How to cut a wedding cake
This may seem like a strange topic for a blog, but honestly, I’ve seen some amazing cake cutting photos and some terrible ones.
With a little bit of planning, you can totally nail your cake cutting shot like Taylor and Tom did!
You’ve spent months if not years organising your wedding, hopefully a fabulous cake is part of the master plan!
Here are a few tips to make sure you get some great cake cutting photos.
Displaying your cake
Firstly, have a think about where and how you want to display your cake.
Many venues will have an area where they prefer to have the cake set up. When you visit, remember to ask where the cake will go and make sure you’re happy. If you can see a bright red fire extinguisher nearby or it’s situated in a dark corner of the room then get creative with a fabulous floral backdrop or neon monogram!
I spend days, sometimes weeks creating incredible sugar flowers to decorate your delicious cake, so I want to make sure it looks it’s best for your guests to see. I have stands available to hire in a huge variety of shapes, sizes and colours.
Where to stand
This may be obvious, but if you stand in front of the cake, your photographer and guests will probably get pictures of the back or side of the cake. Many cakes have the majority of decoration to the front, so standing to the side will ensure you get a great photo of both you and the cake!
Holding the knife
Have you ever tried to elegantly hold a knife with your partner while smiling for the camera in front of a room full of guests? Nope, I hadn’t either until my wedding day! It might sound daft but give it a try with a bread knife at home, so you know what you’re doing.
Holding the knife
Have you ever tried to elegantly hold a knife with your partner while smiling for the camera in front of a room full of guests? Nope, I hadn’t either until my wedding day! It might sound daft but give it a try with a bread knife at home, so you know what you’re doing.
Where to cut (or not!)
Let me start by saying, if you’re having a dummy (fake/faux) tier then pleeease don’t try to cut it, just rest the knife on the icing and pretend!
For most couples you’ll be cutting into a real sponge of fruit cake. My advice would be to rest the knife on the top edge of the bottom tier of cake, smile and pose for your guests and give your photographer the chance to get a few good shots before gently pressing the knife down through the cake. Then if you’d like to, cut a small slice and lovingly feed it to your spouse.
Serving the cake to your guests
Once you’ve done the formal cake cutting (the first task you’ll do as a married couple!) your chef or waiting staff will take the cake to the kitchen to dismantle and portion up the cake.
Assuming your cake is being served in the evening, it’s always a good idea to ask your DJ/Best man/Toastmaster to announce when the cake is served. Your cake will have been sliced into delicate portions ready for your guests to devour. Have a chat to your wedding planner and decide if you’d like it to be offered on platters by waiting staff or left on a table for your guests to find – offering it to guests should mean you don’t have oodles of cake left over.
I always leave two cake boxes at the venue, one for the delicate sugar flowers and another for any leftover cake. If you’d like to keep your sugar flowers then please ask your wedding organiser to make sure they’re carefully removed and placed in the box I’ve provided.
And lastly, if you have any leftover cake, it really does make for a great breakfast treat and the perfect hangover cure!