If you want your wedding cake cutting photographed, start with the plan rather than a pose. Tell your photographer when it is happening, where the cake will be and whether you want guests to watch. Then check that it falls within your agreed coverage. The photographs can include the cake, the cut and the people around you, without turning the moment into a performance.
Where should the cake table go for photographs?
Before choosing a position, talk to the venue about the space needed around the table. Think about where you will stand, where guests can watch and where the photographer can see you. A table against a wall and a table with space around it give different options for camera positions.
The Wedding Photojournalist Association's cake-cutting guide discusses how space around the cake allows different viewpoints and can bring guests into the background. Treat that as an idea to explore with your venue, not a reason to move a finished cake yourselves. Ask the venue or cake supplier who should handle any move and whether it is practical.
It can also help to look at what sits behind the table: a doorway, a service area, flowers or the room itself. If the cake is staying in a fixed position, show your photographer the layout so they can consider the available angles.
When should you tell your photographer it is happening?
Include cake cutting in the timetable you share before the day, and say who will make any announcement. Ask that person to check with the photographer before gathering everyone around. If you have a videographer too, include them in the same conversation.
There is no need to copy an exact point in someone else's wedding timetable. Discuss the meal, any room change, the first dance and the end of your photography coverage together. If the running order changes, tell your photographer and ask what can still be covered within the agreement. Our guide to a wedding running late looks at those conversations in more detail.
Do you need to pose or look at the camera?
You can discuss whether you would like an arranged photograph beside the cake, photographs of the actual cutting, or both. Those are different requests. If a formal camera-facing picture does not appeal to you, say so rather than assuming it is compulsory.
Photographer Guy Milnes's cake-cutting guide includes examples of an arranged cake photograph as well as laughter and reactions around the cutting. Looking at examples can help you describe what you like. You do not need to recreate a particular expression or somebody else's joke.
Talk to each other about what you are comfortable with, including whether you want to feed each other cake. A surprise cake smash is not a requirement for an interesting photograph. The WPJA guide also suggests discussing those boundaries before the wedding.
What should you check about the light and the guests?
Let your photographer know if the room lights will change before the cake cutting. Ask the venue what lighting will be on around the table, and discuss any restrictions on photography equipment. If you are unsure how a darker room might look in photographs, ask to see a complete gallery from a similar setting.
If you want guests around you, tell the person making the announcement. Discuss leaving a clear camera position rather than asking everyone to stand in prescribed places. You can also mention anyone whose reaction you would particularly value, while recognising that an unscripted moment cannot come with a promise of every expression being photographed.
Our after-dark photography guide covers questions to discuss about a darker reception space. It is worth having that conversation before the lights are dimmed.
What if you would rather skip the cake-cutting moment?
You can choose not to have a public cake cutting. Tell your venue, photographer and anyone preparing the announcements so the plan is clear. If you still want a photograph of the cake before it is served, ask when it will be ready and whether that can fit into the agreed coverage.
The same applies if you have another dessert or no cake at all. Your photography plans can reflect what you are actually doing, rather than adding an event because it appeared on a checklist. Share the parts of the reception that matter to you in your photographer briefing.
Planning your wedding reception? Get in touch and tell me what you have in mind, from the cake and the first dance to the moments you would rather leave unannounced.
