August 10th, 2007 Tradition of the day: Cake Cutting
Tradition detail: At the reception, you and your new spouse stand up in front of your guests and make the first cuts in your wedding cake. Everyone cheers as you feed each other (or, sometimes, smash the cake in each other’s faces) and kiss.
Where it comes from: A groom would break, literally, bread over the bride’s head. This version of the tradition is no longer practiced and has been replaced by today’s cake cutting and feeding. What this older version represents has many interpretations, including fertility and the loss of virginity.
How couples are changing it: Cupcakes, cookie tables, “Candy Shop”s, the works. You can do anything to satisfy the sweet tooth, particularly if there are guests who have wheat allergies. There’s nothing wrong with feeding each other something other than cake - two of my brides used chocolate-dipped strawberries!
Creative ideas: At a wedding I photographed, the bride and groom performed a tradition they’d seen in Jamaica called the “Kissing Bird”. In true “Lady & the Tramp” style, the bride bit into a big piece of cake and lifted her head so her groom could also have a bite. They ate towards the center and kissed. “Aww”s all around.
See also:
Hudson Valley Weddings - Cake Cutting
WeddingBasics.com - Cake Traditions