Image by White Stag Wedding Photography | Venue Hyde House

The cutting of your wedding cake is one of the most cherished traditions you’re likely to include in your special day. The symbolism of cutting and sharing this culinary centrepiece dates back to Roman times, and was also prominent in Victorian times where the bride passing out slices of her cake represented her fertility. These days, the groom placing his hand over his bride’s demonstrates his promise to always support and protect her.

As one of the first tasks a newly married couple performs together, cake cutting provides a sweet ending to the formalities before the party begins. But when is the best time to play out this ancient tradition? Here, we explore when the best time may be to cut your wedding cake.

Traditional timing

Traditionally, the ceremonial cake cutting occurs just before the first dance – this remains the most popular timing for couples. Opting for this time gives both the day and evening guests the chance to enjoy this special moment. Afterwards, the cake can be portioned by the caterers and served to guests as part of the evening menu.

 Not only will your guests appreciate a sweet treat at this point in proceedings, but it’s a great opportunity to get your evening guests involved in one of the key formalities of the day. However, with people generally mingling around the dining room and dance floor at this time of day, it can be difficult to get everyone in place ahead of the cut. Ask the venue staff and wedding coordinator to help set the scene and ensure everyone (including the photographer) is in place.

Before the wedding breakfast

If you’re planning on serving everyone a slice of cake for dessert during the main meal of the day, it’s recommended to do the cake cutting before the wedding breakfast begins. This will ensure the caterers have enough time after the ceremonial cut to portion the cake ready to serve for dessert.

Incorporating your luxury cake into the wedding breakfast menu can not only make the meal that little bit more special, but it can also help save a little money by reducing the sweet options you offer. Plus, everyone will be seated at the dining tables, meaning you won’t have to go to the effort to gather everyone again to witness this important custom.

Later in the evening

If you’re serving your guests a three-course meal, you may prefer to cut your cake later in the evening to ensure everyone has the appetite to try a slice. Once the first dance has taken place and everyone’s had a chance to take to the dancefloor, a slice of wedding cake could be just the tonic to keep everyone dancing into the night.

It can be more difficult to have good lighting for your photographer with this timing, especially if your venue is already set in ‘disco mode’. To keep a seamless schedule, plan for your lighting to dim only after cutting your cake, and ask your live band or DJ to announce the event to help gather your guests. After the cake returns from the kitchen, be sure the slices are placed somewhere guests can easily access, as people will likely be moving around and mingling by this point and may miss the chance to savor a slice.

A piece of cake

Ultimately, the timing of when you cut your wedding cake is up to you. Consider the flow and atmosphere of your day, and discuss your ideas with your caterers, venue, photographer and entertainment to ensure everything is perfect and on schedule.

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Guest blog post by Samantha Miller