Cake Pulls

The picture didn’t want to attach for some reason!

We did this because it’s what they do in my husband’s culture. His SIL advised me that it’s similar to the bouquet toss and it’s generally done by only the unmarried or un-coupled. One of the charms is a ring and the person who gets the ring is “supposed” to be the next to marry.

We thought it was fun. Check with your baker. I know we had to order it specifically through a company that makes food safe metals and ribbon as to not taint the cake.

View Quoted Comment Interesting. We don’t plan on doing a bouquet toss because we’re inviting 3 unmarried women (not counting the 7 that will be ages 4-14). I don’t know that anyone in our circles are familiar with the tradition, so they may or may not think it was weird if we asked married people to participate too.
That’s a good point about food safe metal and ribbon, thanks! My MOH and I are baking the cake and thinking about just doing a small cake for cutting and cupcakes for guests to make it easy to serve. I thought about doing a faux second tier for show/pictures, so I could put them under that one potentially.

This is neat! I’ve never seen this before!!

Never heard of this before. So interesting and different.

This is a Louisiana tradition. I would be a little confused if neither family had ties to that region but if you wanna do it go for it!

What a neat tradition! I love learning about different wedding traditions.

If I’m understanding this correctly, you are putting charms or ribbons inside of food. That’s disgusting. Not a fan. I don’t care how cute it is

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I hadn't either! It originated in Victorian England according to what I've read.

View Quoted Comment Its not inside of the cake it’s underneath the bottom layer between the cake display and the bottom layer. It’s a cultural practice for many areas and calling it disgusting can come across as ignorant or rude for those who plan to partake in this cultural practice.

View Quoted Comment Woah it’s down in LA? My husband is from Argentina and said it was super popular down there too. That’s so cool!

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I actually found it looking at old English wedding traditions because I'm fascinated by old wedding traditions. From what I read it started in Victorian England known as a "ribbon pull" and later gained popularity in the South and particularly New Orleans area. I think you're right, most of our guests would probably be confused but probably because they wouldn't know what it is.

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I do too! I'm fascinated by all kinds of wedding traditions!

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It's amazing how traditions spread around the world. From what I read it comes from Victorian England originally.

I would really enjoy that! I love learning about different cultures and their wedding traditions!

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As MrsBdeG said, it's not IN the cake, it would be under the outer edge of the bottom layer of the cake. One I was looking at, they hid the charms in the piped icing around the edge of the cake. You're totally entitled to your opinion, but obviously I don't plan on just shoving charms and/or ribbons into the cake - they would be clean and food safe and most likely wouldn't even come into contact with anything anyone was eating anyways. Thank you for your honesty.

Yes, we did this. It is a New Orleans tradition. I come from a Cajun family. You do it in lieu of a bouquet toss. My guests loved it.

As long as the charms and ribbons are not touching food, it’s a non issue. I misunderstood thinking one or the other was inside the cake. I lose my appetite if I see the slightest non edible thing touching food

It is like a money it dollar dance:. If it is genuinely a custom of the people in the culture you or the groom come from, it is fine. But adopting it as an activity you happen to like, from a different culture? People of your village or town are no longer pinning a full day's wages, a dollar or other low amount currency, as their sole gift to you. They bring larger gifts, so money dances outside the culture are not well thought of. The cake pull charms and rings, have always been very sexist. And like the bouquet and garter toss, an unmarried woman is the prize, or being the first or next to marry is the consequence of catching something, or getting a charm ring. Most people have dropped bouquet and garter tosses because they consider it embarrassing, or sexist, and anti those who never wish to marry, who are embarrassed by being urged to participate even when they obviously do not want to. Victorian, and old French and American traditions , were all inherently sexist. And like a lot of people, I dislike cake pulls, catching the brass ring ( marriage, guy gets to choose the gal) bouquet tosses for any reason except the right to take home a bride's actual flowers to enjoy ( not a duplicate.) And hate the garter routine. I never take small not edible favors, so charms have no appeal. I would walk in the other direction or make use of the less busy time in the ladies room , rather than observe a cake pull. As I do for garter/ bouquet for single people.

View Quoted Comment The implication I’m getting is that I’m somehow appropriating a culture that I am not a part of if I decide to do this. As it happens my heritage is English, French, and German, so I see zero parallel in me participating in a tradition originating from Victorian England (even if it has been adopted in other places since), and doing a dollar/money dance which is not part of my own cultural heritage and obviously something I have no intention of doing. I also see no reasonable comparison me giving a guest a charm and me asking for people to give me money for a dance. I also understand sexism quite well, no need for a lesson. If the only thing you had to contribute was judgement you really needn’t have bothered.