"I thought about it and decided to skip it!" Thoughts on attending a wedding without a wedding cake 💭

2023.03.13 published

No Wedding Cake!

At a friend's wedding I recently attended, there was one point that was different from the usual reception proceedings.

That was the absence of a wedding cake.

The typical flow of the early part of a wedding reception is:

➡ Groom and bride entrance

➡ Toasts and speeches

➡ Cheers

➡ Cutting the wedding cake + First Bite 🎂

➡ Socializing

➡ Change of attire

I think this is how most receptions proceed, but as we approached the later stages of the event without a wedding cake appearing, I realized midway, “Oh, there’s no cake!”

The scale of the wedding was about 60 people.

It was not a family wedding or a small gathering; they invited 2-3 tables of friends from both sides, so it's probably quite a rare pattern to have no cake.

I later heard that the husband is not fond of sweets and both were embarrassed about cutting the cake in front of everyone and feeding each other. Hence, they decided to skip it completely!

I knew there were ideas to replace the wedding cake with something like rice balls, giant takoyaki, or burgers, but to have none at all was refreshing, and it felt very much like them.

Perhaps there are couples considering skipping the cake for similar reasons, or thinking "we want to save on the cake costs and spend it on something else..."?

So!

I thought I would write an article on what I felt as a guest while actually attending a wedding without a cake.

I hope you find it helpful as a reference.

This was the flow＊

The time taken for the cutting of the wedding cake to the first bite generally ranges from 10 to 20 minutes.

So, what did they do in that time? What was the flow like? I will share that.

The flow of the day was like this:

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➡ Groom and bride entrance

➡ Friends' speeches and toast

➡ Time for the groom and bride to take photos at the high stage

➡ The groom and bride make photo rounds at each table

➡ Continued seating

➡ After the change of attire, moved to the outdoor garden for balloon release + photo shoot 🎈

➡ Returned to the venue for a quiz guessing the bride's dress color

➡ The groom and bride at the high stage have time for more photos

➡ Bride's letter + gifts for parents

➡ Conclusion of the event

=====================

Instead of the wedding cake event, a notable feature was that everyone moved to the garden together for a balloon release at the re-entry of the couple after changing outfits.

Although balloon releases have been a common wedding event, I had only seen it once before, so it was very fresh and fun.

Everyone else also looked up at the sky, delighted with "Wow~," and it created a lively atmosphere.

In terms of time distribution and the splendor of the events, I thought the flow was well-balanced enough that the absence of the cake didn’t matter.

Honestly, what did you think about not having a cake?

I have attended more than 10 weddings so far, but this is the first time I experienced a wedding without a wedding cake.

It’s quite a rarity in the minority.

At first, I was naturally assuming there would be a cake, and I was planning to take plenty of photos and videos of their affectionate moments during the first bite, so it was a little surprising to find out there was none. 🤣

However, as I mentioned earlier, as long as there are exciting alternative events, I learned that the time could remain lively without dragging on, resulting in an enjoyable experience.

Of course, I didn't think or feel anything odd about not having a cake.

(No one around me mentioned anything in particular either!)

I even thought that the choice of "not having a cake" suited the couple very well, and it felt like a refreshing wedding that didn’t fit into molds.

(By the way)

For dessert after the meal, there weren’t any cakes, but delicious sweets were served, making me very satisfied. ♡

Summary

"Not fond of sweets"

"Embarrassed about cutting the cake or doing the first bite"

"Want to save cake costs for something else"

To the couples considering not having a wedding cake due to these reasons.

Guests will naturally think, “There must be a cake,” that’s how I felt this time,

Instead,

✅ Prepare an alternative event that can become the highlight of the reception

✅ Ensure that the socializing time doesn’t drag on for 2 or 3 hours straight (In other words, it’s okay to balance the program so that guests don’t get bored. I also think it’s okay to have a wedding with a continuous socializing time...!)

✅ If there is delicious dessert

I learned that the flow of the wedding can work just fine even without a cake!

This is just one opinion, but that’s what I thought!＊