The wedding cake is more than just eye candy or a tool for slapstick humour; it sweetens up the big day. Traditionally, a three-tiered affair, the cake features prominently as a centrepiece at the wedding banquet, which is never over until the bride and groom have cut into it and fed a piece to each other.
For couples and guests, the cutting of the cake is a highlight of any wedding and provides happy memories in the album.
'I think couples [in Hong Kong] realise that wedding cakes are really an integral part of wedding receptions,' says Jennifer Cheung, owner of patisserie Sift Desserts. She agrees that the wedding cake is the perfect way to wrap up any wedding celebration, but also says that its design plays a bit part.
'The design of the wedding cake also adds to the general aesthetic of the entire occasion,' Cheung says.
It used to be that the cake was for decorative purposes only. Couples soon realised there was no point in having a cake that couldn't be eaten. There has been a recent shift from inedible wedding cakes to mouthwatering ones, as evident from the many speciality cake shops sprouting up across Hong Kong.
'It has always been a bizarre idea to me to have a wedding cake that is not edible,' Cheung says. 'Cakes, like anything sweet, are the perfect way to round out a dinner celebration. I can't imagine a wedding celebration without finishing off with a perfect slice of wedding cake or a wedding cupcake.'