Traditions of the Wedding Cake

The wedding cake is believed to date back to the Roman Empire. Where, the “Cake” was a loaf of bread which was broken over the head of the new bride. This tradition was meant to bestow fertility and good luck to the new bride for her married life.

The cutting of the wedding cake symbolises the first task the married couple perform together. The gesture of feeding each other a slice of cake is believed to be a symbol of their commitment to provide for each other in their married life together.

According to another wedding cake tradition, if an unmarried person sleeps with a piece of a wedding cake under their pillow, they will dream of their future spouse that night.

The top tier of the wedding cake was traditionally kept and used at the christening of the couple's first child. But today, this tradition has been modified slightly, and the top tier is saved to be used at the couple's first anniversary.

Another tradition was to place charms in the wedding cake, which were attached to ribbons. A bridesmaid would pull at a ribbon, and depending on the charm that she uncovered, her fortune would be indicated. The charms that were traditionally used,
a heart, a clover, an engagement ring, an anchor, a flower & a horseshoe