wedding cake cutting

I promised I would write an article on how to cut a wedding cake. It really is quite an art but one you can have one of your friends read up on so they can do it for your wedding. It really is fun and in some instances cheaper to have a friend do this for you than to pay someone on the catering staff to do it.

When to cut the cake:
at a sitdown dinner ---cutting is done before dessert is served.
at a luncheon, tea or cocktail --- close to the end of the reception

It is a good idea to notify the caterer and photographer in advance as to the approximate time you plan to cut your cake so they will be ready to do their jobs ie. removing the cake after the official cutting by the Bride and Groom if the cake is to be served from the kitchen and for pictures by the photographer.

cutting the cake :
The Bride puts her hand on the cake knife handle first, the groom puts his hand over top of hers. It is easiest if they cut the bottom layer making two cuts and removing a small slice and moving it to a small plate with two forks.

First bites:
The Groom feeds the bride first and she feeds him second. The tradition is to symbolize their commitment to share with and support each other , and it is NOT appropriate to smash cake in each others faces.

Slices for parents:
It is a nice gesture if the bride and groom cut cake slices for their parents. The bride serving his parents and the groom serving hers. After which the cake may be whisked away to be cut and served to the guests or the official cutter may start serving guests.

Top Layer:
If you want to save the top layer of the cake let the server know so it will be removed and not served to guests.

Cake cutting 101 :

About 2 inches in from the outside, cut all the way around the bottom layer ( the cut runs parallel to the outside of the layer, circle like) Individual slices are cut from this section, and each is lifted onto a cake plate to be served. Sometimes if the bottom layer is very wide you will do this process two times around so the bottom layer is the same size as the second layer. Before moving up to the second layer you may need to remove the cake topper for the bride and groom to save for a latter time. Move to the second layer and continue by again cutting two inches in ( parallel to the outside of this layer ) cutting the individual slices as before until that layer has all been served and cardboard/plastic removed . Move to the next layer down ( which is the center of the bottom layer that you started with) and continue as above until all the cake has been served. Just a note on hygiene, it is a good idea for the cutters to use plastic gloves as sometimes it is necessary to touch the cake slices as they are being moved to the plate. Another good idea is to have a wet, clean towel to periodically clean the cake knife to assure smooth cake pieces .

Of course you have other options to this whole cake cutting process:
You can display a frosted cardboard or foam-core "faux" cake and have sheet cake served from the kitchen ( a much cheaper option ), choose cupcakes, ice cream, dessert table including a spread of pastries, cookies, fruits, cheeses, mini desserts, family ethnic specialty or your favorite dessert.