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Hot Take on Wedding Cake
Some wedding traditions are sweet and some still make sense, but keeping the top of your cake is one tradition many couples are ready to move on from. The tradition of saving the top layer of a wedding cake originated in 19th-century, Victorian Era Great Britain. Back when the cakes were dense, alcohol-soaked and genuinely shelf-stable for a long time. It was considered good luck to keep it until the christening of your first child. That sounds wild to me, but a little research showed me that it was typical for newlyweds to have their first child within a year of marriage.
As fewer couples had children right away, the christening cake became the first anniversary cake. The dense, alcohol soaked cake was also replaced with the airy, decorated cake we now know. Moving into the 20th century, most bakeries use perishable ingredients (fresh fruit fillings, certain frostings, delicate flowers) that genuinely don’t freeze well. Even with a well-sealed cake, a full year in a home freezer is a long time and the result is often disappointing. This tradition has couples spending a lot of dough on that top tier, waiting a year and then eating something that tastes like freezer or even worse, the items in their freezer. I’ve heard horror stories about fish and onions. With the challenges that newlyweds have in their first year, storage space and often moves, keeping it for a year doesn’t always make sense.
Why save the fabulously beautiful top for a year when your guests could be enjoying the whole cake fresh on your wedding night? I recommend getting a fresh replica made for your anniversary instead. A fresh cake is guaranteed to taste great and you won’t be rolling the dice. If you are looking to save money, I recommend getting a smaller one or two tiered wedding cake for you and your boo to cut together and serve it all on your wedding day. I do recommend asking your planner to save and pack a large portion for you both to eat when you return to your honeymoon suite as you may not have time to enjoy it during your wedding. For additional guests, purchase sheet cakes that can be stored, cut and plated by the catering crew in the back. This can often be done before you even cut your cake so that everyone is ready to take a bite, it’ll be ready to go out to the tables. No one will know the difference.
ProTip: Some bakers include an anniversary cake if you order a wedding cake through them. It’s worth asking.
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How to Decorate Your Welcome Table: From the Essentials to the Extras
A wedding welcome table sets the tone for the whole event by welcoming your guests to the ceremony. They work best when it’s personal and functional. Here are the essentials and some thoughtful extras:
The Essentials
- Card Box Every wedding welcome table needs a designated spot for cards. It can be as simple as a basket or as fancy as a decorated birdcage. Either way, you’ll need somewhere for guests to drop their cards. If you didn’t hire a wedding planner to keep an eye on the cards, ask a trusted family member to store it somewhere safe after the ceremony.
- Hydration Station Guests arrive having driven, parked, and walked in the heat. Having something cold available the moment they step in signals that you’ve thought about their comfort before they even find their seat. I often ask the catering team to bring a water dispenser and some cups out for this. It can then be moved to your cocktail hour after you say “I do.”
- Wedding Guest Book This covers anything you want guests to use to mark their presence at your wedding. There are a lot of options to choose from. Think of something with a purpose that you can set out on your coffee table or hang from a wall to keep the moment alive. Signing an engagement photo book, snapping a Polaroids, or leaving a voice message after the tone. Whatever you choose, don’t forget to pack pens, tape or other extras you’ll need to make it all work.
Personal Touches
- A personalized welcome sign or banner.
- Framed photos of the couple — engagement shots or childhood photos are a sweet addition
- Wedding favors (if you’re not doing table favors)
- Black-and-white wedding photos from your guests’ own weddings
- A “how we met” story card — this is such a lovely detail for guests to enjoy while they wait!
- Advice cards for guests to fill out
- Flowers or greenery that ties into your overall wedding floral theme
- Candles or lanterns for ambiance
- A small display of meaningful objects like heirlooms or travel mementos
Practical Wedding Day Items
- A QR code linking to your wedding photo-sharing app
- Directions or a map to the reception venue, if it’s at a different location
- Shuttle or transportation schedule
- Wedding programs with the ceremony order, wedding party names, and readings
- Activity cards for kids at the reception
- Sunscreen, bug spray, or hand fans for outdoor weddings
Welcome Table Display Tips
- Use varying heights and materials to create visual interest at your welcome table
- Don’t shy away from a colorful tablecloth. This is your chance to let your wedding accent color pop!
- Keep it curated, not cluttered. If you have a lot of wedding welcome table items, consider adding a second table rather than piling everything onto one.
