Traditions can be fantastic, mainly because they give you an idea of what to do. Many engaged couples find themselves overwhelmed with options, even when it comes to the running order of their wedding day. Wedding traditions serve as little guides for established expectations, but that doesn’t mean you have to follow them.
Here’s the low-down on some wedding cake traditions, and how they can be updated…
Cutting the Cake
We’ll start with the most obvious tradition — cutting the wedding cake. The established norm is that the happy couple cuts the first slice of their wedding cake, and the idea is that it symbolises the newlyweds’ first task together as a married couple. This is one custom that has already been updated (it used to be that the bride cut the cake alone) and is arguably the most prevalent of them all.
Most do not choose to skip the cake cutting, but if you’re nervous about that first cut chat to your cake designer about the best way so you’re not left red faced with your whole wedding party watching!
Saving the Top Tier of Your Wedding Cake
Historically the top tier of a wedding cake was frozen and saved for the christening of a couple’s first child. However, in modern, multicultural Britain, that tradition doesn’t need to apply to only one faith or denomination.
You can save the top tier for a multitude of reasons, the most obvious being the first anniversary celebrations. Or you can buck tradition and eat the top tier while it’s fresh — the choice is yours!
Sweet Dreams Are Not Literal
One slightly less appealing myth is that an unmarried wedding guest will dream of their future spouse should they sleep with a piece of wedding cake under their pillow. Not only does this sound a little dubious, but think of the crumbs! If you undertake this I would advise accounting for the resulting mess.
A Charming Tradition
One custom is to hide charms on ribbons between the tiers of a wedding cake. A ribbon is then chosen with the charm on the end supposedly an omen of things to come in the marriage.
While this is an adorable ritual, remember to take any results with a pinch of salt (or sugar). One way to update this tradition could be to make your own charms that are more relevant to your life together as a couple, injecting your own personal meaning.
The Dreaded Wedding Cake Smash
The cake smash tradition has started to creep in from across the pond. More of a trend than a tradition, it involves the happy couple working out any pent up frustrations by smashing wedding cake into each other’s faces.
I’m a firm believer that cake goes in your mouth, but if you like the idea of making a bit of a mess make sure you’re careful not to cause any damage (to the dress or your significant other’s face). If you’re a little more reserved perhaps consider gently feeding each other the first bite of cake.
Whether you’re following tradition to the letter or setting your own trends, just make sure you remember to grab a slice of cake in all of the excitement!
For more ideas read Updating Wedding Cake Traditions for a Modern Wedding.
Guest post by Marie Sinclair of GC Couture
Image from Voyteck Photography
