In many areas of the country where I have worked, my clients have never even heard of a groom’s cake and typically will have only a “wedding cake” for both the bride and the groom together. However, in the South, the groom’s cake is a tradition found in almost every wedding celebration.
Over the years, I have created a lot of cake tables for the groom. With the spotlight being so heavy on the bride, it seems as if the groom is often overlooked when it comes to the décor for the reception. The groom’s cake table is the perfect opportunity to reflect what he is all about. I always make it a point to see that the groom’s table is a reflection of the groom himself, while keeping with the overall look and feel of the wedding. I have been asked to create tables using every theme including sports themes, hunting, fishing, and yes, even the infamous armadillo road kill cake from Steel Magnolias!
Many times, upon hearing the idea the groom has for his table, I see the desperate eyes of the bride and her mother looking at me as if to say, “Oh please help us and talk him out of this horrible idea!” If not properly presented, some of these ideas can translate into a “train wreck!” However, with a little imagination, creativity, and the right presentation, this otherwise dreadful idea can be a tremendous success! While meeting with a bride and groom, the bride pulled me over to the side to pre-warn me of the groom’s idea for his table at the reception. She was terrified that his idea would ruin the wedding reception. The groom was an avid outdoorsmen and what he loved to eat more than anything was—yes, wait for it ... Moon Pies with RC Cola! I assured the bride we could definitely pull this off without sacrificing the elegant and sophisticated look she wanted to achieve.
I decided to stack the Moon Pies to resemble an actual “cake” and place them atop a beautiful custom stand made from twigs and moss. In addition, I added golden pears straight from the pear tree in my mother’s back yard that had been dipped in caramel ... leaving stems, branches and twigs for the visual effect. The cake served as the focal point for the groom’s table which was an old distressed farm table I found at a local antique store. Instead of serving from the main cake, we decided to really get the guests involved and turn the groom’s cake table into an action station! The guests were served a single Moon Pie on a plate and were able to select from a variety of “Moon Pie toppings” including caramel, white chocolate, nuts and even coconut. Also on the table, I chilled glass bottles of RC Cola in an antique copper tub filled with ice.
The guests absolutely loved the idea and people were lined up to get their very own Moon Pie—the idea was a huge success and was the talk of the reception! Who says Moon Pies can’t be fabulous!
Photo: As seen in Alabama Weddings Magazine, Photo by Steve Johnson
Originally published on SouthernBeautyMagazine
