During a wedding, the bride and the groom typically cut the wedding cake and feed each other the first bites.  Sherri explained that in many American weddings, the bride and groom smear the cake on each other’s faces in the process of feeding one other.

Sherri explained to me that this tradition has been going on for many years, as she and her husband, too, partook in this activity.  She said she first saw it take place at a wedding in the early 1970s she attended.  While at first she thought the couple who did it was in for a long, eventful marriage if they were already having food fights, she came to realize the real reason they did this.

Sherri says that newly married couples do this in order to show that they don’t take anything too seriously, even their own weddings.  It is a way to take everything with “a grain of salt” so to speak.  It also shows that the couple is carefree and always up for a good laugh.  In addition, Sherri explained to me that it is expected at most American weddings nowadays, as those in attendance look forward to the bride with all her make up getting cake rubbed in her face.

After conducted the interview, I found that this tradition occurs at modern, Christian influenced weddings.  I have also discovered that it does not happen at all weddings as some more traditional peoples find this tradition vulgar and offensive to them and to the bride.  At nearly every wedding I have been to, I have noticed that this does in fact occur, and the crowd usually erupts with laughter.  I believe it is a good tradition for people to partake in, as it does in fact show that you have the ability to laugh certain things off and not take anything too seriously.