Wedding food and drink

Wedding

A wedding is a ceremony where two or more people are united in marriage. Wedding traditions and customs vary greatly between cultures, ethnic groups, religions, countries, and social classes. Most wedding ceremonies involve an exchange of marriage vows by a couple, presentation of a gift (offering, rings, symbolic item, flowers, money, dress), and a public proclamation of marriage by an authority figure or celebrant. Special wedding garments are often worn, and the ceremony is sometimes followed by a wedding reception. Music, poetry, prayers, or readings from religious texts or literature are also commonly incorporated into the ceremony, as well as superstitious customs originating in Ancient Rome.

Food and beverage

Hochzeitssuppe

Wikipedia article: Hochzeitssuppe

Hochzeitssuppe (literally: "wedding soup") is a clear, German soup based on chicken broth, fortified with chicken meat, small meatballs (Fleischklößchen), asparagus heads, noodles and cooked egg garnish (Eierstich). Sometimes raisins are added as well.

Hochzeitssuppe is eaten in North Germany and South Germany by the bride and groom and guests, traditionally after the wedding ceremony, and it is usually served as the starter on the menu at the wedding reception. It is also eaten in other regions of Germany, because the Brautsuppe ("bride's soup") served to all the guests used to be an element of every wedding.

A variation is the Westfälische Hochzeitssuppe ("Westphalian Wedding Soup"), which is traditionally prepared from beef. This also forms the entree on wedding menus, followed by cold Tafelspitz (boiled beef) with remoulade, silverskin onions and pickled gherkins as a second course

Icingtons

Wikipedia article: Icingtons

Icingtons (also known as French icingtons) are traditional wedding figurines made entirely of icing sugar. Icingtons are distinguishable from other wedding figurines by their organic soft look. They are placed on top of the wedding cake as a visual and symbolic mechanism.

Jordan almonds

Wikipedia article: Jordan almonds

Jordan almonds, also known as sugared almonds or confetti, are a type of confectionery consisting of almonds covered with a candy coating in various colors, originating from Italy and particularly typical of the town of Sulmona. The term 'Jordan Almonds' (according to Webster's New International Dictionary) came from the French word 'jardin,' meaning 'garden,' 'hence, a cultivated almond'. Another source of information indicated that at one time the term referred to a variety of almonds originally grown along the Jordan River characterized by long, thin, slender, rather smooth kernels in thick, heavy shells.

A classic form of dragée, they are often used as wedding favors due to the "bitter" almonds and the "sweet" sugar representing bittersweet married life. The treats are often packaged in groups of five per guest, accompanied by a traditional poem:

Five sugared almonds for each guest to eat

To remind us that life is both bitter and sweet.

Five wishes for the new husband and wife --

Health, wealth, happiness, children, and a long life!

Korovai

Wikipedia article: Korovai

The korovai is a traditional Ukrainian, Russian and Polish bread, most often used at weddings, where it has great symbolic meaning, and has remained part of the wedding tradition in Ukraine, Russia, Belarus, and by the Ukrainian diaspora. Its use in Russia, Belarus and Ukraine dates back to hospitality and holiday customs in ancient Rus.

Origins and decoration of korovai

The bread has ancient origins, and comes from the pagan belief in the magical properties of grain. Korovai was a large round braided bread, traditionally baked from wheat flour and decorated with symbolic flags and figurines, such as suns, moons, birds, animals, and pine cones. Wheat stalks, herbs, nuts, flowers and fruit were used to embellish the korovai. The bread has no set design, and the style and ornamentation of the korovai varies by region, although colors red, gold and silver were most commonly employed in decoration

Wedding cake

Wikipedia article: Wedding cake

A wedding cake is the traditional cake served to the guests at a wedding reception (or in parts of England, at a wedding breakfast) after a wedding. In modern Western culture, it is usually a large cake, multi-layered or tiered, and heavily decorated with icing, usually over a layer of marzipan or fondant. Achieving a dense, strong cake that can support the decorations while remaining edible can be considered the epitome of the baker's art and skill. The average cost of a professionally made wedding cake in the U.S. in 2005 was $543.

Groom cake

Wikipedia article: Groom's cake

A groom's cake is a wedding tradition typically associated with the American South. While a wedding cake may often be decorated in white and light in texture and/or color, the groom's cake can take a variety of forms, many incorporating chocolate or fruit. Cheesecake sometimes serves as a groom's cake. The groom's cake is often served at a separate table from the wedding cake at a wedding reception, though it may be served as a dessert for a rehearsal dinner.

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