceremonies and for serving and enjoying cakes and pies for years to come.
