A Unique Wedding Cake Tradition for Your Bridal Party

There are thousands of companies that provide goods and services for couples who are planning to get married.  Beyond the clothes and wedding rings for the bride and groom, the stationery they will use for the invitations and thank you notes, and the location where the reception will be held, there is the wedding cake.

Although today the wedding cake is a central focal point of the reception and seen in a variety of colors and designs, this was not always the case.  It only dates back to the 17th century.  At the time, they were only white in color, due to the difficulty to obtain the ingredients required to make the fancy cakes we see today.

There were also many different traditions associated with the cake, a few of which have survived until today.  Two of the most prominent traditions which take place at the wedding reception, are the cutting of the cake by the newlyweds and providing cake gift boxes for guests.

Of course the cutting of the cake by the new husband and wife is symbolic to show that now they will act as one. The tradition of sending guests home with cake gift boxes relates to the folklore belief that sleeping with a slice of the cake under your pillow will help you dream of your future spouse.

But there is another tradition that provides sweet memories to the members of your bridal party: the use of wedding cake charms.

This is a sentimental Victorian tradition focused on giving the bridesmaids and any other women important to the bride a special keepsake from her wedding.  Miniature sterling silver replicas of symbols or "charms" related to fortune, good health, love, travel, success, happiness and the other good things in life are attached to a white ribbon with a large bead to create the "pull". Then the baker of the cake carefully hides these tokens between the layers with the ribbon pulls extending beyond the edge of the cake.

Before the bride and groom cut the cake each of the women in the bridal party take turns and pull out a charm for good luck.  This tradition is not only used for the bride’s cake, it can be extended to the groom’s cake as well.  Of course the charms for the groom's cake are related to the ideas that are important to men.

Using wedding cake charm pulls at a reception is a great way to give your bridal party and activity they will always remember, second only to the moment you exchanged wedding rings.

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