Saving the top tier of a wedding cake is a timeless tradition that thousands of couples take part in each and every year. Here is a taste of the history of how this romantic tradition began.
As you know, the wedding cake tends to serve as a focal point on the wedding day. Guests love to take pictures of the cake and the cake cutting itself has become a monumental part of the reception.
But do you know why so many couples save the top tier of their wedding cake? Tradition has it that the cake cutting plays a major role on the wedding day since it represents the first thing that newlyweds do together as a married couple. The act of feeding each other represents the promise of commitment, love, and affection towards each other.
Why do we save the top tier of wedding cake? A tradition wrapped in history
The tradition of saving the top tier of the wedding cake was supposedly started by Queen Elizabeth II when she married Prince Philip in 1947. Some historians, however, believe that although Queen Elizabeth II receives credit for the tradition, it may have actually been started by Queen Victoria in 1840.
Regardless of who started the tradition, Queen Elizabeth’s wedding cake is one that has been remembered throughout history due to its ornate details and its massive size, standing at 9ft tall!
The cake had 4 tiers with each layer being about a standard 3 to 4 layers in height! The two bottom tiers alone served the 2,000 guests that attended the royal wedding; so what does one do with so much leftover cake?
It was decided that the pieces from the middle tier would be sent home with parting guests and those who were unable to attend the wedding.
As for the top tier, it would be saved to celebrate the next milestone in the couple’s life which was the christening of their first child. This timeless and widespread tradition is believed to bring the couple’s marriage good luck and prosperity.
Fast-forward a few decades, and the tradition has been modernized slightly. Most commonly, couples chose to save the wedding cake top tier and eat it on their first wedding anniversary. Although tradition has changed, many couples still choose to eat the cake on whichever milestone comes first.
