CUTTING & SERVING

• Next, you need to think about where best it is to cut the cake. Always go for the bottom tier, but make sure that you don’t cut somewhere that will lead to other tiers toppling over. You will only need to cut two small bits off so think about the best way of doing this – the corner of a square cake is a good starting point whilst for rounded cakes, cut about an inch or two along the outer edge of the circumference.

• Finally, don’t cut off two big slices – the last thing you want in your beautiful dress or suit is to have your partner smearing a huge bit of cake all over your face – save that for the Honeymoon!

You will need to think about when exactly during the day the cake will be cut. A popular slot is after the end of the meal (you could even serve the cake as desert) or just before the buffet on the ‘Evening Do’. It will only take a few minutes, but you should enjoy and milk the cutting for everything it's worth!

After the cake is cut, a member of the catering staff should remove the cake and slice it ready for serving. Make sure that they are aware how many slices are expected from each tier and know how much to cut off each (this is important if you have different types of cake on each of the tiers or you wish to save a tier for another occasion such as your first anniversary). You will need to confirm with the catering staff when to serve the cake – as a desert at the Reception, following the desert with tea and coffee, as part of the Evening buffet, or on platters during the ‘Evening Do’ are the most common options. If you decide to not serve the cake, but instead hand the cake out to guests as they leave, then you should also consider how they will be presented – decorative cake boxes are a wonderful option, though the less decorative but just as functional ‘wrapped in cling film’ is a viable alternative.

The cutting and serving of the cake may well be the final ‘task’ for the Wedding cake, but it is just as important as all the others, so make sure that you have taken the time to plan it out properly.