Cake Cutting

The wedding cake cutting ceremony is treasured and greatly anticipated by the wedding guests. But there is a protocol for cutting a wedding cake. Here is a brief cutting guide.

Wedding cake etiquette starts with the correct setting of the wedding cake. The wedding cake should be displayed on a beautifully decorated table, which goes in front of the main/head table (or brides table). However it should not to block the guests’ view of the head table. A special knife is usually placed at the table (although this is not mandatory, it is advisable).

Etiquette demands that the cake be cut at the right time during the reception. This will depend on the kind of reception that you have. If it is an informal kind of gathering, such as a tea party or cocktail reception, then you should cut the wedding cake after the guests have been received and the speeches made. For more formal affairs, the cake should be cut after the main reception lunch or dinner has been served.

The wedding cake cutting ceremony should be announced prior to the cutting. This can be done by making an announcement to the effect, or by playing the song from the new couple’s first dance.

The bride and groom make the first slice using a special wedding cake knife designated for this special cake cutting event.

The groom places his hand over the bride’s on the knife handle and together they make the first cut. This symbolizes the new life they will share together.

The wedding cake cutting and serving duty is then handed over to someone else (usually a staff member) after the first cuts is done and the bride and groom feed each other a piece of their cake! Throughout the years this has become a most memorable tradition as it often not known until that moment if the couple will be eating or wearing their cake. The cake is then either served along with the coffee or tea. On some occasions the guests could be presented with miniature cakes that to be taken home as a party favor.