The wedding cake is usually cut during the last hour of the wedding reception, signaling to guests that it’s time for dessert and coffee as the party begins to wind down. As your party nears its end, you want to make sure your cake-cutting songs are on point! For those curious about the timing of other key events, read through our detailed post on a traditional wedding reception timeline. The cake cutting, in general, is also a cue to guests that it’s okay to leave soon, so don’t schedule dessert too early or the reception could start wrapping up before you’re ready. Also, since you’ll already have guests’ attention, dessert is also a good time to grab the mic and thank your guests for coming to the wedding.
There are several traditions surrounding wedding cakes, all of which have different origins and interpretations. The joint cutting of the cake, with both members of the wedding couple holding the knife, could be interpreted to symbolize the couple’s commitment to teamwork and aligning on goals as they start their future together. If the wedding cake has multiple layers, traditionally the bottom layer will be cut into first by the married couple. This plays to the concept that love is built with a good foundation. Another well-known tradition is to save a slice of wedding cake, or the top tier, to be enjoyed during the couple’s first-year anniversary. For a deeper dive into traditions, we encourage you to read our full summary of popular wedding traditions and their origins.
Whether you decide to neatly cut into a slice of cake together or get messy with a good cake smash, the cake-cutting ceremony is guaranteed to be a charming wedding photo op. Oftentimes guests are distracted on the dance floor or mingling at dinner tables toward the end of the night, so be sure to have the wedding DJ or band make an announcement to introduce the cake cutting ceremony. And if you’re wondering “What is a good cake cutting song?”, we created this list of our 20 favorite cake cutting songs for a wedding. Many of these songs feature clever lyrics (some of the most popular cake-cutting songs are, naturally, about sugar!), while others express romantic sentiments that are perfect for this sweet wedding moment.