Traditionally, wedding cake cutting is the last thing to happen on your wedding day. I'm here to tell you, this tradition has to change.
Why? After all, I headed this post with a picture of an evening cake cutting, and don't the fairy lights look amazing? It's so romantic, and Southend Barns looks gorgeous at every angle. But here are 3 reasons why you should cut cake earlier in the day, and two bonus tips on how to make the most of your cake.
3 reasons why you should cut cake earlier in the day
1. You have better lighting
I'm sure you've hired the best photographer for you. These talented creatives are geniuses of finding the best angles, the best lighting, and the best composition for those memorable moments. However, you'll be making your photographer's life easier by thinking about those key moments of your day, and how you would like them to be shot.
These are two images, by the same photographer on the same day. Guess which one was taken during the evening?
That's right: evening light tends to be artificial, much harsher, and often yellow. This makes it harder for your photographer to get snaps that accurately reflect the cake design that your cake maker painstakingly created.
Treat cake as part of your decor, and give it the best chance to work for you all day.
Bonus Tip 1: Talk to your photographer about where and when to take cake cutting shots for the best results.
2. It's more likely to get eaten
I often hear couples concerned that there's "no point having cake because nobody eats it anyway". Now, not only does that hurt my feelings as a cake maker because my cakes are delicious and should definitely be eaten, it's also a valid concern.
After all, cake is important to you, and you want your guests to experience it.
One key way to do this is to make the cake cutting an earlier part of your day. You see, by 8pm, which is when most cake cuttings occur if not later, your guests will have had:
canapés
a 3 course meal
buffet food
several alcoholic beverages
By that point, they're either too distracted by the dance floor and sparklers, too tipsy, or simply too full to also want a delicious slice of cake. By cutting cake earlier in the day, your guests will have space for it.
You could even serve it instead of dessert, to guarantee that everyone gets a slice and none goes to waste.
I also have a blog post here about how to decide how much cake you need for your wedding.
3. It's a delicious way to fill the time
What nobody tells you is that everyone is going to be starving on your wedding day. I know I was up at 6:15am for hair & makeup, my ceremony was at 11am, and we didn't sit down for the wedding breakfast until 2pm. I had not had any breakfast. I was too full of beans.
If you're more sensible than I am, you will have opted for a later start. However, even then you and your guests will have a big chunk of time between arriving at your venue and enjoying some food. By which point, everyone is starving and inhaling the canapés.
Bonus Tip 2: Talk to your venue about maximising cake within the timings of your day. Although some venues will not allow cake as a canapé, most will be happy to move your timings around to give you the best experience.
Imagine this: after your beautiful ceremony that had all the parents crying as you said "I do", you head out into the bar for a first toast. Here, you find not only themed cocktails and mocktails, but also a beautiful cake. All your nearest and dearest are with you as you cut the cake, and leave them to enjoy cake & cocktail hour while you go off to the gardens for portraits.
This is a very thoughtful way of not only making sure that cake gets eaten, but also to fill the time for your guests while you are off taking those incredibly romantic portraits with your photographer. And you also have excellent daylight!
I hope that was insightful.