W e dd i ng s G u i de fo r 2 00 5
Just Dessert?
The wedding cake is more than a sweet treat.
BY JESSICA MacMURRAY BLAINE
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ow tall is he?” I asked,
repeating her question,
completely confused.
“Yes,” responded the woman tak-
ing my order for a wedding cake.
“And how tall are you? And will you
be wearing heels?”
She went on, and on. These were
not questions I had expected to have
to answer. But the Cake Police, as
we’ll call her, wanted to know. She
also wanted to know the name of the
caterer, the band, the florist, where
the food would be served and more.
I had come prepared with a differ-
ent set of answers: almond poppy-
seed, 180, July 26. Obviously, I had
no idea how complex the cake was. It
required a reservation at least six
months in advance, two days of
setup, coordination with the florist,
planning of the photographs and a
Bakers at Sweet Life customize wedding cakes.
contract. I thought it was just a
Sweet Life custom cakes start at $155
for a cake serving 40.
dessert.
But look into the wide world of
bridal magazines, websites, books
with columns and flowers and who knows
and the million other places one is supposed
what else, but durable enough to survive it
to go for advice on these matters, and it’s
until you’re ready to cut it. Let’s not forget, it
immediately clear that a wedding cake is a
has to be edible too.
complex beast. Cake designers offer models
Face it. Most wedding receptions are
and sketches. Planners offer explanations of
coordinated by people whose emotions are
traditions passed through the centuries: old
just a teeny bit heightened. Little logistical
symbolism behind the towering layers, the
issues such as a slightly-melted cake decora-
first slice, the feeding of one another.
Catering
Fr o m th e p l a n ni n g s ta ge to i ts h ap p y c on c lu si o n ,
w e wi ll a s si st y o u in a l l a s pe ct s of y o u r w e dd i n g,
a s we ll a s pr o v i d e y o u w i th gr e at fo o d
fo r y o ur f e as t . L et us ta k e t he s t re ss
o u t o f y o u r sp e c i al e v e nt !
5 4 1 -3 4 2 - 4 41 0
THE WAIT IS OVER!
JAN. 27 ...
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6 • E u ge n e W e ek l y W ed d in g Gu i de fo r 2 0 05
There is a reason why a traditional
wedding cake is such a production:
It’s not just a dessert. It’s not just a wedding
symbol. It’s not just a photo opp.
It’s all of those things, plus a massive
logistical effort on the part of the cake handler.
Medieval English brides and grooms had
to kiss over a tower of sweet rolls, symboliz-
ing wealth and plentiful children, without
knocking it over. A typical groom in ancient
Rome broke a loaf of bread over the bride’s
head to symbolize deflowering her.
Simultaneous slicing and feeding each other
has come to symbolize the team effort in
marriage, the bounty to come, the support
each spouse will offer the other.
As it is in all things wedding, these sup-
posedly helpful resources also offer check-
lists, timelines and the admonition that your
cake should be the perfect representation of
your Personal Style.
There is a reason why a traditional wed-
ding cake is such a production: It’s not just a
dessert. It’s not just a wedding symbol. It’s
not just a photo opp. It’s all of those things,
plus a massive logistical effort on the part of
the cake handler.
Decorative arts notwithstanding, cake
people have to balance refrigeration and dis-
play, coordination with florists and caterers,
and a host of other niggling details. All that
in addition to the semi-heroic feat of assem-
bling a cake that is not only 3 or 4 feet tall
tion, a poorly-sited spot for cutting, or a cake
that arrives at the reception as everyone’s
leaving, can become fraught with meaning
when it’s the Big Day. It’s a lot to manage.
So it’s no wonder that the cake and its asso-
ciated parts can end up costing more than
$1,000.
But alternatives abound. What if you
don’t want to pay $10 per slice for every per-
son at your wedding, knowing full well that
many won’t even touch their plates? How
does the almighty Personal Style translate
into dessert for 100? What if you’re not even
sure that you want cake?
The alternatives are vast, and a good cake
person (or caterer) will help you explore
them. Order a small, fabulous single-tier for
you and your sweetie to cut in public while
the caterer dishes out sheet cake for your
guests from behind the scenes. Up on a
pedestal and decorated well, a small cake can
be just as lovely. Or have a tower of cup-
cakes, or chocolates, or éclairs, or chocolate-
chip cookies.
The good news is, it’s your wedding and
you can do whatever you want. Just don’t tell
the Cake Police.
❤
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