Cake Pulls

Just like today, brides of days long ago past were considered to be exceptionally lucky.

Unlike today, that bride was lucky if she made it to her getaway vehicle with any of her dress - or dignity - intact.

See, the wedding guests often hoped that some of that bridal luckiness might rub off on them. In the form of a piece of her dress. How'd they get it? There was some chasing, and them some shredding and ripping, and then much rejoicing. On the guests' part, of course.

You can see why getwaway cars and garter tosses are traditions that endure until today.

A tradition that has fallen by the wayside but is starting to come back into vogue is the cake pull. A Victorian method of appeasing guests keen on doing some ripping and shredding for luck, cake pulling involved tying ribbons around silver charms that were placed inside the cake. When the ribbon was pulled, the guest was rewarded with something shiny to distract them. The fact the shape of the charm symbolized their destiny added to the fun...and gave the bride a head start out the reception door.

Charms and their meanings:


Heart: Everlasting love
Ring: an engagement is imminent
clover: good luck
frame: happy family
button: old maid
rocking chair: long life
wreath: contented life
carriage: babies on the way

I'm thinking if the bride was hoping to avoid full frontal assaults on her special day, she might not want to include that button charm...