NER - day-of timeline (cake)

emeejeeayen · July 2013

I have a question of personal taste to ask regarding the day-of timeline, specifically cake cutting.

At weddings, do you prefer cake cutting to happen immediately after dinner, with slices put on display to take at your leisure, or would you prefer dancing is interrupted later in the evening for cake cutting so that you're not as full from dinner and ready to eat the cake? No matter what later in the evening there will be a DIY s'mores bar, if that makes any kind of difference, and we're doing sliced cake + 3 different flavors of cupcakes.

Thoughts?

Thanks!!

(On an semi-related note, our DJ wants us to pick a song for cake cutting, and after Rihanna and Chris Brown's "Cake" was shut down, I'm out of ideas. Suggestions? Comedy encouraged.)

HisGirlFriday13 · July 2013

I don't know, but this is a good question, so I hope you get answers!

I think we're going to do ours after dinner, but before dancing, so that people can help themselves as they want to. As a guest, I don't like having things interrupted once we've gotten going.

ETA: We're cutting a very small round cake (think six inches) for the ceremonial "cake cutting." The rest of our dessert options are cupcakes and Italian cookies, so there's no cutting in the back needed.

MayDay513 · July 2013

We did cake cutting then 10 min later toasts then first dance then dance party, somewhere during dancing we did bouquet.

itzMS · July 2013

Neither. Before dinner.

In my area, the cake is usually taken in the back and cut up in slices during dinner so that the pieces can be served to guests at their tables.

MayDay513 · July 2013

itzMS said:

Neither. Before dinner.

In my area, the cake is usually taken in the back and cut up in slices during dinner so that the pieces can be served to guests at their tables.

Good point. I guess it depends on how big your actual cake is and if you will do a sheet cake in back. We did a small wedding cake with a giant sheet cake in back, gave our caterer instructions on when to cut and distribute (as we cut cake was being distributed, our DOC also gave the kitchen a 10 min warning).

courtski2004 · July 2013

We went through the buffet, ate, did toasts and spotlight dances, then cut the cake.

I've seen it done as soon as the B&G come into the reception (which I feel is too rushed, personally), and as late as an hour or two after dinner. I prefer to eat the meal, then cake, then get on with the reception. I likely won't stop dancing to have cake. By then, I'm drinking my dessert.

Our DJ played 'Sugar, Sugar' by The Archies during our cake cutting.

itzMS · July 2013

huynhette said:

itzMS said:

Neither. Before dinner.

In my area, the cake is usually taken in the back and cut up in slices during dinner so that the pieces can be served to guests at their tables.

Good point. I guess it depends on how big your actual cake is and if you will do a sheet cake in back. We did a small wedding cake with a giant sheet cake in back, gave our caterer instructions on when to cut and distribute (as we cut cake was being distributed, our DOC also gave the kitchen a 10 min warning).

I'm pretttyyyyyy sure your guests weren't supposed to know that they weren't eating from the actual wedding cake...so if they're getting cake as you're cutting...it's pretty obvious that they're getting something "from the back". Oh, well!

Sheet cakes are certainly fine...but when done in a subtle fashion, IMHO.

AprilH81 · July 2013

Our tentative agenda is to do our entrance, first dance, cut the cake, then have lunch. Any toasts will happen during the meal.

emeejeeayen · July 2013

So our timeline is:

Cocktail hour (we join casually, no entrance, thank everyone and invite them to join us for dinner)

Salads

Toasts from MOB and MOG

Dinner

Toasts from BM and MOH

Cut cake

First dance

The hora (is that what it's called? The chair dance)

Dance floor is open the rest of the night

FI is worried people will be too full for cake right after dinner and is wondering if we should push this back until an hour and a half before everyone goes home. I think it will slow the evening down and interrupt people having a good time.

daria24 · July 2013

I hate when the cake cutting interrupts the dancing. Also I know a lot of older guests prefer to leave after the cake cutting-I've been to weddings with my ILs and they hate when the cake cutting is dragged out-they want to have cake and get away from the loud music.

I think it's weird when the couple cuts it right after their entrance-I haven't even had a chance to look at the cake dammit.

I prefer it cut right after dinner.

We used U2's The Sweetest Thing, Sarah McClachlan's Ice Cream was a second choice.

snoopycac · July 2013

I vote after dinner, before dancing.

fre3doms · July 2013

I think for the three weddings I've been to in the last couple years they cut the cake after dinner and before the dancing.

Ven&Radio · July 2013

I've never been to a wedding were the cake was put out for people to grab at their leisure -- it's always been delivered to the tables. In general, I prefer to have a gap between when I eat dinner and dessert, plus I want my beautiful cake to be on display for as long as possible. So my original thought was to do the cake cutting later in the evening. However, the one wedding I've been to that did this, almost no one went back to their tables to eat the cake. I'm paying an asston for the cake, I want it to get eaten. This is definitely going to be a major topic of discussion at our planning/timeline meeting with the DOC next week.

sam1252010 · July 2013

We did a fake cake cutting for photos right after the ceremony as our time alone as our guests gathered for a group photo. This allowed for a cake cutting photo without all the other flashes and so the photographer would be ale to get a shot in natural light. Then we joined the front of the group photo and said our hellos.
As for the actual cake cutting we did it after dinner, speeches were during dinner/ between courses, did not slow the meal down. Our centre peices were cakes so our guests had a lot of fun cutting their cakes and enjoying a lot or a little cake (we had back ups in case cake got wrecked).
Cake right after dinner worked really well, but the guests were looking at their cake during dinner so we figured they would want to eat it.
I don't contribute often but have learned a lot on this forum so I hope this helps.

libby2483 · July 2013

itzMS said:

Neither. Before dinner.

In my area, the cake is usually taken in the back and cut up in slices during dinner so that the pieces can be served to guests at their tables.

I agree. We did our cake cutting before dinner as well, so that the venue staff could plate up the cupcakes during dinner and serve them to guests for dessert.

kmmssg · July 2013

AprilH81 said:

Our tentative agenda is to do our entrance, first dance, cut the cake, then have lunch. Any toasts will happen during the meal.

This is exactly what our last DD did and I loved it. She had a dinner reception

I hate waiting for the cake. You all think Addie loves her some cake? Well, stand aside, cuz the meal is just a formality so I can have cake. Lucky for me DH isn't a cake guy so I get his too!

NER - day-of timeline (cake)

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