History of wedding cake toppers

If I say wedding cake topper, what do you picture? It might be a miniature bride and groom, wedding bells or some other similar ornamentation with a wedding theme. While the history of wedding cakes dates back to the Roman Empire, it was nothing like wedding cakes as we know them today. Instead they were unsweetened loaves of bread which were crumbled over the bride for good luck. And wedding cake toppers as we know them haven't been around all that long either. They became a growing trend with middle class and affluent American families before the American Civil War. By the 1890s, they were quite common.

Those original wedding cake toppers weren't anything extravagant. Cakes were decorated with things like flowers, bells, or other small objects related to the bride and groom. Often these toppers were handmade by a family member or a professional wedding cake baker using frosting, icing, or non-edible materials like plaster of Paris.

Wedding cake toppers popular after World War I

Decorative cake toppers grew more popular after World War I. It was in the Roaring 20s that High Society in the U.S. adopted the custom of using figurines of the bride and groom atop the wedding cake. Popularity of this tradition grew quickly after Emily Post, American etiquette expert, mentioned them in her 1922 best seller that said, "wedding cake is an essential of every wedding reception," and went on to comment on the placement of the bride and groom figurines in the description of a beautifully decorated cake. In the early 1900s wedding cake toppers were made from glass, paper, or wood until they started being commercially made.

First commercially made wedding cake toppers

Along with this, American retailers like Sears & Roebuck started to market and sell cake toppers showcasing a bride and groom. By 1924 you could find an assortment of two-inch tall bride and groom toppers made from wax and featuring differences like groom without a hat or wearing a top hat. The bride could be purchased without a veil or wearing a cloth veil. By 1927, the Sears catalog had an entire page devoted to wedding cake ornaments.

With their growing popularity, wedding cake toppers started to be mass produced commercially in the U.S., Europe and Asia. They were available in the usual bride and groom side-by-side pose along with a selection of alternative poses. And during or following the War, the groom was sometimes depicted wearing a military uniform. Along with this, groom figurines could also be purchased a wearing police or fireman uniform, too.

Sparkling Love Cake Topper

Aside from bride and groom figurines, today we have toppers like cupids, hearts, love birds and sometimes even a framed picture of the couple. The tradition of adding a decorative ornament topper to the wedding cake has been joined with the tradition of removing and saving the memento as well as freezing the top layer of the cake to be eaten by the bride and groom on their first anniversary.

 
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Photo credits: Vintage Wedding Cake Topper, Fancy Flowers, futuremrsbeede

Historical roles of best man and bridesmaids

Most wedding traditions we practice today stem from unexpected origins. For instance, the wedding party of today is nothing like a couple hundred centuries ago when the original role of the "best man" wasn't to throw a bachelor party, hold on to the ring, give a speech or make the wedding toast. His duty was actually to serve as armed backup for the groom just in case he was forced to kidnap his intended bride from disapproving parents. Even the word "best" didn't necessarily mean best friend. It meant he was best with a sword in case it was needed.

Best man was chosen because he was "best" with a sword.

History of best man

Origins of the best man tradition are thought to be Germanic Goth stemming from a time when men were expected to take a bride from within the community. With an inadequate supply of local women, eligible bachelors were forced to seek out and capture a bride from a neighboring community. This practice is linked to the reason the bride stands to the left of the groom during the wedding ceremony to this day. You see, the groom had to keep his right hand free for defense.

Bride kidnapping

 Original duties of the best man

• The best man stood guard beside the groom until the wedding vows were exchanged.
• After the wedding, he stood outside the newlyweds' bed chamber door as a guard of sorts and stood watch in case anyone decided to attack.
• He was also in place in the event that the bride decided she wanted to run.

History of bridesmaids

As for bridesmaids, historically they wore dresses similar to that of the bride, so that as the group approached the church it would be difficult for any evil spirits or former beaus to spot the bride. Evil spirits were also the reason the bride wore a veil to hide from those spirits waiting to steal away her happiness. But having the bridesmaids dress similarly to the bride made it more difficult for possible kidnappers or those planning to throw rocks. 

Bridesmaids wore dresses similar to the bride.

The same held true for the men. They wore matching suits to save the groom from curses, rocks or kidnapping, too.

As for the Maid of Honor, she was responsible for making all the wedding decorations and putting them up herself.

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I'm thinking of adding a selection of legacy stories to my blog. Stories that highlight a wedding, marriage, or love. I'm checking in with you, my readers, to see what you think. Please take this short survey to help me know your thoughts. If I have enough of them, I can make them into a keepsake book for you to hand down to your children.

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History of the wedding toast

Have you ever wondered about the origins of the wedding toast or why it is called a "toast"? It helps first to look at the history of toasting in general. One tradition says it goes back to the 6th century B.C. when people toasted to a friend's health to assure them the wine wasn't poisoned as glasses clinked and wine splashed from one glass to the other. While this bit of history has been verbally handed down, there is no real evidence to support it that I know of.

Toasting: where did it start?

The origins of toasting can however, be traced back to most ancient societies in the form of raising their cup as a drink offering to their god(s), but there is also evidence that the ancient Greeks drank to each other's health which can be seen in The Odyssey when Ulysses drank to Achilles health.

Some used toasting as an excuse to drink excessive amounts of alcohol.

The ancient Romans also practiced toasting to health and it became such an important part of their culture that at one time the Senate passed a decree that everyone was required to drink to the Emperor Augustus at every meal. We see this tradition again in literature in The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire when it depicts a feast where Attila the Hun practices at least three toasts for every course.

Why it's called making a toast

The actual term "toast" originates back in the 16th century, with one of the first written accounts using the word found in Shakespeare's The Merry Wives of Windsor when the character Falstaff says "Go fetch me a quart of sack; put a toast in't." You guessed it. They actually put a piece of toasted bread in the wine, and that is how we came to label this practice a "toast." It was thought the toasted bread helped soak up some of the acidity, and it was also a way to make a piece of stale bread edible. So over the next centuries the term "toasting" gradually incorporated traditional libations and the honoring of people. The person being honored often received the saturated piece of toast.

Toastmasters

By the 17th and 18th centuries the practice was so popular that Toastmasters came on the scene to ensure that the toasting didn't become too excessive and that everyone got their turn, because some people felt the need to toast every person in a room as an excuse to drink large amounts of alcohol! Today's toasting etiquette has changed the toasting practice to sipping rather than guzzling.

Origins of the wedding toast

This brings us to the origins of the wedding toast and ancient times when neighbors were at war with one another. Many times the wars ended in a truce that brought the leaders' children together in marriage. At the banquet celebration, the bride's father drank from the communal wine pitcher first (again to show it wasn't poisoned). And this is where the tradition of the wedding toast began.

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I'm thinking of adding a selection of legacy stories to my blog. Stories that highlight a wedding, marriage, or love. I'm checking in with you, my readers, to see what you think. Please take this short survey to help me know your thoughts. If I have enough of them, I can make them into a keepsake book for you to hand down to your children.

Legacy Survey

If you have a wedding story, a tradition you'd like me to write about, a question, or have something to say, feel free to contact me. And if you enjoy reading my blog, click "follow" and you'll be notified when a new post is added to this blog. Thanks for reading.

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Thanks so much for being part of our success.

Personalized Wedding Toast Champagne Flutes

Source: todayifoundout

Photo credits: picryl, wikimedia, wikipedia

10 wedding traditions and superstitions for good luck

Threads of superstitions entwine many wedding traditions in America. Think about it. Why else do we say, the groom shouldn't see the bride before the wedding, or why wear something old, something new, something borrowed,and something blue? Many wedding traditions are tied to good luck or avoiding bad luck. For instance, rain on your wedding day is thought to bring good luck.

Tony Curtis carries new bride Janet Leigh over the threshhold, 4 June 1951.

Why carry the bride over threshold?

Carrying the bride over the threshold is thought to bring luck to the newlywed's union, but it didn't start out that way. This tradition started in ancient Rome where the bride had to show she didn't want to leave her father's home, and so she was dragged across the threshold into the groom's home. This practice combined with the ancient belief that evil spirits hovered at the threshold to the new home waiting to curse the couple, started the practice of carrying the bride over the threshold. Why? So the spirits couldn't enter the bride body through the soles of her feet. It was a way to turn a "curse" into a "blessing" or bad luck into good. (Though it does leave one wondering whey they didn't worry about the spirits entering the groom).

Spider on your wedding dress? Don't freak out. It's good luck.

9 more wedding traditions for luck

1. Other superstitions thought to bring luck included the bride placing a cube of sugar in her glove on her wedding day to sweeten the union. (I wonder if eating sugar on your wedding day could work? I mean just eat some wedding cake, right?)
2. And if you see a spider on your wedding dress, celebrate! That's supposed to mean good luck! (Uh, yeah, good luck with that. If I see a spider it's never good. I'd rather go with the superstition that a lady bug brings good luck).
3. According to English tradition and lore, when it comes to luck the best day of the week to get married is Wednesday and the worst day is Saturday. (Maybe that explains the high divorce rate these days! Saturday is now the most popular day to tie the knot).
4. And on the gross side of traditions, the ancient Romans studied pig entrails to decide the luckiest time to marry.
   
5. Throwing oats, grains, dried corn, (for Czech newlyweds it was peas), and eventually why we throw rice or birdseed, was meant to shower the couple with good fortune, prosperity, and fertility.
6. Egyptian brides are pinched for good luck.
7. Middle Eastern brides paint their hands and feet with henna (a beautiful tradition) thought to protect from the evil eye.
8. A Swedish wedding tradition includes coins in shoes. The bride slips a silver coin from her father in one shoe and a gold coin from her mother in the other. This is to ensure she will never have to do without.
9. In Holland, a pine tree is planted outside the home of the newly married couple as a symbol of luck and fertility.

Many of these wedding traditions are now practiced in America but most people have no clue why. Now you do. Do you have a wedding tradition you'd like to know more about? If so let me know.

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Gimmel rings

The origin of gimmel rings (also known as gimmal or puzzle rings) is not certain, but they began to appear in the 1600s with designs like clasped hands incorporated into interlocking rings. If a third ring was added to the puzzle, it often bore a heart which fit into the clasped hands, very similar to Ireland's claddagh ring. However, gimmel rings were most popular in Germany and England in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries.

Lore behind gimmel rings
The lore surrounding the ring is that in ancient times, a Turkish nobleman who loved his wife very much wanted to be sure she remained true to him while he was away. He asked the local jeweler to fashion a puzzle ring that would fall apart if it was removed,. It is said he gave her the ring but wouldn't tell her the solution. For this reason, this puzzle ring is also known as a Turkish wedding band even though the Turkish people don't wear puzzle rings as a wedding ring.

 

 

Heart-shaped gemstones were often incorporated in the design and split between two rings so when the two rings were joined they formed a complete heart. Apart, the two rings allowed the bride and groom to each wear a piece of the other's heart, until they were wed. Gemstones were also fashioned in a variety of traditional gemstone cuts, but simpler ring designs were also popular and bore engravings. For instance, Martin Luther wore a gimmel ring in his engagement to Catherine Bora in 1525. It read, "Whom God has joined together, Let no man put asunder."

Gimmel rings created by two interlocking rings provided a ring for bride and one for the groom as a sign that they were betrothed. When they took their vows they fit the two rings together to form a wedding band for the new bride. 

 

 

Some rings were made up of three interlocking rings. In that case, one was worn by the bride, one by the groom, and the third by a witness – what we'd call a best man today. When a witness was involved, it became more than an engagement. It represented a contract. The witness would be present when the wedding vows were exchanged and then all three rings were joined to form a wedding band for the bride to wear.

Over the last few years, the puzzle ring has re-surged in popularity in North America and is even available as four interlocking bands.

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