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As you know, we Southerners have some very specific traditions when it comes to weddings. I’ll admit, some of them make absolutely no sense! Like Nicole’s favorite: “dancing in the wash tub”! (If anyone knows anything about this, please send me an email — I’m desperately curious!). So, over the next few months, we’re going to give y’all a little history lesson in Southern wedding traditions. First up: the groom’s cake!
Image credit: Sara Kauss. P.S. This is my husband’s groom’s cake from our wedding!
Originally meant as a gift from the bride to the groom, these delicious treats have had quite the transformation throughout the years. Traditionally dark chocolate-flavored and often containing fruit and liqueur, today’s groom’s cakes are a reflection of the groom’s personality and hobbies. Long gone are the days of the armadillo in the carport; these cakes now (literally) take many shapes, from the seal of his alma mater to his favorite video game console. Some brides and grooms even opt for a non-cake groom’s cake, choosing instead to serve his favorite treat (we’ve seen everything from banana pudding to Krispy Kremes!).
One last quirk of the groom’s cake? Originally, these cakes were not even meant to be served to the guests at the wedding, but rather given as favors. Rumor has it that if a single woman put a piece of groom’s cake under her pillow, she would dream of her future husband! Crazy, right?!
What is your favorite Southern tradition? Will you have/or did you have a groom’s cake at your wedding? Leave a comment below or send me an email.
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I’m sending this post to my Ohio-native boyfriend, who had no idea what a grooms cake was when I told him about it! I will definitely have one when I get married, and I have a really good idea for it…but I’m not posting it here since I’m sending him this link ;)
Hi Lisa! I’m glad I could be of service! I’m sure he will love whatever you have in mind! xo, Marissa
I love the tradition of the groom having his father as the best man. I think it is such a sweet, sentimental gesture. My husband asked his father to be his best man, and he really was the perfect one for the role.
Hi Noelle, I love the tradition of his father being his best man! My FIL was my husband’s best man at our wedding as well! Just such a sweet tradition. xo, Marissa
We had a grooms cake at our wedding. It was a complete surprise to my Groom : ) A friend who is an up and coming specialty cake maker designed a Nascar cake. It was to die for! It was a race track featuring a few race cars, particularly Dale Jr., my husbands favorite. The cake was rectangle with the oval track centered, it displayed stands with tiny little nonpareil’s to represent the fans, and best of all it was mostly cheesecake. My husband LOVES cheesecake! I wanted to make sure that my husband new our wedding was about the two of us and not just the bride. That theme truly showed throughout our entire wedding.
Hi Amanda! Wow, that sounds like quite the display! I’m sure your hubby was so thrilled to know how much thought you put into that surprise. My husband also had a cheesecake groom’s cake (he hates regular cake)! Thanks for sharing! xo, Marissa
And good grief I can’t spell today! That is “knew” not “new”… :-// lol
I’m SO happy you wrote about this! I’ve been so curious about groom’s cakes and debating on whether I want to get my man one or not for so long! A girlfriend of mine just got engaged, too, and we were thinking just over the weekend “Do we get our guys one? Do we not? What would it be?”–it’s great to get a little history for them so we can REALLY make a decision! PS I LOVE that your groom’s cake was the Alabama symbol; my Stephen ADORES Alabama, even though he didn’t go there, and rocks their clothes/hats pretty much whenever he can! Might have to steal that idea ;)
Thanks, Erin! I personally think that a lot of treats could work as a “groom’s cake”, but I do agree that buffalo wings might get a BIT messy! Feel free to steal the Alabama theme – spread the love! Roll Tide, my friend!
PS I also thought about going the non-cake route and getting Stephen a “groom’s cake” made out of a tower of hot wings from Buffalo Wild Wings, but I’m not sure if I like the idea of Buffalo sauce ANYWHERE near our nice clothes :-P
I love this Southern traditions portion! My fiance and I are getting married in October and when I first told him about the groom’s cake he had no idea what I was talking about! He is definitely not a sweets guy…he would rather have wings over chocolate any day. His one and only sweet craving is donuts; so, I want to surprise him with all different kinds of donuts as his “groom’s cake.” Do you typically do the groom’s cake or sweet at the rehearsal dinner or the actual wedding? Or does it matter? I am hoping he will love the surprise!
Hi Danielle, I’m so glad y’all are considering a groom’s cake! I think they are such a fun way to incorporate the groom’s personality into the wedding. And I think your beau would LOVE a donut tower! Check out how this couple did it here. In the past the groom’s cake was served at the rehearsal dinner, but now it can be served whenever you would like. Who doesn’t love an extra sweet treat? xo, Marissa
Marissa…I had to comment only to salvage some SEC respect. I too, surprised my husband with a grooms cake (we served it at our rehearsal dinner). It was a circular cake (like yours) with ARGYLE print on the sides and a giant, amazing, beautiful ORANGE AND BLUE Gator emblem on the top!! He loved it and was completely surprised. The argyle was inspiration from the socks he was planning on wearing to the wedding the next day. He at the cake while sporting his blue seersucker suit and an orange and blue tie ;o)
go. gators.
hahahaha
Oh, Desiree! My poor and misinformed friend! Orange and blue?! Boo! ; ) Just kidding – I’m sure Eric loved the cake!! xo, Marissa P.S. We LOVE having you in the Southern Weddings family!
Marissa: I LOVE being a part of the family :) …Im forseeing some really fun back-and-forths this football season between you and I. yay!
First of all, Roll Tide! Loved your groom’s cake! My boyfriend is a Tar Heel through and through so I’m planning on getting a cake from Sugarland that is decorated to look like the UNC basketball court. We’re going to serve it at the rehearsal dinner the night before instead of at the actual wedding reception. One of my research papers I had to write for my anthropology degree was about American wedding traditions (I had to narrow it down to American Christian traditions because I was only limited to 30 pages which I easily filled). I’m a huge fan of any tradition whether it be a cultural, religious, or personal family tradition. Some of my favorites include the Scottish honeymoon period of one month (because most marriages were between people from fighting clans and the new couple had to run and hide for awhile) and when brides incorporate pieces of their mothers’ and grandmothers’ dresses into their own.
Hi Lauren! We simply adore Sugarland! We nibbled on their yummy cupcakes at our recent SW Yard Sale! The cake for your beau sounds divine – I’m sure he will love it! And that paper sounds very fun! I’m sure you rocked it! Roll Tide indeed! xo, Marissa
[…] 13 Jul I have a very “sweet” post for you today – cake! Perhaps you read my previous posts on our wedding cake inspiration (if not, you can feast your eyes here, here, and here). This week, it’s time to think about the flavor and look of the groom’s cake! For all you non-southerners out there, this is traditionally a one-layer chocolate or fruit cake of some kind. It provides contrast from the traditional “white” wedding cake and usually reflects the personality of the groom/couple. As such, these cakes come in all forms: football stadiums, electric guitars, soccer balls, you name it. On the more traditional side, you often see a simple chocolate cake (with chocolate frosting) and perhaps the couple’s monogram. For a little more history, read the SW post from yesterday… […]
Oooh ooh! I still can’t fathom people not knowing about grooms’ cakes! For our wedding, Drew has insisted that my Father make his legendary cheesecakes (atop my mother’s Fostoria cake stands!). Ranging in flavors from white chocolate raspberry to pineapple, they give Cheesecake Factory a run for its money. :) I’m excited that my parents can be even more a part of our special day!
Ooh, how fun that your father made his cheesecakes! I bet they are divine! What a great way to incorporate them into your big day! xo, Marissa
[…] the looks of the comment section of our very first Southern tradition post, y’all sure seem to like history, don’t ya! […]
I loved the groom’s cake at my cousin’s wedding: Hubig’s Pies! They were a huge hit!