The history of the tradition of the wedding cake is a fascinating one.

There are legends of brides scattering grains which were considered good luck. The grains were then gathered quickly by the single maids, thus ensuring their own happy future nuptials. By the Middle Ages, we see stories of the grains now being made into loaves of bread, but rather than being eaten, these loaves were broken over the bride’s head. Eating the crumbs was also considered good luck for those guests who managed to get some.

Eventually these loaves became sweet buns which the wedding guests would toss in a pile in front of the couple. If they could kiss over the top of the pile, they would be sure to have many children.

The first mention of anything like a cake is the Bride’s Pie in the 17th century. This pie was made of mutton, sweatbreads or perhaps mince and might have had a glass ring baked into it. The superstition was that the guest who found the ring would be the next to marry.

Cakes became more popular at weddings in the 19th century and the bride’s pie pretty much disappeared. Some sources say it was a French chef who made the first “stacked” wedding cake. In any case, it was at the marriage of one of Queen Victoria’s daughters that the first tiered cake with pillar supports and piped icing as decoration first appeared.

The tradition of cutting the cake evolved as a symbol of the couple’s shared life as they jointly cut the cake and then respectfully feed each other in an act of love and honor. As tradition tends to be bent by each succeeding generation, this quiet and symbolic act is now usually carried out in clown-like fashion, with couples smashing pieces of cake into each other’s faces.

Traditionally, the wedding cake has been white, with white icing. In modern times, cakes come in many different flavors and can even include cheesecake flavored with jams and cordials. The icing has undergone change too, with many brides opting for decoration that reflects their personal taste or the interests of the couple.

What happens to the ring when things go sour and the engagement is broken off? Surprisingly, it depends on where you live.

In the United States, the ring is considered a conditional gift; if the marriage is canceled, the ring must be returned. Irish law holds the same view of the situation. But in Britain, the return of the ring is only enforced if there was a prior agreement by the parties to do so in case of breaking up. In Canada, it depends on who breaks it off, if the bride cancels, she must return it but if the groom backs out, he forfeits his claim to the ring.

A recent court case in Australia ruled that the bride having refused the marriage offer, no longer retained rights to the gift but that it became bailed property. Thus, when Vikie Pappas as bailee, ordered her father to throw out everything her former fiance had given her including the ring, she improperly and unlawfully disposed of bailed property.

Ever since the sixties, there have been couples who have entered into wedlock in strange settings. Sky diving, underwater, Las Vegas, Portmeirion (where the BBC filmed The Prisoner series), you name it, it’s been done.

Or has it? Matt Dodd and Ashley Hegseth tied the knot at Big Sky Resort, Montana. Nothing unusual about that, except that Matt was skiing and Ashley snowboarding as the minister, Rev. Mike Boucher, schussed backwards in front of them and took them through their vows. Since everything went off okay, one must presume that there were no accidents involving trees or unexpected precipices to interrupt the ceremony.

Of course, we all know that marriage can be a bit of a slalom ride at times, so it may be a fitting place to start. One hopes that it’s not all downhill from there, however…

The full story can be read at WTLV dot com News.

A friend of mine returned from a short holiday with an interesting story of a couple who annually revisit their days of wine and roses - well, champagne and roses to be exact.

She wears a long gown and he is in a morning suit, his top hat sitting next to the roses upon the bench. Sitting in a tropical garden, they are in paradise.

Every woman dreams of the perfect wedding day but once it is over, it is gone forever. For this couple, their wedding day is replayed annually on their special day. Every anniversary she dons the dress she wore for her wedding, they sip champagne and smile together as they relive the day they were joined as life partners.

They celebrate their love and their marriage this way each year and have just marked their tenth re-enactment of their wedding day.

So, what are you doing for your anniversary?