Wedding Cakes
To create the perfect wedding a large number of elements have to be taken into consideration. Each one of them will represent something of great importance and there is no doubt that none of these ceremonial elements would have any meaning without the most important of them all: wedding cakes. They symbolize the realization of a fertile union, in addition to providing a great image that makes this event unforgettable.
There is little doubt that the wedding cake carries with it the most important role within the tradition of celebrating a true dream marriage. In ancient times the wedding guests would give the cake to the bride as a present, the gesture being a representation and desire for this fertile union. Nowadays the cake still carries the same equivalent tradition and it is imperative that every wedding prides itself with the best possible cake. It is important to note that wedding cakes also serve an essential role when it comes to the newlyweds. It will be the “first meal” that they will share after getting married.
The shape of the wedding cake as we know it today was first achieved on the seventeenth century by a French baker, who made several cakes of different sizes and covered them with bitumen thus being able to achieve a tower of cakes. Later on, in England, bakers would pile up lots of different sized cakes with little success as they would loose shape rapidly due to the weight. During the seventeenth century the idea of several cakes piled up was left behind and people opted for a single large one, which still remains. Nowadays cakes keep the basic French idea with their multi-storey tower look.
The presence of the wedding cake in the reception area is very important, but it is also important the way the cake arrives (accompanied by the wedding tunes) and the way it is placed on the most special table at the reception next to other types of desserts. It is then when the newlyweds go through the process of cutting the cake by holding the knife together; which has become the most powerful image of tradition and symbolism within the ceremony of marriage.
Wedding cakes are usually white but lately brides have moved away from tradition looking for newer trends and styles. Based on themes, wedding receptions have opted for more modern ways of expressing the act of matrimony with the use of different colors within the wedding decor, and it is important that wedding cakes always match the style chosen by the newlyweds.