The bride and groom place their hands on the knife together and insert the tip into the cake, hold for a moment and make a wish.

The caterers then remove the wedding cake and continue the cutting in the kitchen. The bridal attendants then circulate among the guests to distribute the cake. It’s a social and meaningful function even if the guest takes their cake home in a small cake-bag. It is a special memento of the big day.

Choosing the Size of the Wedding Cake

The number of guests influences how much cake you need unless you really want a big cake regardless of how many guests will be eating it. You can have your masterpiece made on a polystyrene base which you can keep and admire for a long time to come. You could have two or three tiers of cake and a fourth or fifth of non-cake to achieve that big look. But we digress – back to the question of size.

First decide whether the wedding cake is for the dessert or to have with coffee.
For dessert portion allow a 5cm square piece per person.
For a portion with coffee, allow a 2.5cm portion per person.

Keep in mind that traditionally the small top tier of the wedding cake is retained after the wedding to be cut on the occasion of the first anniversary or perhaps a Christening cake.

Wedding Cake Styles

There are many shaped wedding cake tins available other than square and round however requesting this is likely to increase the cost of your wedding cake because anything a little unusual always costs more due to its unique nature. Brides tend to say “I want something different” and shape is one way of achieving this.

Not only can shaped wedding cake tins be used but also, cake artists can sculpt cake into interesting shapes or characters to your request. Very special workmanship like this obviously uses more time and this has to be calculated into the final costing.


Wedding Cake Decorations

No longer are wedding cakes limited to plain white sugar! Brides are choosing red, black, green or whatever in their search for something different.

But even if you like the traditional white, consider the colour of the wedding gown carefully. Is it bright bridal white or is it a softer shade of off-white, or pale ivory or deeper ivory. It looks great to see the cake the same white as the dress in the photographs.

Also consider the colour introduced in the bridegroom’s attire. Your cake colour scheme should also be co-ordinated with your bridesmaids’ chosen colours and their flowers.

Some other questions for you to consider when choosing your wedding cake design—do you want hand made sugar flowers, silk flowers or fresh flowers as your decoration?

What would you like as the top tier feature decoration on your wedding cake? Bride and groom on top?

There are very many plastic, ceramic or glass top tier ornaments available to choose from but you may

Our Wedding Cake Designers pages to see how they can help you create the perfect wedding cake for your day.

Wedding Cake Etiquette

 

There is a protocol to the handling, cutting and serving of wedding cakes. This is hardly surprising because just about everything in a traditional wedding is governed by etiquette and protocol. Many couples, no matter how formal or informal the wedding is, most wedding couples try to observe wedding cake protocol. Protocol for wedding cakes includes the following:

• The cake should always be displayed at the reception on a beautifully decorated table. It should be in front of the bride’s table and set so that while it’s is on display it does not block a view of the head table. An ornamental knife should be placed on the table.

   

• Protocol demands that the cake must be cut at the right time in the reception. For informal ceremonies and receptions this means serving it after the guests have been received and toasts have been given. For formal ceremonies it should be served after the main dinner.

   

• An announcement that the cake is to be cut should always precede the actual cutting of the cake, this allows mingling guests to view the ceremony.

   

• The bride should hold the knife in her right hand and the groom should stand slightly behind her with his right hand covering hers to make the cut, the first slice should be fed by the groom to the bride and the second bite should be offered by the bride to the groom.

   

• After the cutting of the cake and the first bites, a family member or member of the catering staff should cut the serving slices.

   

• The cake should be served with coffee or the beverage of the guest’s choice, guests should also be offered the opportunity to box up their piece in a gift box to take home

   

Cut Costs with Your Wedding Cake

 

You can expect that your cost for a wedding cake will start around $3.00 per slice on traditional cakes. Depending on how many guests you are expecting (the average wedding is usually 200 guests), cost for the wedding cake will be about $600 to $1,000. 


There are ways that you can cut your wedding cake costs. While many wedding cakes are works of art in their own right, the cake itself is part of the ritual feeding that the bride and groom do during the wedding reception. The cake is then cut and served to the guests as a ritual sharing of the couple’s future bounty. But to save costs on wedding cakes can provide couples with more options in their wedding planning especially if they are not in love with the idea of the awe inspiring work of art. Here are some suggestions:

• Order a smaller cake for the art and have a similar cake made sheet style for serving to the guests

   

• Create mini wedding cakes cupcake style, you can even create a unique tower of wedding cupcakes that can be quite exquisite

   

• Order a smaller cake for the wedding party and offer a dessert bar with pastries and more so guests have other options than the wedding cake

   

Do-It-Yourself Wedding Cakes

 

If you or someone you know is considering making your wedding cake, there are a few things you need to know about making wedding cakes. Here is a guide to help you plan making your own wedding cake:

• Use a recipe specifically for wedding cake in order to make the cake sturdy enough

   

• Be sure you have the tools you need including the decorating bag for frosting and cake stands

   

• Have an image in mind of what you are trying to create

   

• Pick up parchment paper to line the cake pans

   

• Pick up different sized cake pans to handle the cake tiers

   

• Fresh flowers for decorating and frosting

   

You will need plenty of space in your kitchen to set up the wedding cake as you put it together; you also need a tall and wide space in your fridge to store it.  If you’ve never ever made a large elaborate cake before, spend some time experimenting and practicing before hand. Your friends and family will enjoy eating the wedding cake experiments.


The Tradition of Cutting the Wedding Cake

The traditional cutting of the wedding cake is a beautiful moment in every wedding reception. This tradition can date back as far as The Roman Empire although it was a much different tradition than we know today. It is through the years that the traditional cutting of the wedding cake has changed and evolved into what we know today.

During medieval times, every guest brought a small cake to the wedding. The cakes were then stacked upon each other. If the bride and groom could kiss over the top of the stack of cakes, it was considered good luck. This was the very first recognized version of the wedding cake.

In earlier times, it was the sole responsibility of the bride to cut the wedding cake. She would serve the groom’s family and then the rest of her guests. This was meant to delineate the role change from serving her own family to serving that of her husband. Eventually, this tradition changed into what we know today as the traditional cutting of the wedding cake.

The wedding cake is a symbol in itself. In previous times, the wedding cake was frosted with white icing as a symbol of purity. Just as the bride wears a white wedding gown to symbolize her own purity, the white wedding cake acts in the same manner. It was once known as the “bride’s cake” and the groom had a separate cake. Some couples still opt to have a groom’s cake.

The traditional cutting of the wedding cake as we know it today has originated from all of these older traditions. The modern couple cuts the cake together. Technically, the bride cuts the cake with the help of the groom. Then, they feed the first piece to one another. This symbolizes their willingness to provide for each other throughout their marriage. Couples are also taking great liberty with their wedding cake colours and designs. There is no reason to stick solely to a white wedding cake.

Everyone looks forward to the traditional cutting of the wedding cake. It is a beautiful tradition that guests share with the happy couple. In addition, wedding cakes are often quite delicious and who doesn’t love a good cake!