Cutting The Cake: A Guide To Wedding Cake Service

There are many ways to serve a wedding cake, from traditional to modern. The most popular way is to serve it as the final course of the wedding reception, before the dance floor opens. Another way is to serve the cake at each guest's place setting while they are on the dance floor. A third option is to put plated cake slices on display near the bar, so guests can help themselves. A more modern approach is to have waiters wander around with trays of cake in small vessels, offering them to guests. Alternatively, if you don't like cake, you could serve a different dessert such as cupcakes, donuts, macarons, or even a savoury option like cheese wheels or steak and potatoes.

Serve as the final course

Serving your wedding cake as the final course is the most traditional way to serve your wedding cake. After the entrees are served and cleared, the servers deliver the cake to your guests as the final course, otherwise known as the dessert course. This option ensures that everyone is sitting and enjoying the cake, and you can do some final protocols, like the parent dances, while your guests eat.

If you have a long wedding dinner with extended introductions and speeches, your guests may be keen to get on the dance floor and might be tired of waiting for the final course. If you're concerned about this, you could consider serving the cake around 7:45 pm after dinner and speeches, or even later, around 9:00 pm, to signal that the party is winding down.

If you want to ensure your wedding cake gets eaten, serving it as a plated dessert is a good option. For plated dessert-sized portions, slices of 1”x2”x6” are recommended. Couples usually stick to one or two cake flavours and serve the plated cake portion with a quenelle of fresh whipped cream or ice cream. You could even ask your caterers to add berries or nuts to the plate to make it a truly elegant dessert.

If you want to give your guests a choice of flavours, you could consider serving finger-sized portions of approximately 1”x1”x6” on a sharing platter in the middle of the table. Guests can then help themselves to one or two slices.

Display sliced cake

Displaying sliced cake is a great way to serve a wedding cake, especially if you want to ensure your guests eat it. This method involves putting plated slices on a beautiful display near the bar, where people are likely to gather at some point during the evening. This way, they can grab a slice and eat it in the lounge area or at their table.

If you have multiple flavours, displaying sliced cake is a great way to allow your guests to choose their favourite or even sample a few different flavours. To encourage this, you could have the slices cut small. You could also ask your caterers to add berries or nuts to the plate to make it a more elegant dessert.

If you want to serve the wedding cake as a plated dessert, it is recommended to cut the cake into slices of 1”x2”x6”. For this option, it is best to stick to one or two cake flavours. Kitchen cakes are also recommended for this option, as they can be portioned ahead of time and help your caterers serve the dessert on time.

Another option is to serve the wedding cake as a family-sharing platter. This involves cutting the cake into portions and placing them on a platter in the middle of the table. Guests can then help themselves to one or two slices. This option often sees the cake served as finger food, with a variety of flavours to choose from. You could also ask your caterers to provide big bowls of berries and cream to serve with the cake.

Serve as canapes after the ceremony

Serving your wedding cake as canapes after the ceremony is a great way to delight your guests. This option means that the cake cutting will have to take place soon after the wedding ceremony, and the cake will be served with drinks during cocktail hour. Any remaining cake can then be served during the evening buffet.

To ensure your guests have enough to eat, it is recommended that you serve 4-6 canapes per guest. This will depend on whether you are serving other food, and whether your canapes are more substantial. If you are only serving canapes, it is recommended that you provide 8-12 per person.

When it comes to choosing your canapes, there are endless options. Here are some ideas to get you started:

• Scallops with pea puree and crisp pancetta
• Salmon and cream cheese blinis
• Hoisin duck spring rolls
• Truffle cheddar cheese skewers
• Mini burger sliders
• Lobster and avocado toasts
• Grilled chicken and vegetable skewers
• Mixed tomatoes on ciabatta bruschetta
• Honey and mustard-glazed sausages
• Mozzarella, tomato and pesto skewers
• Garlic and chilli prawn skewers
• Goats cheese and chutney puffs
• Mini three cheese twists
• Battered prawn balls with sweet and sour sauce
• Watermelon and feta skewers
• Mini Yorkshire puddings with roast beef and horseradish cream

Serve as finger food during the evening buffet

If you're serving your wedding cake as finger food during an evening buffet, there are a few things to consider. Firstly, the type of finger food you offer will depend on the style of your wedding. For instance, a formal wedding reception lends itself to savoury hors d'oeuvres, such as shrimp, open-faced sandwiches, cheese and crackers, sushi, fresh fruit, tarts, and vegetables with hummus. On the other hand, a barbecue or grill-out wedding calls for more casual foods, like devilled eggs, stuffed celery, meatballs, and nuts.

If you're serving your wedding cake as finger food, you'll want to cut it into bite-sized pieces. Cake pops are a fun option, as are cupcakes. You could even create a cupcake-decorating station, where guests can choose their own toppings and frostings. If you're serving a more traditional wedding cake, pre-cut slices of cake for easy serving.

The timing of your cake-cutting ceremony will also influence how you serve your wedding cake. For example, if you cut the cake before dinner, you can serve it after your guests have eaten, ensuring that those who leave early get dessert. Alternatively, you could wait until later in the evening, around 9 pm, to serve the cake, signalling that the party is coming to an end.

If you're serving your wedding cake as part of an evening buffet, you'll want to consider other food options to accompany it. A few ideas include:

• Grilled cheese sliders
• Mini pigs in a blanket
• Potato salad cups
• Mini fruit salads
• Mini cheeseburger sliders
• Mini chocolate chip cookies

Cut the cake before the first dance

Cutting the cake before the first dance is a great way to ensure you have the attention of all your guests and signal that the dance floor is open. Here is a suggested timeline for your wedding reception, with the cake cutting before the first dance:

6:00 pm - Guests start to make their way into the reception area

6:10 pm - Bride and Groom make their entrance

6:12 pm - The Bride and Groom share their first dance

6:15 pm - Speeches begin with the Bride's father/mother

6:20 pm - First course is served

7:00 pm - Speeches continue with the Best Man/Groomsmen, followed by the Maid of Honour/Bridesmaids, and the Groom's mother

7:30 pm - Second course is served

8:00 pm - The Bride and Groom cut the cake, feeding each other a slice and smashing cake into each other's faces (optional!)

8:15 pm - The Bride and Groom take their seats, and guests are invited to help themselves to cake

8:30 pm - Father/Daughter dance

8:33 pm - Groom/Mother dance

8:35 pm - The dance floor is open to all guests

11:15 pm - Late-night food is served

12:20 am - Last call for the bar

12:40 am - Bride and Groom depart

1:00 am - Everyone else leaves

• Ensure your DJ or MC builds energy and announces the cake-cutting to gather your guests' attention.
• Have your photographer capture the moment, especially if they are scheduled to leave before the end of the reception.
• After the cake is cut, the catering team can begin serving it to guests while you transition to the first dance.
• Cutting the cake early in the evening, especially if you do it before dinner, relieves pressure for older guests or those with children to stay until the end of the reception.
• If you cut the cake before dinner, the catering team can slice and serve it as a plated dessert course once entrées have been cleared.
• If you are nervous about your first dance, getting it out of the way early in the reception means you can relax and enjoy the rest of the evening.

Frequently asked questions