The evolution of the wedding cake began in ancient Rome where brides carried wheat ears in their left hands.  Later, Anglo-Saxon brides wore the wheat made into chaplets, and gradually the belief developed that a young girl who ate of the grains of wheat which became scattered on the ground, would dream of her future husband.  The next step was the baking of a thin dry biscuit which was broken over the bride’s head and the crumbs divided amongst the guests.  The next step was in making richer cake; then icing it, and the last instead of having it broken over her head, the bride broke it herself into small pieces for the guests.  Later she cut it with a knife.

=THE TABLE OF THE BRIDE’S PARENTS=

The table of the bride’s parents differs from other tables in nothing except in its larger size, and the place cards for those who have been invited to sit there.  The groom’s father always sits on the right of the bride’s mother, and the groom’s mother has the place of honor on the host’s right.  The other places at the table are occupied by distinguished guests who may or may not include the clergyman who performed the ceremony.  If a bishop or dean performed the ceremony, he is always included at this table and is placed at the left of the hostess, and his wife, if present, sits at the bride’s father’s left.  Otherwise only especially close friends of the bride’s parents are invited to this table.

=THE WEDDING CAKE=

In addition to the big cake on the bride’s table, there are at all weddings, near the front door so that the guests may each take one as they go home, little individual boxes of wedding cake, “black” fruit cake.  Each box is made of white moire or gros-grain paper, embossed in silver with the last initial of the groom intertwined with that of the bride and tied with white satin ribbon.  At a sit-down breakfast the wedding cake boxes are sometimes put, one at each place, on the tables so that each guest may be sure of receiving one, and other “thoughtless” ones prevented from carrying more than their share away.

=THE STANDING BREAKFAST OR RECEPTION=

The standing breakfast differs from the sit-down breakfast in service only.  Instead of numerous small tables at which the guests are served with a course luncheon, a single long one is set in the dining-room. (The regular table pulled out to its farthest extent.) It is covered with a plain white damask cloth—­or it may be of embroidered linen and lace insertion.  In the center is usually a bowl or vase or other centerpiece, of white flowers.  On it are piles of plates, stacks of napkins and rows of spoons and forks at intervals, making four or possibly six piles altogether.  Always there are dishes filled with little fancy cakes, chosen as much for looks as for taste.  There is usually a big urn at one end filled with bouillon and one at the other filled with chocolate or tea.  In four evenly spaced places are placed two cold dishes