The Wedding Cake
Beginning in early Roman times, the cake has been a special part of the wedding celebration. A thin loaf was broken over the bride's head at the close of the ceremony to symbolize fertility.  The wheat from which it was made, symbolized fertility and the guests eagerly picked up the crumbs as good luck charms. This tradition evolved and spread to England in the Middle Ages where the guests of a wedding would bring small cakes and stack them together. During the Middle Ages, it became traditional for the couple to kiss over a small cluster of cakes.  Later, a clever baker decided to amass all these small cakes together, covering them with frosting.  Thus, the modern tiered cake was born. 

The three-tier wedding cake is based on the unusual shape of the spire of Saint Bride's Church in London. The bride and groom make the first cut of the wedding cake to signify sharing their life together. Every guest then eats at least a crumb of the cake to ensure good luck. And if a single woman sleeps with a piece of wedding cake under her pillow, she will dream of her future husband.

The wedding cake, to be shared by the newlyweds and their guests, signifies the "breaking of the kinship." The brides knife signifies that the new wife is ready to accept the responsibilities of her role as keeper of her own household. 

As reported in a February, 1840 edition of The London Times, Queen Victoria's wedding cake was more than nine feet in circumference. A second tier arose from this "plateau," supported by two pedestals. On the second tier was a sculpture of the mythical heroine Britannia gazing upon the royal pair frozen at the moment of their exchanging vows. At their feet were two turtle doves (symbolizing purity and innocence) and a dog (representing faithful attachment). Completing the scene were various sculpted Cupids, one of them writing the date of the wedding with a stylus on a tablet. 

Toasting
Toasting comes from an ancient French custom of placing bread in the bottom of the glass - a good toaster drained the drink to get the "toast." According to legend, when a bride and groom drink their wedding toast, whoever finishes first will rule the family. 

A very lovely English toast goes like this:

Love, be true to her,
Life, be dear to her,
Health, stay close to her,
Joy, draw near to her,
Fortune, find what you can do for her,
Search your treasure house through for her
Follow her footsteps the wide world over
And keep her husband always her lover.