One Of The Oldest Wedding Traditions

One of the oldest traditions surrounding weddings is the saving of the top tier of the cake to be eaten on the couple’s first anniversary or at the birth of their first child. Although still observed by some couples this tradition seems to be falling by the way side as the cost of wedding cakes has sky-rocketed. However, if you plan on keeping and freezing the top tier of your wedding cake then it is important to mention this to your cake designer before hand.

Your cake designer will be able to tell you how to properly remove and freeze the top tier of your wedding cake. They will also be able to tell whether or not the cake will keep for a year or if you should be planning on eating the cake for your third month anniversary instead.

If you are planning on keeping the top tier of your wedding cake, then one thing is definite – you must properly package the cake to prevent it from freezer burn. You must also freeze it as quickly as possible after the ceremony so that it seals in as much of the freshness as possible. Another option is to have your cake designer bake you a miniature version of your cake to eat at a later date – that way you can truly savor the delicious treat that you may be too distracted to really taste the day of your wedding.

The wedding cakes that we know and love today were not always the way they

look or taste. The tradition of serving cake at a wedding goes all the way back to the ancient Greeks. The newly wed couple would cut cake together to symbolize fertility and happiness – it is from where we get our modern custom of cake cutting at a wedding.

However this custom was not always in vogue. The Romans did have a form of cake at their weddings, but instead of eating this wheat or barley cake, the groom would break it over the bride’s head. The crumbs that fell to the floor were then gathered up by the guests as tokens of good luck. A similar tradition of breaking a cake over the bride’s head continued for many centuries with some reports from Scotland dating as recently as the 19th century.

This custom slowly gave way to another whereby guests actually brought cakes to the reception. These cakes were then layered together using applesauce – the higher the cake, the more popular the bride. Another custom that was widely popular during the Middle Ages involved the guests bringing sticky buns to the reception and piling them up in front of the happy couple. If the couple were able to kiss over the top they were supposed to be blessed with a long and happy marriage and many children.

In the eighteenth century brandied fruit cakes were a big hit because they were able to keep for so long. The Pilgrims brought this tradition over to the Americas and the fruit cake slowly evolved into the white, tiered cake that has come to symbolize wedding receptions.

Today the white cake has again evolved. Modern wedding cakes can be any color, any flavor and any style. They have become works of art and are prepared by skilled and talented cake designers who are eagerly sought by brides everywhere for their expertise and ability to turn an ordinary pastry into an incredible, edible creation.

For wedding planning, coordination including Day Of wedding assistance,
Liane McCombs Wedding & Event Planning
775 . 786 . 7130