THE WEDDING CAKE Cakes have been associated with weddings for hundreds of years - in ancient Greece, cakes were thrown at the newly married couple to promote fertility and in Roman times a plain flour, salt and water cake would be shared by the bride and groom during the wedding ceremony to ensure a prosperous future for them. The remainder of the cake would then be broken over the bride's head as a symbol of fertility. Additionally, only children born to a marriage blessed in this way were qualified for the high offices in Roman life. In Anglo Saxon times, a large basket of dried biscuits was provided at wedding ceremonies - the guests would take one each and the remainder were shared amongst the poor. During the Middle Ages wedding guests would bring their own cakes (usually spiced buns) which were then piled up on top of each other. It was believed to be good fortune if the bride and groom were able to kiss each other over the mountain of cakes without knocking them over. This tradition is carried over to today's wedding cake which often have three iced tiers with a kissing couple on top - the shape of this is believed to have been inspired by the spire of Saint Bride's Church in the City of London. There is a popular legend that, during the reign of King Charles II (1630-1685), a French chef, observing the way that all the small cakes were piled on top of each other, suggested icing the mound into one mass, out of which grew the traditional French celebration cake called the croquembouche. It has become traditional for the newly married couple to cut the wedding cake at the reception, after the speeches and gifts have been given. It is the last formal part of the wedding and usually marks the end of the reception. The bride and groom make the first cut of the cake together to symbolise their shared future. After this, the cake is cut into portions which are then distributed among family and friends. The distribution of wedding cake among the guests is symbolic of the sharing of happiness - hence the tradition of sending a piece of cake to those unable to attend the ceremony.        The top tier of the cake is often kept by couples for the christening of their first child. An English custom was to place a ring in the wedding cake. The guest who found the ring in their the piece of cake would be ensured happiness for the next year. In Victorian times, unmarried girls would pass a piece of the cake through the bride's wedding ring and place it under their pillow believing that they would dream of their future husband. Weddings Index Back To The Main Index Click here to Bookmark this site!