It’s an image we all know very well: a bride and groom, standing over their wedding cake, lovingly feeding one another. But then?BAM?the cake is smashed into each other’s faces! It’s a fun, playful moment that many couples look forward to…but it’s also a moment with its own set of rules.
Why Do We Smash the Cake, Anyway"

It’s unclear where the “cake smash” first originated, and most folks aren’t sure why the tradition exists at all. Some historians credit this tradition to ancient Rome, where newlywed grooms smashed barley cake on their bride’s heads at the end of the wedding festivities.
Why did Roman bridegrooms mess up their ladies’ hair with cake" The tradition was said to encourage fertility?though many modern analyses claim it was primarily a show of male dominance over the young wife. Regardless of intent, this tradition survived years of changing trends and sharing cultures, ending in the frosting-covered, egalitarian cake smash of today. These days, the cake smash is not as common as it was in weddings past. Like many traditions, the cake smash is hardly a requirement, and whether or not you have one on your wedding day is totally up to you and your partner. But whatever you do, make sure you stick to these simple dos and don’ts.
DO Plan Ahead
Perhaps you think the cake smash is a silly, somewhat gross tradition and you don’t want any part of it. Perhaps it’s the moment...