When to cut the cake?

[Deleted User] · August 2012

I've seen different thoughts on this. When is the best time to cut the cake? I don't want people to leave too early because the cake has been cut and some people think this is a sign that the evening is ending, but also don't want to cut it too late into the evening after a lot of people have already left. I also don't want to keep interrupting the dancing with all of the little traditions... cake, garter, bouquet.

loca4pook · August 2012

I think it depends on whether it is being serves as your dessert or not? I think some venues will dicate this for you because they will need time to cut it for you.

QueerFemme · August 2012

We are cutting ours immediately after dinner. It really is personal preference, and venue rules.

We are doing:

Ceremony
Cocktail hour
Dinner
Cutting Cake
First Dance
Open dancing, goofing off.

[Deleted User] · August 2012

The cake is our dessert. I am not doing a sweets table, or candy bar. We will have the wedding cake and I am surprising my fiancee with a grooms cake that we will have as well for a different variety of cake.

kks4471 · August 2012

Our cake cutting time is one of the very few regrets I have about our wedding. We visited every table to thank our guests, then cut the cake. Looking back, I wish we cut the cake halfway through our table tour. That way our guests had something to eat while waiting for us to finish up and start dancing.

Maggie0829 · August 2012

I have been to weddings where the cake was cut right after the bride and groom were announced, right after dinner and about an hour before the reception was over with.

IMO, I prefer that it be cut right before or right after dinner, that way nothing will interrupt the party once it gets rolling (that includes not doing the bouquet or garter toss and also doing the spotlight dances right before or right after dinner).

Carson386 · August 2012

I'm hoping that we do the cake cutting right after dinner. Our buffet (for dinner) has cookies & brownies on it, but I want to do the cake right after dinner, then our first dance, so and and so forth up until we leave.

kmmssg · August 2012

Last DD cut her cake at the end of cocktail hour so it was served as dessert immediatly after dinner. My nephew did that last Spring, and come to think of it, I think my niece did last Fall also. I love me some cake so the sooner you cut it the sooner I can eat it!! I promise to stay and dance.

coopsbaby · August 2012

Yep, I agree with loving when it's cut asap so I can have cake right away. I hate it when there's this big lull after dinner and this big old cake sitting there taunting me. Let's cut that baby and eat us some cake!

kmmssg · August 2012

I also think waiting til things are about to wind down is why people have a lot of leftover cake. People have been drinking and dancing, and after alcohol, a lot of people don't want sweets. I can say with two of my girls we didn't have leftovers to worry about.

daria24 · August 2012

Cut it right after dinner. The people waiting around for the cake cutting so they can leave aren't usually the dancing types anyway. I've been to one wedding where they waiting until much later and they ended up with almost an entire four layer cake uneaten. Those that want to party and dance will stay anyway.

alithebride · August 2012

we did after dinner then had some dancing and then had the cake and some plates of other things the venue put out for dessert.

LeiselEB · August 2012

We cut ours right after cocktail hour, did our first dance as the first course was being served, then had dinner and dessert. Right after that was open dancing with no interruptions the rest of the night.

AdeleDazeem · August 2012

I think it's fine to cut it right after dinner, but I HAAATE when they cut it right after the couple is announced before anything at the reception happens. Like, really? The cake is pretty. It's meant to be looked at for awhile before that fondant is ripped off (and trashed) and it's dissected into a hundred pieces. You spent a lot of money on those cake decorations, at least let people look at it.