Groom Cakes

One decidedly American tradition at many weddings is the Groom’s Cake. Although to some it may seem counter to the whole idea of a wedding as a union to have a separate cake for the bridegroom, it turns out that there is a history behind it.

According to some food historians, the practice of having a second cake for the groom may have originated in England. If that is the case, the practice failed to catch on. It did however become popular in the Southern US during the 19th Century. In recent years it has seen a resurgence, and at least half of the weddings I have been to in the South have included a Groom Cake.

So what was the purpose of the cake? Again, opinions differ but there are a few recurring ideas, many of which imply that the cake was not to be eaten by the groom but to be served by him to the bridesmaids, either before the wedding or after. Sorry guys!

Another story is that he is to serve a piece to all the single women at the wedding. They then put the cake under their pillow and will dream of their future husband that night. Again – no cake for the guys, and one crumbly mess for a lot of women! An alternative tradition is that the Groom Cake is to be served at the rehearsal dinner, which is typically paid for by his family. Other couples give pieces of the Groom Cake to guests to take home as a wedding favor.

Whatever the origins of the cake, it has now taken on a life of its own and is very much regarded as a cake for the bridegroom, designed to reflect his interests. Weddings I have been to have included Groom Cakes in the shape of a laptop and an Egyptian pyramid, complete with custom made frosting to match the exact color of the Great Pyramids of Giza! Flavors range from chocolate to meat! While some wedding etiquette experts insist the cake should be made by the groom’s mother, most are professionally made these days.

Fiona Young-Brown

Wedding reception, cons and pros!

While working a job a few weeks ago, a bride stopped by the bar to chat. It was later in the evening, everyone was having a great time, music was going, people were dancing, and all of the sudden the bride hits me with a question. "Andy you must have seen hundreds of these, if you ever get married, what will you do?"

Actually, this a question I have thought of before, so it was pretty easy to answer. First thing you have to consider is that this does not take any kind of budget into account, so in real life, much of this would probably not happen, but hey here goes.

1. I would have a live band instead of D.J.
I don't know why! I have seen hundreds of D.J.s. Most of them are great and they have done absolutely nothing to get on my badside. It's just after seeing weddings day in and day out, I really enjoy the live music much more.

2. I would definitely do a toast.
Seems like now days many people are skipping out on this. Ofcourse, who would notice more than the guys on the front lines? BarBop haha. I think this is an inexpensive, memorable, and fun thing to do. Im a bartender so that may have something to do with my thoughts.

3. My grooms cake would be crazy.
I have thought this one out well. First, it will be chocolate with tons of icing. Second, it will be the transformer Optimus Prime. Third, he will be slicing my brides cake in half. Ok, I may not get away with 3, but it sure sounds funny to me. One wedding I worked had a chopper hanging from the ceiling with the groom reaching out from the side, for his bride to be as the wedding topper. Now that was fun!

4. I would not be involved in the planning at all.
I think most grooms would be fine doing some of the leg work, but I do it everyday, and would'nt want to work at my own wedding. Furthermore, after knowing what I know, I would never have a friend provide the bartending service. That's not a company pitch, it's just pure honesty.

5. I would absolutely want finger food all night long.
A non-stop barrage of different treats. I mean non-stop, all night long, yummies! I love snackin on that junk, and usually they only last about 30 minutes, then their gone.

Anyways, there you have my wedding wishlist. Most of it fits my humerous lifestyle. So in a nutshell, yours should too! Oh yea, one thing I constantly see is bridesmaids complaining about their feet, taking off their shoes on the dance floor, loosing shoes, and stepping on things without them. I would definitely tell my bride to buy some cheap slippers for the girls.

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