Although wedding trends change over the years, many are rooted in ancient traditions. Flashmob-style first dances, for example, aren’t too different from the choreographed routines of the 17th century, while the wildflower bouquets of today bear similarities to the herb-filled arrangements carried by medieval brides (allegedly to mask the scent of their body odour). Then there’s the ‘cake smash’, a practice that may seem like something built for the age of social media , but which actually dates back to ancient Rome.
In times gone by, brides would have barley cake crumbled over their heads to symbolise male dominance and future fertility. Nowadays, however, both the bride and groom smear a slice of freshly-cut cake into each other’s faces to symbolise their playful and fun-loving personalities. According to Hitched.
co.uk’s National Wedding Survey , 79% of couples who married in 2022 included a cake cutting ceremony as part of their big day. ‘As the cake smash traditionally follows the cake cutting,’ says editor Zoe Burke, ‘it’s fair to assume that a fair few newlyweds are still following this time-honoured tradition.
’ But it might not be a tradition you want to partake in – however quirky you think it seems – as it’s considered to be a terrible omen among wedding professionals. On a Reddit thread where industry workers shared their wedding day red flags, one photographer wrote: ‘I swear that all of the couples that have split up have smashed the .