An Exchange of Rings

I don’t get that many opportunities to make wedding cakes. For the most part, it’s not a common Israeli custom, it’s an added expense to an already costly event, and often the caterer will throw in a token cake as part of his fee.

So when I do get the chance, there’s no way I’m going to settle for something conventional or humdrum. This wedding took place at a rustic outdoor venue. The chuppah and dance floor were surrounded by trees and even a few hay bales. The centrepieces consisted of slabs of wood, candles, and blue and purple ceramic birds. During a pre-wedding consultation the groom casually suggested that the cake have a wood theme. Say no more!

I decided that each tier would consist of a stump of a different variety of tree. I started with the bottom layer. The bark is dark, very rough and uneven. I painted it in subtly different shades to represent the ravages of time. What actual type of tree is that? Um, pine?

The inside of the stump, with its rings and gradations of colour, was a bit of a challenge. True, very little of it ended up being seen, as it was covered by the middle tier. Still, I wanted to do it right and I was actually having too much fun to just stop painting at the outer edges.

Several people asked about the choice of a rope tied around the stump. There was no specific reason other than a hemp-style rope seemed to fit the theme, and the stump was so dark that I felt it could use a little light relief.

The middle tier is most definitely birch. I did consider adding some peeling bark but then decided to keep it more pristine. The initials, I feel, should have been messier or more stylized or something to make it more authentic looking.

Lastly, the top tier, I’m going to say, is an acacia tree. I was hoping for more of a contrast in colour and texture with the bottom tier. And if you look closely you’ll see that they really are quite different from each other. However, the overall impression doesn’t necessarily convey that.

While the bride was categorically opposed to a profusion of flowers I felt that a few, strategically placed, were needed to mitigate the starkness of the wood.

I think she was happy with the result.