Weddings Cutting The Cake

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My advice to every bride and groom is to have the cake cutting after all of the other back end formalities; in other words, after parent dances, garter/bouquet activities, and any additional dances like the anniversary dance or apron dance. It would be the last formality before the farewell dance. The reasons I give with this advice is that, should they decide to smash cake then they will have to interrupt the other activities while they get cleaned up and they may have to appear in the pictures for the other formalities in stained clothes. I also tell them that some guests may also leave after the cake. Most agree with my advice and make the cake cutting the last formality and some don't. In the end, it is their day.

When they agree I will invariably run into venue staff that wants to change this around. I make the same explanation and some say that they never thought of this in regards to cake smashing. One venue told me that they just won't allow them to smash cake but the bride and groom ignored them and smashed anyway; in the end, it is their day. :sqlaugh:

I know of one venue around these parts that has a "rule" that the cake cutting must happen after dinner. Honestly, rules are made to be broken and, I must repeat, in the end it is the bride and groom's day.

So, what would you do?
 
Well funny enough, as a bride and groom, Ducky and I have decided to cut the cake right after dinner. That way it will be ready to eat right after the formal dances. And if I'm really worried about making a mess, I'll just tuck a napkin in the front of my shirt.
 
DJ J Mac said:
Well funny enough, as a bride and groom, Ducky and I have decided to cut the cake right after dinner. That way it will be ready to eat right after the formal dances. And if I'm really worried about making a mess, I'll just tuck a napkin in the front of my shirt.
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J Mac:

I've done it that way before and have no problem with it; however, the area I am in tends to have cake smashing as a tradition. There was supposed to be no smashing at this Saturday's wedding but it happened anyway. Even if the groom had a napkin in front of his shirt it wouldn't have done him any good because the bride got him good. He got her good as well and the puple icing did stain her dress.

I honestly don't care what order the bride and groom put the formalities in because it is their day. The advice I give comes from experience but it is only advice and they don't have to take it. But sometimes I do want to run up an yell "Told ya so, told ya so!" :sqlaugh:
 
TommyO said:
But sometimes I do want to run up an yell "Told ya so, told ya so!" :sqlaugh:
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Hehe...boy there are times we all wanna do that for some reason or another. I see what you mean though, around here there's not normally much cake smashing, even if there is, it's a dab on the nose, or something small like that.
 
Cake is an odd subject.

1. Many times here the venue make us cut the cake right after the entrance. This way the staff has the entire dinner service to get the cake ready.

2. A few venues here have fake cakes and they insert a small real piece into the cake where it's to be cut, the guest are served from sheet cakes in the back. This can be done at any time.

3. I never do gater and bouquet until the wedding is almost over, it's one of the last things I do so cutting the cake after that wouldn't work.

Most natually I cut cake before any of the formal dances take place, it's the 1st event after dinner.
 
same here, most times cake cutting is done right after dinner, but sometimes do it right after intros when it's being served for desert.


but most here like to get all the formalities done so the last few hours are just dancing. Most times we do the garter about 45 minutes into the dancing.
 
Luckily Canadians didnt fall into the cake smash fad. We typically attempt to do it right after dinner for formal pictures and so that cake will be available for the dessert table. You dont want to wast money on mostly overpriced cake when you have a delicious choice of additional dessert table treats. In fact many are opting for Fake instead of cake or just a real topper for the traditional efforts. Sort of like an Ipod DJ I suppose.
 
DJ J Mac said:
Well funny enough, as a bride and groom, Ducky and I have decided to cut the cake right after dinner. That way it will be ready to eat right after the formal dances. And if I'm really worried about making a mess, I'll just tuck a napkin in the front of my shirt.
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Umm....about that....you'd better not be having any reason to worry about getting cake smashed on you! :rofl:
 
Majority of the time, it's about 15 minutes after the last table goes through the buffet line.

If it's a plated dinner, then the venues tend to want the cake done right up front, epecially if they've placed the cake in the center of the dance floor.


Thank goodness we've only had a couple of cake smashing episodes to deal with.
 
Another aspect to consider: Ambient temperature.

If the reception is fortunate enough to be in a climate controlled venue ~ and the climate control actually works as advertised, the cake can be done any time the B&G want it.

Folks we've seen some very elaborate wedding cakes collapse or come close to collapsing because it was just too darn hot. It's something to keep in mind. :)
 
round these-here parts
we normally do it first thing after dinner
and sometimes right after intro's...
so it can be served as dessert, so the guests can eat it while the formal dances are happening and they will be ready to dance when they are over, so it wastes a little time in a usually slow part of the nite, and because the hall likes to reduce the staff as early as possible.
waiting till later also makes it difficult for the people who need to leave early, and usually puts a stop to a good dance floor.

I've found the best way to avoid "smashing" is to have the bride be very particular about her dress and hr pictures. she usually sets the groom straight long before the wedding day.
if they're not worried about getting messy, it usually means they more worried about having a good time!
 
As you know from my agendas I sent you, my typical scenario/advice to the B&G is to use it to break the night into two distinct dance sets with first dance, parent dances, $$$ dances (ie the people with money are the ones who would be leaving after the cake!) etc before the cake cutting, and going back into high-energy dancing with the tosses as a warm-up afterwards.

My reasons for waiting that long for it are pretty much the same as your reasons for waiting, but I don't push it to the LAST EVENT. First scenario, it just gets too late and nobody, B&G included, want to wait that long for it, and secondly, if you cram everything in so that cake can still be cut relatively early in the night you're most likely guilty of "front-loading" all the events and dances which could potentially lead to a rushed or uncomfortable flow of events - similar to when we have to move events and dances up because the photographer has to leave at 8!

Important to stress though, is that though we all have our preferences and suggestions based on experience and whatnot, the only way to go is to simply provide them to the couple as that - suggestions - and let them make the final call.
 
99% of the time we cut the cake right after dinner so guests will be ready for desert.

The other 1% is a venue that demands it be cut after the grand entrance.

As for making a mess smashing the cake, I ALWAYS have a Father/Son talk with our grooms about this. It is our job as the DJ/MC to make sure that party continues to flow though out the evening. If we loose a bride AND her bridesmaids for a half hour while redo makeup and hair, that has disrupted the flow.

Now, something that I don't normally share is a solution to making the B&G a mess of themselves. *See photo for a wedding we did in June
karajustin.jpg


kara%20and%20justin1.jpg
 
lol here we dont have that happen (in over 30 years anyway)

but it has been starting of late
now what I have done I have gone out and bought some oversized Bibs

one that look like this

11067-1.jpg


then you can have the name of your company screen printed on to it


by the way our cake cutting is normally done - nest look on a quick running sheet below

entry
intro
meals
cutting cake (only reason its here most are using the cake with sweets)
speeches
sweets/afters
break 10mins
main waltzs
bouquet and garter (but more and more are opting out and keeping it)

dancing

leaving
 
That Lizard video was GREAT!

I have been DJing wedding for 25 yrs, I have found that waiting too long to have the cutting of the cake is not a good idea.

Why?
* A zillion pieces of cake go to waste for those that are not there.

* Guests that must leave early are ticked because they didn't get any cake.

* Photographer may not be getting OT & will leave. (no photos of cake cutting)

*Staff gets angry because they want to get it done, they have other duties or venue needs to send extra staff home.

* It drags things out too long & guests may not want cake that late (cake goes to waste)

I could never understand why DJs would put this off till late. I once had a DJ say that everyone leaves after the cake cutting, that's why he puts it off. My feeling? maybe they leave because the DJ stinks & or he doesn't know how to work the crowd & keep the evening moving along.
 
Bill thats why its done the way says on my quick list

so much easier....
 
what we sagest to the bride and groom is you eat dinner and usually after dinner you have desert thats when they cut the cake
 
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