Knowing how to cut the wedding cake at your reception probably sounds like a simple task to tackle. After all, you've been eating your entire life and have surely cut into a cake or two in that time.
This is a very special cake though and a traditionally memorable moment on your wedding day. All eyes will be on you and proper photo angles will need to be found. While it's not going to be an extremely difficult thing to do, there are a few tips you need to know about how to cut the wedding cake so it's a smooth moment instead of an awkward one.
Don't worry. WhereBridesGo.com has some helpful tips for you today about the "why, when, & how" of wedding cake cutting.
Why You Cut the Cake
First, it might interest you to know why this is a wedding tradition in the first place. It is meant to represent the first activity that you do together as a married couple. (It will take some good teamwork to do this in a way that doesn't look awkward!)
As for the tradition of feeding each other a bite of cake, that is meant to be a sweet interaction between the two of you symbolizing your commitment to providing for each other.
This involves teamwork in a way also. Be sure to make your wishes known beforehand if you definitely do not want that bite of cake "smashed" into your face.
How to Cut the Cake
Cutting a cake sounds easy, but when you're trying to do this together, it can take some coordination. Your photographer can most likely position you for the best photos of this moment.
Traditionally, the bride stands closest to the cake with the groom either behind or beside her. The bride's hand is directly on the cake knife and the groom's hand is placed over hers.
You only need a small piece of cake cut right now, just the size of about two bites. (You can come back for a full piece later.) If you plan to save the top tier to freeze and eat on your 1st anniversary, let your baker know ahead of time so they can provide a box to store it in.
(Side note for freezing the cake: The day after the wedding you will want to wrap that tier with multiple layers of plastic to avoid freezer burn. Then put it back into the box and wrap the box with more plastic wrap.)
When to Cut the Cake
You can cut the cake during your wedding reception at any point that makes the most sense with the rest of your reception plans. Keep in mind that some older guests that don't plan to stay until the end of the party will wait for the cake-cutting as their sign that the scheduled activities are over.
If you have pre-cut pieces of cake or another dessert waiting in the kitchen, ready to serve, it's fine for the two of you to cut the cake immediately after dinner. If this isn't the case, remember that it will take time for someone to cut the rest of the cake for serving. You may want to go ahead and have the cake-cutting moment before you sit down to eat. You could even incorporate a before-dinner thank you toast to your guests into this part of the reception.
So you see, while cutting your cake is not necessarily hard to do, it will take some coordination and teamwork. Once you decide what type of cake you'll be cutting with your baker, head on over to our online wedding store to find the perfect wedding cake top for it.
Our wedding cake toppers come in a wide variety of styles and many can even be personalized. You're bound to find a few to fall in love with. As a matter of fact, you may want to pick out the cake top first and have your baker design a cake around it!
~The WhereBridesGo.com Team
Post by Deanna Powell, Certified Bridal Consultant