The crumbs of wedding cake that landed on the floor symbolized good luck and fertility for the bride and groom. It was considered good luck for guests to eat the crumbs of "wedding cake." Single women scrambled for the grains to ensure their own luck.

The cake cutting ceremony is also a tradition that dates back to the Roman era. The bride with the “help” of the groom cut the first piece of cake. Originally only the bride cut the cake for sharing with her guests but now it is a joint task completed by both bride and groom. The couple cuts the first slice together and proceeds to feed one another. This provides another lovely piece of symbolism, the mutual commitment of bride and groom to provide for one another.

Today you would be surprised to find out how many wedding cakes are fake. For instance, if the bride wants a big wedding cake that will feed 200 but is only having 100 guests, she might choose to have one layer be decorated styrofoam to look like the other layers. Or, the whole cake could be fake and have some real sheet cakes in the back to serve the guests.

The most difficult part of making a tiered wedding cake is assembling it. If you ever tasted a dry wedding cake, it’s because it takes at least 2-3 days to make including assembly and decoration. With styrofoam you don't have to worry about the weight of the tiers or the cakes getting dried out.

Bakers display fake cakes in their front window and at bridal shows. You can actually rent fake cakes that have a little spot where you insert a real piece of cake for the cake cutting ceremony. The fake cake gets wheeled in the back and you serve your guests real cake that’s already cut. You can save time and money.

So fake cakes really aren't that crazy. They cost less and they are easier for a decorator to work with to create your perfect looking cake. Fake cakes allow you to have a cake that looks good and a real cake that tastes good.