AMISH WEDDING CAKE
By Kevin Williams
My friend Rita in Punxatawney, Pennsylvania attended a wedding of an Amish couple in Pennsylvania a year or so ago and shared with me some rare photos of the cake which I thought I would share with all of you. We are, after all, approaching Amish wedding season. (not sure why the cake is cracked)
UPDATED: Here is a super blog posting from several years ago of a non-Amish person that attended an Amish wedding. Her experiences seem similar to ones I've experienced (although Amish weddings will differ from place to place). She, however, had her camera phone with her and took pictures of her visit. Apparently lots of people were taking photos so she felt comfortable enough to do so, so you get some truly rare, authentic images from an Amish wedding. Click here to see this blog.
The cake is very plain in both color and decor, but still ornate enough to mark the occasion. Also, notice the table service next to the cake, far fancier than what you'd find at almost any other time. The wider shot below shows some of the pretty flowers and other decor to mark this great day. The cake is displayed in a "wedding corner", which is common custom among the Amish.
Most Amish wedding cakes are pretty plain. I wrote about Amish wedding cakes last year and linked to a photo of a wedding cake made by an Amish woman in Fredonia, Pennsylvania. Notice the fancier flair to that cake?
We are heading into Amish wedding season in many Midwestern settlements. About a month from now the weddings will really be ramping up. In more southern settlements, the wedding season is winding down. Weddings are often held in the winter in Amish communities in Tennessee, Mississippi, and Arkansas to avoid the summer heat. Amish wedding cakes are delicious. It's not uncommon to have what are called "side cakes", which are additional cakes to complement the main cake. Obviously the cake above wouldn't be big enough to feed the entire wedding crowd. At this wedding there was leftover cake which was bagged up and given to Amish guests as they left.
There is no "official wedding season"....Amish weddings are very common in May, June, and July in Amish communities in the Midwest, but October has become increasingly popular.
Wendy P
It looks like somebody ran a nail across the top of the cake - and what's the round thing in the middle of the back?
Cindy Linn
Most likely the object at the top of the cake is just a decoration. I've seen several Amish wedding cakes over the years and the comment typically made to me is that most young Amish brides are no different than most English brides. --they want pretty things on their wedding day.
Carolyn
The cakes are fancier than I imagined. I thought Amish weddings were mostly in the fall after harvest. I guess I have been reading too many Amish fiction books, ya think.
Helen
That wedding corner is very pretty and the cake is very pretty too.
Diana H
I enjoyed looking over all the wedding cakes. the ones from Pennsylvania
w/the fresh flowers were exceptionally nice. I read the comments about
those cakes and had a chuckle about the lady who married in 1959 whose
mother wouldn't allow her to have blue swans on her cake. My brother and
sister in law's cake (1953), had white swans on it.
It is a shame that the cake above cracked, hope the marriage lasts longer.
Susan
It is common with the Amish to have a "corner" in which during the reception,the bride and groom and their wedding party sit. This corner is know as the "eck".
Kevin
Yep, and some of those corners can be really pretty and ornate, while others are more plain, thanks for stopping by, Susan!