The Importance of the Wedding Cake

For many couples, a photo of the newlyweds cutting the wedding cake or feeding it to each other finds its way into the wedding album.  It’s seen as an important symbol—the first thing husband and wife do together. As a luxury wedding photographer, I see all kinds of customs practiced, and I love to hear the stories behind them!

Cutting the Cake

This is a Roman tradition that represents the past, present and future of the marriage. This tradition started with breaking bread over the bride’s head, but now it’s done with a multi-tiered cake. The couple shows they are severing the ties to their pasts by promising to provide for each other in the future.

The placement of the couple’s hands is also of importance. The groom’s hands placed over his bride’s symbolizes his support and guidance for her; the bride’s hands placed under her groom’s demonstrates her capability to take care of him.  Couples cut to the bottom of the cake as a sign of their union’s longevity and durability.

Traditionally, the size of the cake carried a heavy meaning. It represented how many children the couple would have, and the colour chosen was usually white to symbolize the bride’s purity.

Feeding the Cake

This custom is an act celebrating the couple’s union, as well as their affection for each other. The groom feeds his bride first to show that he will provide for her, and when the bride feeds her groom, this demonstrates her commitment to nourish him in the years to come.

This custom has developed into a little food fight between the bride and groom, which some couples enjoy; others don’t do this because they want to keep their clothes clean and their make-up intact!

Serving the cake to their guests is a sign of good luck and a wish to share their blessed union with their loved ones. Guests used to depart with a piece of the wedding cake as a favour, and parts of the cake were also sent to those who were unable to attend.  In this instance, if it were placed under your pillow as you slept, you would dream of your future partner.  The popularity of these customs, though, has diminished.

If you and your partner want your story told through these iconic wedding photographs, contact me at Corina V. Photography today! I’ll give you the perfect highlights for your album.