One of the great mysteries of married life isn’t how to fold a fitted sheet or who left the wet towel on the bed but discovering what lays frozen in the back of your freezer.
After 1.5 years into marriage, we uncovered the top layer of our wedding cake. Tucked behind a bag of German sausage and a long-forgotten turkey roast, there it was. Frostbitten, slightly lopsided, and still dressed in its original plastic time-capsuled from our big day.
What a beautiful cake it was! Created by HHH’s daughter, soft white layers were frosted in buttercream and crowned with a cascade of rich fall flowers. Burnt orange roses, burgundy mums, and golden ranunculus were delicately arranged to make our cake look like it had come straight out of an autumn meadow. Equal parts of rustic and romantic, there was a hint of October in every bite. Even after a year and a half in a deep freeze, it still looked like it had come out of a fairy tale.
Traditionally, newlyweds eat the top layer of their cake on their first anniversary. We meant to. Really, we did. But instead of cake, we celebrated our one-year milestone by meandering through the geysers, grizzlies, elk, and waterfalls of Yellowstone National Park. Romantic? Absolutely. A practical place to enjoy a frozen dessert? Not so much.
So the cake stayed in the freezer. Forgotten, it remained a sugary relic from the past.
1.5 years later, this humble cake has a new purpose. This October, two dear friends (affectionately nicknamed “The Doves”) are tying the knot. In a sweet twist of fate, Mr. Dove was the 6th-grade teacher of HHH’s daughter. With some fatherly encouragement, she’ll make their cake, too! It only makes sense to share this chilly little heirloom, allowing them taste-test a slice of love’s past?
The Doves are walking a path familiar to us, embarking on married life a bit later than the average couple while navigating all the same questions, hesitations, and what-ifs we faced. Watching them choose love brings back memories of our own story. We couldn’t be happier for them.
Is eating a cake frozen for 18 months safe? Honestly, we’re not entirely sure. We’re hoping that love, sugar, and an enthusiastic dose of frosting can overcome the minor inconvenience of the cake being past its expiration date. Worst-case scenario, they spit it out and find another baker. Best case? We’ll pass a magical moment of wedding tradition like a culinary baton.
So here’s to old cake, new beginnings, and the strange, beautiful things you find when you empty your freezer. Love is wonderful, even if it takes time to say “yes” to a beautiful future.
