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The History of Wedding Cake Cutting

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Elizabeth Windler
The History of Wedding Cake Cutting

Cutting the wedding cake is a tradition that the vast majority of couples opt to do at their wedding. According to a study from 2022, 74% of couples to be precise. After all, what’s not to like about it? The cakes usually look and taste spectacularly, and most guests enjoy some desert time. It’s a great first task as a married couple to share with your partner. And, as a cherry on top, it’s a great photo opportunity. 


And if you ever wondered whose idea was to turn this into a tradition, or how long ago it all started, you came to the right place. Let’s see what’s the history behind the wedding cake cutting.


What is the origin of cake cutting at weddings?

Similarly like with many modern traditions, we have Ancient Romans to thank for the cake-cutting ceremony. But the original ceremony was centered around barley cake

and there was no cutting. Also, barley cake is only called cake, in reality, it’s a type of bread. The groom would break it above the bride’s head. This would symbolize the end of her purity as well as the beginning of her fertility. 


In the middle ages, the tradition was a bit different. Barley cake wasn’t the newlywed’s choice anymore. Now the ceremony was centered around the Bride’s pie. Newlyweds would kiss above it. If they would succeed in kissing without making the cake fall, it was believed they would have many children. 


Who brought the cake to the wedding table?

In the 17th century, sugar became more available and so the wedding cake as we know it finally came into the picture. Much like the bride’s dress, the cake was supposed to be white to symbolize virginity. Additionally, the bigger the cake, the bigger the display of wealth of the family. 


At first, it was the bride’s job to distribute the pieces of the cake to the guests. With time, this bit changed to the cutting of the cake as we know it today. The newlyweds started feeding each other with the cake, to symbolize the care that they are about to provide for the rest of their lives. 


The queens of the lavish wedding cakes 

If Romans were the origin of many customs, people in the Victorian era were the ones to take them to the next level. This goes for the wedding cake as well. During Queen Victoria's very long rule, some of the most lavish and amazing size cakes were created. Especially the one for the Queen’s wedding, as well as the one made for Princess Louise, her daughter. The latter took three months to create. 


Although almost a century later, the late queen Elizabeth continued this tradition and the cake made for her wedding was so great that it weighed around 500 pounds.


Cake cutting today 

As we initially said, the wedding cake-cutting tradition is still prevalent. It’s a pretty important part of the ceremony, like the wedding cocktail hour, the meal, and the first dance, and many guests would probably say it’s their favorite. 


If a couple opts to have this done, chances are they will do everything by the book. In modern times, as an addition to this custom, sometimes the couple serves additional forms of desserts (i.e., strawberries covered in chocolate, truffles…) that are both beautiful decorations and tasty treats for the guests. 


To conclude 

If we look past the symbolics of the wedding-cake cutting through history, we can say that this is a lovely custom. It gives another piece of decoration for the newlyweds to choose from. They get to share a great task and who doesn’t like deserts? 



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Elizabeth Windler
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