Alternative to a cake cutting ceremony

Not a clue, but I'm interested in what others might have to say.

Other than cutting it, i have no idea what "ceremonial" purpose it could possibly serve...

This may not answer your question... but we're going to do a dessert table with the cake, some traditional italian cookies, and candy on display (all in tiffany blue).

Maybe just having the cake on display like that would be enough? You could add some lighting to highlight it.

And maybe right before they take it away to cut it in the kitchen it can be wheeled through the room or something so everyone can see it?

Thanks, Anne Marie. Maybe I can use the cake in something my guests can do to it. So it will be on display for everyone to see as a piece of art but then people can help decorate it? something else? to make it more meaningful?

I like that idea of calling the couples who have been married for so many years and giving the longest married couple the first piece.

Nate_Untouchable, Thanks for that suggestion but I'm a little afraid that it might touch a nerve. We know same sex couples who have been "married" as long as different sex couples. We also believe that marriage isn't the only expression of love so it would be not inclusive of everyone at our wedding.

I guess I am not being clear enough. I don't want to cut the cake at all. No cake cutting. Bashing it in a la Gallagaher, maybe I'm not very traditional so I want to do something completely out of the norm and maybe slightly poke fun at this tradition at the same time.

I really do appreciate everyone's ideas. I just feel like if we can put enough heads together for long enough *something* will come out of it

Im also not sure what you are looking for. But I have seen something on tv where someone didnt have a knife, so they cut the cake with some kind of saw. Idk, maybe that would help you..

How about an ax or sword (if that would fit into your theme)?

Hmmm. I don't know. I think having people help decorate it would be fun. But someone is going to put a lot of time and patience into baking it, cooling it, frosting it to just let someone else possibly ruin it. I know you're not wanting tradition.. that makes sense. But I am not really sure what the purpose of having the cake there would be then... I wasn't going to have a cake but cupcakes... but people were still going to eat it. If you're not going to eat it, why not make a cardboard cake?

Kali, thanks for the suggestion.

I was kind of leaning towards that. Like maybe have some sort of decorations on hand that people can write their names on and wish us congratulations and that sort of thing. Then they can use it to decorate the cake. So the cake would be kind of a guestbook (something we're not having). We could have before and after shots. I think that would be kinda cool.

I was also thinking that maybe we could have a cake topper contest. Our guests could bring in something they think would be amusing or wacky as a cake topper. At the end of the night, we select which one we liked best and instead of having a cake ceremony we do a cake topping with the winner.

Either way, the cake can still be sliced up by the reception staff and served to guests. If they really want cake that badly.

So Jennifer... we are having an artistic friend make our cake as well... and we both hate the cake cutting deal, it seems so outdated, but want to showcase the cake somehow. Was wondering if you had a solution and how it went????

We too don't like the "traditional" cake cutting ceremony seeing that we have been living together for five years and have kids. We are contemplating being silly and cutting a block of cheese (we will "cut the cheese" together) , and then have the caterers cut and distribute the cake.

I have been looking around a bit and could not find anything that would work for me as an alternative to a cake cutting ceremony until now. I just learned that a long time ago the bride and groom used to kiss over a stack of cakes. If they didn't wreak the stack it symbolized prosperity for them. I am paraphrasing of course. We are planning now to have chroqembouche, (the cake designed after this tradition) and kiss over it instead of cutting it. I thought I would post this here in case someone else found this as I did and was looking for other ideas. I really like this idea because it comes from an old tradition but is not done anymore so it can be new again.

I have two suggestions ive come across.
1) have a bottle of wine passed around to be signed and have all the married couples write advice down. Then, lock the box with the wine and notes to be opened on your 1 yr anniversary.

2) write down all the things you love about your partner. Create a set of cards with a box to hold the cards. Read them to each other with the promise that when in trying times you will pull the cards out to remind yourself of why you married in the first place.