I am sitting here, just finished eating (I am not going to tell how many, but there are more than 2) cupcakes by my favorite, Cake by Alessandra! She gave me a box of her leftover mini cupcakes at the Sleepy Ridge Open House and they are SO. DANG. GOOD.
If you follow me on Instagram, you may have seen my post yesterday with a few facts about Wedding Cakes. It was fun to read through and find some fun facts about the history and traditions about the wedding cake.
When you are working on your wedding the cake is something you want to give some space and energy to. I have heard a lot of couples say they don't want to do a cake cutting, and I always like to stop them and ask why. A lot of responses I get are "it's an old tradition""I don't like cake" and so on. At that point I like to stop and ask my couples if they know the why behind the cake cutting. If you don't know let me share!
Why you should do a cake cutting at your wedding:
Did you know it is all symbolic? When the groom places his hand over his bride's it is showing his support and promise to take care of her and their future. It is also symbolic to cut from the bottom tier of the cake as a reminder of the longevity of your marriage. And this tradition has symbolism for your guests, having a cake cut by the couple is believed to bring good luck!
How did wedding cakes come to be:
This dates back to the ancient Greeks and Romans. So a long time, and as most traditions are things done over and over again from the past, this shouldn't be a huge surprise! This is a very old tradition. It has evolved over time. Thank goodness! When the wedding cake tradition first started the groom would take the cake (it wasn't as scrumptious as it is today) and break it over his bride's head. This was to give good luck and fertility.
I think brides started getting annoyed with the cake crumbs in their hair because this evolved in to making towers with sweet confections for the couple to kiss over. If the tower wasn't knocked over it was believed the couple would be blessed with many children.
At one point it was also believed that you could just throw cake at the bride as a symbol of fertility. I like the take we have on it now, the couple cuts the cake together and there is no throwing (hopefully!) at the bride.
Let's get to the real good stuff: flavors. There is no traditional wedding cake flavor, and I am thrilled about that. I am not always a huge cake person, but I know the flavor of your cake will be an important tradition.
Popular Flavors
Four Favorites: Vanilla, Chocolate, Red Velvet, Yellow
Up & Coming: Funfetti (this excites me so much!), Lemon, Spice, Almond, Pink Champagne
Boujie: Cognac, Coffee & Cream, Peanut Butter Cup, Coconut
How to decide how much cake:
This all depends on your guest count. Traditionally the top tier is saved for the couple to freeze and eat on their first anniversary. So your cake will be based with that fact happening. Your baker will be well versed in figuring out how much cake you will need for your big day. Let them guide you. But here are some fun guides for you!