The pictured wedding cake is believed to have been made in 1898. Originally white, it has now browned with age and is said to still have a moist rich fruit cake inside. Source: dailymail.co.uk
The wedding cake is a major feature at most Nigerian weddings and, more often than not, there's some sort of speech or 'ceremony' to commence the cutting of the cake. Wedding cakes weren't always centre stage at weddings though or even served to the guests. It started with bread, or sweet buns and in some cases, pie. As far back as the Roman Empire, the groom would eat part of a load of barley bread specially baked for the wedding and break the rest of it on the bride's head. Why? It symbolized the bride's virginal state and the dominance of the male over her. Guests would then scramble for the crumbs said to ensure fertility.
Next, came sweet buns. Oh yum! In Medieval England, sweet buns were stacked in a large pile in front of the bride and groom, and they would attempt to kiss over it. Success meant a fertile marriage.
The bride's pie showed up in the 17th century and survived all the way to early in the 19th century. This pie could have been filled with sweet breads or could have simply been a mutton pie. A glass ring was put in the pie and then the pie was cut up and served to the guests. It was considered very rude and bad luck not to eat a piece of the bride's pie. An old adage claimed that the woman who found the glass ring would be the next to be married. This custom later gave way to the throwing of the bouquet.
Finally, enter wedding cakes in the late 19th century, and the exit of bride's pie. Traditionally, wedding cakes were said to bring good luck to the couple and their guests. Certain customs have remained over the years, like keeping the top tier for the celebration of the first year's anniversary, so the marriage would go smoothly during the year.
Our favourite custom though is the one where the bride and groom feed each other a piece of wedding cake. It's a symbol of their commitment to caring for and serving each other. Originally, it was to offer up her servitude as his chattel, but that chauvinistic custom is a thing of the past. The wedding cake, regardless of its colour, is still a symbol of the couple's good fortune, fertility, and their commitment to serving each other.
How important is/was your wedding cake at your wedding?