Most Orlando wedding couples agree that no wedding is complete unless the wedding cake design is perfect. The history and traditions of wedding cake design are the subjects of our blog today. The tradition of the wedding cake began in ancient Rome.
Rather than a sugary confection however, the first cakes served at weddings were not the sugary delights of today. Instead, they preferred a bread loaf made of barley or wheat. The idea was for the groom to eat a piece of the bread and then break the loaf over his new bride’s head. This was done to announce to all his dominance over his beloved.
In the Medieval ages, the dessert served at a wedding was a tall stack of sweet buns placed in front of the couple at the wedding dinner. They would attempt a kiss while standing over the buns without knocking them over. If they managed to do this successfully, they were promised luck and fertility.
There have been many changes to wedding cake design over the past 100 years. The very first wedding cakes which were found at the weddings of the rich and famous were elaborately decorated. Other couples would generally have the cake made at home and taken to the wedding venue or served at a backyard reception.
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Placing a hand over the bride’s hand:
The tradition of placing the groom’s hand over the bride’s hand as they cut the cake has a special meaning. It is to symbolize that the groom will be a very supportive spouse. She also promises to care for her husband and his family. It is easy to see why some of these traditions would not work well with our modern and independent views.
Cutting the cake from the bottom layer:
Today it is customary to save the top layer of the cake and to cut the bottom layer to serve to guests. This is to symbolize that the bride and groom will live a long and happy life. The top layer was then saved for the first-anniversary celebration.
The “cake smashing tradition.”
A favorite tradition is for the couple to feed each other a bite of the wedding cake. This particular tradition can quickly get out of hand and become a humorous situation with the tradition of “cake smashing.”
When the great depression occurred in the 1930s, couples paid close attention to all expenditures and weddings became more frugal. As the economy improved, so did the amount of money spent on a wedding. Through the years we have all enjoyed hearing about the famous couples around the globe and their wedding cake choices. We are especially attracted to the British couples tieing the knot. Here are a few interesting facts about some of their wedding cakes.
Grace Kelly & Prince Rainier of Monaco:
When Grace Kelly, an American actress, married Monaco’s Prince Rainier in 1956, she had a six-tier wedding cake. Her cake was indeed fit for Monaco’s new princess. it was created by a famous pastry chef from Paris, and featured a birdcage at the top. Inside the birdcage was a pair of “live” turtle doves. The doves were released when the couple cut their cake at the lavish reception. Prince Rainier cut the cake with his sword. Also found at the top of the cake was a revolving miniature of the couple. The little music box played the song, Ave Maria.
Queen Elizabeth & Prince Phillip:
The wedding of Queen Elizabeth and Prince Phillip took place on November 20, 1947, and they celebrated with a nine-foot-tall, four-tier cake. It weighed over 500 pounds. This beautiful confection was created by the same cake company which created the cake for Kate Middleton and Prince William’s cake which featured scenes from the couple’s life.
Prince Charles and Princess Diana’s wedding cake:
In July of 1981, Prince Charles of England married Princess Diana. They served 27 smaller wedding confections as well as their official wedding cake. The smaller cakes were donated by royal watchers. The official cake was designed by David Avery of the Royal Naval Cookery School. It was five feet high and topped off with the Prince and his family royal coat of arms. It also featured the couple’s initials and an array of roses, lilies of the valley and orchids.
The wedding cake of Prince William and Kate Middleton:
When Prince William wed Kate Middleton in April of 2011 guests were treated to an eight-foot fruit cake decorated with leaf and floral touches designed by the famous baker, Fiona Cairns. A second chalet cookie cake was created by the same cake company who created the cake for Queen Elizabeth and Prince Phillip (Prince William’s grandparents). When the couple’s first child George was born, they celebrated his birth by serving a bit of their actual wedding cake which was saved from the wedding.
Prince Harry & Meghan Markle’s Wedding Cake:
The wedding of Prince Harry to American actress Meghan Markle was an exciting event this year. They were married at Buckingham Palace and hosted a reception at Buckingham Palace. We were all drawn to their elegant choices for their wedding.
Not only was her wedding dress a unique design, but the wedding cake was also an original. It required six bakers five days to prepare and it does not follow the normal tradition. They opted for a lemon sponge cake. The cake was topped with elderflower syrup and Amalfi lemon curd. They used over 200 lemons and 500 eggs from Suffolk. The official wedding cake was designed by Claire Ptak and baked on-site at Buckingham Palace.
They also provided the guests with smaller cakes placed on stands from the family collection. They were adorned with peonies and roses.
Through the years there are some traditions that never die such as the ones below:
- Cutting the cake
- The couple feeding the cake to each other
- Saving the top tier
- White wedding cakes
- Groom’s cake
- Many tiers
In conclusion, we will always be drawn to the lavish celebrations of the rich and famous, and who doesn’t love wedding cake? We want to know it all, what they are wearing, who they are inviting, the wedding venue, the flowers, but most of all we want to know about the wedding cake design.
A slice of history always includes the bride’s choice for her one of a kind wedding dessert (the wedding cake).
Hurry back for more from Events by Jaclyn. Please book your wedding coordination and planning early.
We look forward to being a part of your special day in Central Florida.
Staff Writer
