Wedding Cakes

Wedding cakes have always been one of the important parts of the wedding ceremony. From the beginning of time, when there were a number of different traditions tied to the cutting of the wedding cake until today, the cutting of the cake ceremony is a special one.

There are many beautiful meanings attached to the cutting of the wedding cake and most of them are carried through the ages from generation to generation right from early civilizations. In the ancient times, the cake was not cut but actually broken over the head of the bride, which symbolized fertility for her. This is still practiced in parts of Russia where they break bread when the newlyweds enter their new home, to symbolize fruitfulness both in monetary and physical terms.

Today the cutting of the wedding cake also symbolizes prosperity, but the ceremony also symbolizes sharing of a new life together. This is why after the cutting of the cake the groom offers the first piece to his bride (symbolizing that he will provide for her) and then she will offer him a piece (symbolizing that she will share her possessions with him). This is a beautiful symbolic ceremony which reinforced the vows that the newlyweds just took. The cutting of the cake is usually done as a first common gesture after the couple gets married. The upper tier of the cake is, in many places, preserved by the couple to be taken out at their first wedding anniversary. In other places, this is used at the christening of the first baby – which earlier would be at a date that was close to the first anniversary. All the traditions are centering on symbols of a good marriage and sincerity of the vows taken.

The cake is important to other members of the wedding ceremony as well. There are instances where the wedding cake has tiny charms tied to beautiful color ribbons embedded in it. These ribbons would be pulled out by the bridesmaids and according to the charms they pull out, their future will be predicted. This is great fun for all and makes this ceremony a very entertaining event as well. If the bridesmaid pulls out a tiny engagement ring, she would be the next to marry; if the charm is a heart, she will fall in love soon; if it is a four leaves clover – she will get some great good luck in the near future and so on.

There is another quaint tradition attached to the wedding cake – that is if a spinster sleeps with a piece under her pillow she will dream of her future husband. This is the source of great excitement among the unmarried girls – though no one can confirm the accuracy of such a belief. It is beautiful to believe and carry forward this sweet tradition, which not only emphasize the importance of the union, it also adds to the joy of the weeding ceremony.

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Wedding Cakes

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