When I’m at networking events outside the event industry, I often get asked about the craziest thing that has happened at a wedding. Or people tell me I must have seen just about everything at this point in my career. I never like to say I’ve seen it all because then inevitably something unusual or new will happen at the next wedding. I must have tempted fate the week leading up to Beth and Jed’s beautiful Rome, Georgia wedding because what happened to me that day will make my list of Top 10 Unexpected Moments on a wedding day.
It was a gorgeous late September day in 2017. I met my assistant at the property where the reception was taking place – it belonged to a family friend of the bride and groom. The property included a small lake and the couple decided to place their reception tent overlooking the lake. When I arrived, all of the tables were in place and ready to be set with linens and centerpieces beneath the tent.
I left my assistant at the reception tent to continue set up prior to guest arrival and made my way to the campus of Berry College for the intimate ceremony at Frost Chapel. While stunning, the historic chapel is not equipped with air conditioning and it happened to be a warmer than normal September day. Beth and Jed’s ceremony was a sweet distraction from the heat, and the guests were soon headed to the reception on a trolley.
While running the ceremony, my assistant had texted that it was incredibly hot under the tent. With the tent being set up the day before, the heat and humidity had a chance to settle under the tent making it incredibly warm. I made a mental note with the hope that as the sun set, it would begin to cool down beneath the tent just as guests were starting to have dinner. Cocktail hour could be enjoyed outside the tent where we had lawn games and hi-boy tables set up, so we could manage the flow of guests to minimize their team beneath the tent.
The only problem with this plan was that Beth and Jed’s wedding cake and groom’s cake were on display in the tent. I don’t know if you have ever seen what happens to a three-tier cake covered in buttercream when faced with tremendous heat and humidity, but as you can imagine, it’s not a good combination. By the time I arrived on site with the bride and groom, the cake had already started to lean…
I approached the couple and explained the situation and said it would be best if we cut the cake just after their introductions and special dances, but prior to serving dinner. They agreed and I asked my assistant to closely monitor the cake. In fact, I asked her to stand just to the side of where it was leaning in case it was possible to catch it should it completely collapse. Luckily, the couple was able to cut the cake without any of it hitting the ground and I considered it a victory for the day.
Boy was I wrong. It turns out, the catering company does not cut cakes. I always state that Wedding Belles does not handle cakes – we do not move cakes once on site, we do not add flowers to cakes on site, and we certainly do not cut cakes. I have done enough weddings to know there is a true science to cutting and serving a wedding cake, and I am not an expert in that field. That being said, we also do whatever it takes to make our clients wedding day happen. I soon realized, that meant I was cutting the cake. I knew this was not a task I wanted to complete for the first time in front of all the guests, so I decided it was best to move the cake to a small prep kitchen. The only problem with this plan was that the cake in its current leaning tower of Pisa form was not going to make it that far in one piece. The plan was to move each tier of the cake on its own. Using the cake knife and server the bride found on Etsy, we successfully removed the top tier and were working on the second. My assistant pointed out that the server had bent under the weight of the top tier and was almost flat, giving us no leverage for the removal of the second tier. No problem – I would simply adjust the server so it was bent at the handle to provide us leverage….
And that’s how we ended up with cake boob. As I bent the handle, the serving portion broke off and landed directly on me, covered in buttercream and cake. All within view of the couple and their guests. At that point, there was nothing to do but take a second to laugh, snap a photo, and continue with the cake cutting process. They may not have been the most even slices ever served at one of our wedding receptions, but there was cake and it was cut. And most importantly, the bride and groom and all of their guests had a wonderful time dancing into the night!
No matter what we may face on a wedding day, the Wedding Belles team is ready to tackle it head on. We would love the chance to talk with you about your wedding day vision and how we can be a part of it – and yes, we are happy to share more of our stories once we connect! Complete our contact form today to schedule our initial call!
Many thanks to Laura Anne Watson Photography for capturing all of these precious (and silly) moments!