Cake Cutting and Serving

barakah856

Does the cake cutting and serving signify the end of the wedding?  Our buffet is served at 8:30 and dancing will start at 9:15.  The caterer wants to cut and serve the cake at 10:00 and I'm afraid people will leave after that!  We want them to stay and party!  We do not have a DJ and are doing our own music with a great sound system and Itunes on the laptop. We're on a tight budget folks and I know what you're all thinking, but we have great songs with no dead air time between them.  Should we serve the cake right after dinner? 

mysticl

Some people see it as the sign that it is ok to leave if you want.  I've also heard that if you wait too long to serve it that people will have left anyhow and you will be stuck with a ton of leftover cake.

tldh

Why don't you but it as soon as you get there so nobody takes it as their cue to leave? That way they can also eat it throughout the night and there's lees chance of leftovers.

Lisa8888

The cake is usually cut and served in the last hour so it does signal the end is near. Tell your caterer that is not how you want it.

twilight.rose

I think waiting until 10 to serve the cake seems a bit late. We cut ours right after dinner, prior to dancing, and people were able to enjoy it throughout the evening. We had very little leftover cake with that timeline.

Muffin'sMom

The non party people will go anyway.  Cut and serve your cake after dinner and then leave it out to snack on thru the night!  Beats tking tons of cake home!

topchef33

10 seems late to cut the cake. I would cut and serve it right after dinner, so that people who aren't going to stay for the dancing can have some before they leave.

kaesha

We did it before dinner started because we needed to have it plated up for the end of dinner for when the last speech was going on.

rachpizano

From lots and lots of experiance I have found that guest at your wedding are going to leave when they are ready to leave reguardless if they had cake or not. They have been there all day and probably tired. The other thing to consider is that if your going to be serving alcohol at the wedding after a few drinks people are really wanting cake. If you wait till late you are going to end up with half your wedding cake left. Cut it up after dinner and serve it. Those who want to stay and party with y'all will stay.
Who Wants Cake?
www.whowantscake.biz

danieliza1127

People will leave when they're ready, you can't really make them stay.  Some people leave early and the ones that want to dance and party will stay late.

I think 10 is late to cut the cake.  If you aren't eating dinner until 8:30, I would probably cut the cake before the buffet is served so people can pick up a slice right after dinner, or cut the cake right after dinner.  That's kind of late for dinner in my opinion, and you want your older guests or those with kids who are going to want to leave a little earlier to have a chance to have a piece of cake.

Ashes_3

If their going to leave, it doesn't matter what time you cut it. But as PP have said, 10 is late. The best time to do it is after dinner.

cai0311

The best time to cut the cake is the moment the reception starts.  A friend of mine did this at her wedding.  The cake was set up in the middle of the dance floor during the cocktail hour.  The tables for the guests were set up in a semi circle around the dance floor.  We all sat down for the announcement of the bridal party, parents...then bride and groom.  The came in the reception room, immediately went straight to the cake to cut/feed each other (this also ensures that all your guests get to watch you cut the cake), the cake was taken in the kitchen and cut up right then.  Just as dinner ended the waiters came around and gave us our cake.   There is no left over cake because everyone got their peice right away. In my opinion this is the best way to do a cake cutting.

superherogal

I agree with cai0311.
10 is awfully late, but if you cut it before dinner, then everyone will be able to see you. And on the plus side, while you're enjoying dinner and the cake is getting sliced up, there's no waiting time for those that may not be able to stay as late as 10.