The main thing to be aware of is that the wedding cake is bold statement, almost a work of art, how it eats is usually of a secondary importance.
It is the center piece, the focus of attention at your wedding reception and will be photographed probably as much as the bride and groom, so these pictures will be around for a very for a long time, so yes it is that important.
Secondly the cutting of the cake it is second only to the actual wedding service in terms of the ceremony involved.
With this in mind, as yours will be an outdoor wedding, when selecting your design make sure that it is of a stable design, usually without pillars, uneven flooring and the chances of an unsteady cake table it does not bare thinking about.
Wherever possible the cake table should be to the right of the top table, near enough to be convenient (remember that in the full wedding dress you will not be as agile as you normally are), but more importantly in a prominent place for the ceremony of cutting the cake.
You need to ensure that not only is there sufficient room for both of you to get behind the cake and that there is enough space in front to allow your guests to take pictures of the event.
The professional photographer will have taken the 'official' pictures prior to the commencement of the reception, so the real cutting of the cake is basically for family and friends and possibly the inevitable wedding video.
OK the stage is set, the audience are in their seats (your guests) and the principle actors (the two of you) are all in place, so this is the script and the directors instructions, I believe the saying is "Places - Camera - Action!" outdoor weddings coming through.
Best Man - It will be will be part of his duty to set the action in motion the formal phrasing will be something like " ladies and gentlemen please be upstanding while the Bride and Groom cut the cake, you can take as many photographs as you wish" Hey I told you this was a ceremony, but he can use whatever words he feels comfortable with as long as they mean the same.
Bride and Groom - behind the cake table facing forward 1) Take the decorated cake knife and put it in the Brides right hand, the Groom must then put his hand on top of the Brides.
Make sure at this moment that the knife is visible to the audience.
2) Place the tip of the cake knife onto the bottom or middle tier of the cake and make a small cut, hold this pose for the rapturous ovation of the audience and the almost endless photographs, which may take several minutes.
The best man will have to make sure that everybody who wants to get a photograph has had the chance to do so, before moving on to Act 3.
3) Then, if the reception is being catered, the Bride and Groom will return to their places on the top table while the caterers cut the cake into small pieces for all those attending, it is usual for the small ornaments on the cake to be put with the pieces of cake for the top table guests as mementos.
4) If you are doing your own catering for your outdoor wedding then you can be a bit more relaxed and have a bit of fun, instead of making a small cut instead cut a small slice, then the bride and groom can then feed each other, messy but fun.
5) Finally, make sure that there are pieces of cake cut for all the family and friends who could not be at present.
This is particularly important for any of your elderly relatives who were unable to be present, make sure that if at all possible you both take the cake to them as soon as is possible after the big day, it will mean so much to them.
Next time we will talk about the look and displaying of the cake.