Wedding Cake Activities

When arriving at a wedding reception, many guests head for the cake table so they can check out the cake. Later, the bride and groom will appear for a picture opportunity and the cutting of the cake. Then everyone enjoys the cake.

Believe it or not, there are more activities that can make the wedding cake more about fun and less about tradition.

Of course, watching the bride and groom push cake into each other's mouths is common, but there are many more fun - and less messy - activities to consider in addition to this.

One option that is gaining popularity is to have cupcakes rather than a cake. This is usually cheaper than having a cake and it can be lot's of fun. Cupcakes are decorated in alignment with the wedding theme, just as a cake can be, but the cupcakes are arranged on tiered cake plates and displayed on a cake table until it is time to eat them. The cupcakes can be simply handed out on plates to each wedding guest.

What is great about using cupcakes instead of a wedding cake is that you are able to save money, as many reception halls and caterers charge a per slice fee to cut and serve the wedding cake, but you are able to also build activities into the cupcake presentation. For instance, the cupcakes that are for the bride and groom can have differing decoration to the ones for the guests.

As an extra touch, you can have the baker include a special prize in one or more cupcakes. A small charm or tiny toy can be baked into the cupcake. Whoever gets the charm wins a special prize. These prizes can range from a gift basket or gift certificate to a restaurant to a dance with the bride or groom.

Some brides like to use a Southern tradition and have charms baked into the wedding cake. Similar to the idea above for cupcakes, this involves baking small charms or tiny toys (but usually charms) into the cake. Those who receive one of the charms are said to have good luck. You might even consider having charm bracelet charms baked into the cake, which are then made into a charm bracelet for the bride.

Not everyone enjoys cake. So how about an activity for those who won't be eating cake? They can be asked to do the "Macarena" or the chicken dance during the time when everyone else is eating cake. If they manage to do the dance continuously while the other guests enjoy cake, they win a prize. Or they simply get to sit down.

In keeping with the dance cake theme, how about a requirement that in order to get cake, a guest must perform an unrehearsed dance first? Or there could be trivia questions about the bride and groom or about popular culture. Guests must correctly answer the questions before getting their cake. There could be competitions among tables or individuals for most questions answered correctly.

Many people believe that once the cake is cut, they are free to leave if they wish. Since cake cutting usually follows the meal, dancing and other traditional celebration activities, a lot of people take the opportunity to leave the party after the cake is cut and eaten.

If the bride and groom wish their guests to stay after the cake is eaten, it is worth some extra effort to build some activities into the cake-cutting event so people will stay longer. This can be as simple as asking people not to leave, or can be more subtle and fun.

For instance, each person could receive a slip of paper with his or her cake. These slips of paper could be prepared ahead and supplied to the catering company with directions that one folded strip of paper be placed on each plate with the cake. The paper might give an agenda for the rest of the evening or might ask its recipient to perform a little dance, to head over to give the groom or bride a kiss, or might ask them to take the flower girl out on the dance floor for a spin. The unknown will keep all the guests guessing and provide some entertainment as the instructions are implemented.