Okay, so, about this whole “groom’s cake” thing… I got into a bit of a rabbit hole the other day. See, my buddy Mike is getting hitched next month, and I was helping him and his fiancée, Sarah, with some wedding planning stuff. We were going over the budget, and bam, there it was: “groom’s cake.” I was like, “Wait, what’s that?”
Turns out, it’s like a second, smaller cake at the wedding, separate from the main, fancy wedding cake. Traditionally, it’s supposed to be a gift for the groom, something that reflects his interests or personality. Sarah wanted to surprise Mike with one, but we were a little fuzzy on who actually pays for it.
So, I did what any normal person would do: I dove into the depths of the internet. And let me tell you, the answers were all over the place. Some sources said it’s the groom’s parents’ responsibility, like, 100%. They’re supposed to order it, pay for it, the whole nine yards. But then, other places said it’s outdated, and nowadays it’s more of a conversation between the couple.
Here’s what I found out after digging around:
- Old-school tradition: The groom’s parents are in charge. They handle everything.
- Slightly less old-school: It used to be a gift from the bride to the groom, so the bride’s family would pay.
- Modern take: The couple decides together. They talk about if they even want one, and then figure out who’s paying. It could be the groom, the bride, either set of parents, or they might even split it.
I even found some examples where the groom himself paid for it because he wanted a specific, maybe elaborate, cake. Or sometimes, the bride’s family would pay as a surprise gift. Basically, there are no hard and fast rules anymore.
So, I went back to Mike and Sarah, and laid it all out for them. They decided that since Sarah was the one who initially wanted it, and it was meant to be a surprise, her parents would cover it. Problem solved! But it just goes to show, even with something as seemingly simple as a cake, wedding traditions can be a real maze. My advice? Just talk it out and do what works best for you and your budget. Don’t get bogged down in the “shoulds” and “supposed-tos.”
What I learned about who pays for the groom’s cake:
It depends, but in our case, the bride’s parents are paying for it. It was Sarah’s wish, not a request from Mike. We will give it as a surprise to Mike on the wedding day.
