Cutting your wedding cake is one of the many highlights of your wedding. Since each wedding is unique, each couple is unique, we recommend cutting the cake at the best time for you.  In the event that you have older guests attending, cutting the cake right after first dances allows them to take part in this important tradition prior to leaving.  It’s the perfect opportunity just after cake cutting for the band to play lively music while all your guests are already standing cheering for the new couple.  The celebration will START!

Cutting the cake LATE versus at EIGHT

Cutting the cake LATE:

• Cake cutting often signals the end of the wedding.  It is a natural segue after which people who want to leave may do so.
• You pay for 200 servings, but often only 75-100 servings are enjoyed.
• Cutting a slice of cake for 200 guests does take time.
• If you cut the cake late, older people or guests who have small children, may miss the entire cake cutting if they need to head home to put children to bed.

Cutting the cake at 8pm:

• The cake cutting ceremony is traditionally the first “meal” shared by man and wife, it is logical that they share this special bite of wedding cake early in the evening.
• Cutting the cake after first dances or at 8pm allows guests who are older or who have children to enjoy the cake cutting tradition.
• Your makeup is fresh and your hair is perfect.  It’s less likely you’ll smash the cake at 8pm, which could put a damper on the rest of the evening.

• Cutting a slice of cake for 200 guests takes so much time and it allows the staff to begin plating and serving the cake to your guests once the dinner dishes are cleared.

• You pay for 200 servings, and almost every guest enjoys your cake if served early.  The older guests don’t stay out late. Serving just after dinner allows more people to enjoy your wedding cake.
• Cake cutting often signals the end of the wedding.  There will be no signal if you cut the cake early.  Guests may stay all night and late into the morning!

Many couples today save the top layer of their wedding cake and freeze the cake with the intention of sharing it on their first wedding anniversary.  Most venues will save the top tier, wrap it with wax paper, bubble wrap, and an airtight plastic bag.  Keeping it airtight is ideal.  Don’t forget to freeze it right away. My mom forgot to freeze our cake so we opted to buy a first year anniversary cake from the same fantastic baker who made our wedding cake.