Wedding cakes pies and croquembouche photos by Todd Danforth Photography

The wedding cake tradition dates back to ancient Rome when barley cake was broken over the brides head as a gesture to encourage good luck and fertility. The newlyweds would then eat the crumbs together to symbolize their union and, similar to the bouquet toss which we wrote about out here, guests would pick up the leftover crumbs for good fortune.

In Medieval England, it was tradition to pile sweet rolls as high as possible, letting the newlyweds attempt to kiss above the stack without knocking them down. The modern translation of this tradition is where we get the croquembouche, a French desert comprised of stacked cream puffs held together by caramel.

Los Angeles wedding photography detail of cake during reception

Refined sugar became more common throughout the Victorian Age. It’s white color, a symbol of purity and wealth, subsequently led to the rise in elaborate decorations and icing on wedding cakes. Through the Victorian Age, cakes became larger and more ornate, emblems alluding to the newlyweds social status and wealth.

Good ‘till the last bite!

Queen Victoria’s wedding in 1840 was highly publicized and said to have influenced many popular traditions we see today. Similar to the barley cake crumbs of ancient Rome, Queen Victoria’s 300 pound fruit cake was thought to bring dreams of future spouses to unmarried people who slept with her cake beneath their pillows at night. And as traditions have persisted for centuries, so do pieces of Queen Victoria’s 181 year old wedding cake: a slice most recently sold at auction fetching 1,500 British Pounds (over $2,000 USD)!

These days, the wedding cake is not the only option for sweet-toothed couples. Many opt for less traditional sweets to share with their guests: everything from cupcakes, to pies and tarts, to doughnuts! Just like the croquembouches of yore, the sky’s the limit!

This entry is part of an ongoing series exploring the history of modern wedding traditions.
If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact us. Check out our wedding history page!

Palm Springs and Boston wedding photographer Todd Danforth Photography is an LGBTQ+ and POC-owned wedding photography team specializing in capturing joyful and candid moments. As storytellers and craftspeople, we believe in the power of visual narratives. Our mission is to create honest and authentic photographs you can share with your loved ones for generations to come.