The Wedding Breakfast

wedding Breakfast and Luncheons | A Specimen Menu | Wedding Teas | The Wedding Cake

It pays to employ a good caterer to handle the wedding meal, fornot only must die food be satisfactory, but it must be served well, on attractive china, silver and glassware.

In the case of wedding breakfasts or luncheons, the bride and bridegroom sit at the head of the horse-shoe table, the wife on her husband's left. The bride's mother sits on the bridegroom's right, with the groom's father next to her. The bride's father sits on the left of his daughter, with the groom's mother on his left. No other special precedence is given, but it is advisable to draw up a seating plan in advance.

WEDDING BREAKFASTS AND LUNCHEONS

The menus for wedding breakfasts and luncheons resemble one another. The wedding luncheon is preceded by the reception and cocktails. A buffet breakfast or luncheon, consisting of sandwiches and savoury snacks on toast, is often provided.

A Specimen Menu
Oyster Patties
Fillets of Sole in Jelly, or Russian Tim bale of Turbot
Lobster Salad
Chicken Creams Foie Gras Creams
Lamb Cutlets
Roast Chicken or Stuffed Turkey Poult
Pigeon Pie
Galantine of Veal
Ham and Tongue
Spiced Beef
Salad
Apricot Cream, or Pistachio Cream Mixed Fruit with Kirsch
Bananas in Jelly
Pineapple Charlotte
Meringues with Cream
French Pastry
Neapolitan Ice
Strawberry Cream
Fruit Dessert Coffee
Decorations for a wedding breakfast are prettiest and most appropriate when arranged entirely with white flowers and green foliage. The cake is often decorated with the bride's bouquet.

The orthodox wedding breakfast following an early church service has been largely superseded by the tea and reception, which usually follows afternoon weddings. Generally speaking, wedding breakfasts are cold collations, more or less elaborate according to circumstances, and served a la Russe or otherwise, as may be preferred.

The wines served depend greatly upon both ihe menu and the means of the donor of the feast Champagne is the wine most generally drunk, but all light wines are advisable-While champagne is the drink traditionally associated with weddings, it can be very expensive! For this reason, punches are popular at weddings because they are comparativelyinexpensive.

WEDDING TEAS

For the afternoon wedding—three o'clock or later—a tea menu is usually served, consisting of tea, wines, a variety of sandwiches and rolls, ice cream and fancy cakes. Ice cream and cakes only may be served, but in this case both should be of a very high quality.

Champagne may be served, or cider cup. Champagne is handed to the guests together with a slice of wedding cake.

Specimen Menu
Chicken Sandwiches      Lobster Sandwiches
Water Cress Sandwiches
Strawberry Ice Cream
Wedding Cake  Sweet Biscuits
Tea or Wine

A cocktail party with snacks, is suitable for a late afternoon wedding.

THE WEDDING CAKE

After the meal is finished and the toasts are over, the bride cuts the first piece of wedding cake, with the groom's hand placed over hers. They then break the slice and eat it together.

The cake is sometimes cut with a saw provided for that purpose, and as this is rather a hard task, the icing being difficult to cut through, it is generally considered sufficient if the bride makes the first incision. Again, the first slice may be cut beforehand and left in position. If the bride­groom is a soldier his sword may be used.
In these days the caterer usually finishes cutting the cake and passes it to the bridesmaids, who attend to its distribution among the guests. Everyone present must eat a piece. Small silver boxes, tied with white ribbon are provided in order that guests may take the cake home. Sometimes there is a bride's cake as well as the wedding cake.

Most wedding cakes consist of several tiers, in which case one tier is stored away for the first wedding anniversary. If the cake consists of only one tier, part of it should be kept for the first anniversary.

Many kinds of decorations may be used to adorn the top of the cake—piping, silver leaves, artificial flowers and gum-paste ornaments. When something special is desired, natural flowers are used for decoration.

Slices of wedding cake are sent to absent friends and relatives, either several days after the wedding day, or, failing that, after the honeymoon.

Small pieces of the cake are placed in special boxes, with a piece of icing, and a ribboned card, printed in silver ink, presenting the compliments of "Mr. and Mrs.", and giving details of the wedding. The bride's new name and address, with her maiden name in the top left-hand corner scored through with a silver arrow, appear on the card.

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