Groom's Cakes

Traditionally a Southern wedding custom, groom's cakes are an excellent way to show your hubby a little extra love on the day of your wedding. For those that may be unfamiliar with the origin of the groom's cake, it is a long-standing tradition primarily seen in the South; although, they are making an ever growing appearance all over the U.S. these days. I know I've personally seen quite a big jump in groom's cakes here in the Pittsburgh area over the last several years. 

So, what exactly is a groom's cake? It is simply a gift in the form of a cake from the bride to her groom. Groom's cakes are typically much smaller than a wedding cake, and are decorated in some fashion to honor the groom - whether it be his favorite hobby, favorite sports team, or his alma mater. 

Groom's cakes can be served in a number of different ways. Traditionally, they are served at the rehearsal dinner the night before the wedding. Although, many brides choose to serve them at the actual wedding reception, in addition to the wedding cake. Either way is completely acceptable. If you do choose to serve the groom's cake at the wedding, it's always a good idea to choose a different flavor from your wedding cake; typically groom's cakes are chocolate. To switch things up a bit, consider surprising your hubby with his groom's cake at the reception, or provide individual cake slices in to-go boxes for guests to take home at the end of the night.

The groom's cake pictured above was from one of our recent October 2010 weddings - the groom is a huge baseball fan (not to mention he worked for a baseball team!), so naturally, it was only fitting that the bride surprise him with this Boston Red Sox cake.

What are your thoughts on groom's cakes? Will you be surprising your soon-to-be husband with one? We'd love to hear your thoughts!

Photo courtesy of Caryn Azure Photography.