Wedding History Monday: On Mondays I will share a piece of wedding history, a wedding tradition, or a trend that has a historical base. And because that would never be enough, I also want to share how to incorporate these things into unique ideas for your ceremony or reception. So stay tuned for several different trends, including the Bride's Cake, the color white, the origin of the wedding party, and much much more!
For the first installation of Wedding History Monday, I wanted to talk about the Groom's Cake. I realize that might seem strange to do Groom's Cake before the Bride's Cake, but hey, when do I ever do things in order? I have always been fascinated by the Groom's Cake and where in the world it came from. I did some digging, and found out some very interesting information!
So where did it come from? The origin of Groom's Cake is incredibly vague, but I was able to find a few ideas. General consensus says in Southern weddings, the Groom's Cake was individually wrapped for guests (some sources say single female guests-I'll explain that later) to take home as wedding favors-not actually eaten at the reception. Other sources say it started in Victorian England as the same thing-although I can see the correlation between the two ideas. Another thought was that in Southern small town weddings, a town "marm," as one source called it, would make her traditional family fruit cake recipe and give it as a gift to the couple. Why fruit cake I have no idea, but that seems to be a logical progression- fruit cake with liquor to dark rich chocolate cake. Makes sense to me!
The best tradition that I read about was giving the cake as a gift to your guests. Tradition says that if a single woman slept with a slice of wedding cake under her pillow the night of the wedding, she would dream of her future husband. After she woke up from this dream, she would then know the man she would marry! Now obviously that wouldn't come true, but its a fun idea! This idea eventually morphed into the bride passing the cake (or crumbs) through her ring for good luck for these single women, but this trend eventually disappeared when it became "bad luck" for the bride to remove her ring after the wedding.
So when was the Groom's Cake served? That also seems to be an elusive fact, although many theories are abound! Some say it was baked by the Groom's mother and served with wine to toast at the reception. Others say it was a gift from the Groom to the bridesmaids and also served with wine. Others say it was soaked in brandy and boxed in a tin to save for the couple's first anniversary. Another that I found interesting, and definitely applicable today, is that it was saved to share with the wedding party and close friends at a sort of after party. Whatever the occasion it was originally served, it is a tradition that is very prominent in Southern weddings. Just as a side note-I was shocked to find out that it is not a prominent fixture in weddings outside the South. I couldn't believe that, but it gives further support to the theory that the tradition started in the South.
Now onto the modern day application. How can you use the Groom's cake in a way that is unique to you? One way that incorporates the history of Groom's Cake is to box up the cake (served at the reception or not) in cute packaging with your new monogram and a tag educating your guests on the origin of the gift. Or instead of sending the cake as a gift, consider putting a sign on the cake table with these traditions and histories explained. This is an idea that I plan on incorporating into my own wedding!
So how can your Groom's Cake stand out? Design the cake around your man's interests. My fiance is an archer, so it would be perfect to incorporate some sort of archery theme into his cake. He is also a HUGE Auburn fan, so that would be a great option as well. Just make sure he is involved in the decision. It is his cake after all! Another trend popping up lately is the use of smaller cakes or gourmet deserts in place of the big Groom's Cake. Can't decide on a flavor? Pick three! Like cheesecake or pecan pie better than plain cake? Go for it! Create a desert table with you and your fiance's favorite deserts. It is such a great way to incorporate your own tastes and preferences without breaking the bank! In fact, if you are having a small wedding or just a small budget, you could ask family members or friends to bring a desert that you love or made from a family recipe.
Wedding history really is a great way to learn origins of trends and traditions, and an even greater way to make your wedding unique! I look forward to sharing even more history with you as I learn it!
