Wedding Bells Are Ringing...͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏   | The Fortnum's Bite Eat, Drink & Be Married! We are gathered here today to uncover the culinary trends, history and many delicious mysteries of matrimonial celebrations at Fortnum’s and beyond. Let us begin...
Fortnum’s has supplied wonderful things to eat and drink at royal weddings for centuries, but nuptial celebrations did not become serious business until the late 1920s, when Fortnum’s Wedding Registry service was introduced, allowing betrothed couples to forego logistical headaches and leave the pre-marital minutiae to us.
From unique tokens for bridesmaids, groomsmen and in-laws to party catering, wine consultations, wedding cake commissions and even gown fittings with our former in-house couturier, every department at Fortnum’s was involved in making weddings delicious.
| | | | Let Them Eat Cake Wedding cakes have been integral to marriage celebrations since Ancient Rome, when ceremonies ended with the breaking of a wheat or barley cake over the bride’s head. A messy, distant cousin to the modern practice of smearing cake in your partner's face, the ceremony symbolised good fortune for the happy couple. The earliest examples of British wedding cakes include savoury ‘bride pyes’ which were popular in the 17th and 18th centuries, and fruit cakes which had a suitably long shelf life in the days before refrigeration. | | |  | | | Queen Victoria and Prince Albert started the tradition of royal fruit cakes with their colossal 300 pound plum cake in 1840 – the enormous pud sent the public into a frenzy, and fruit cake has been served at British royal weddings ever since. In 2017, a 7ft tall replica of Her late Majesty Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip’s 1947 wedding cake went on display in our Diamond Jubilee Tea Salon in honour of the royal couple’s 70th wedding anniversary. Made by Le Cordon Bleu with 60lbs of butter, 55lbs of sugar, 3 litres of rum, 750 eggs and a mix of fresh and dried fruits, after a fortnight at Fortnum’s it was dismantled and delivered to nursing homes, pensioners and charities with whom the late Queen was aligned. | | | | | Food Folklore 1. In medieval times wedding guests were given sweetbread buns to stack one on top of the other, as tall as possible. If the bride and groom could kiss over them without knocking any down it meant they would enjoy a lifetime of happiness.
2. The term 'Wedding Breakfast' dates back to the 17th century when ceremonies in Britain were part of Eucharistic Mass and newlyweds would have been fasting before the service. Weddings were therefore held much earlier and the meal they shared afterwards was literally breaking the fast.
3. Wedding favours were traditionally given to guests as souvenirs and symbolised an abundant married life for the couple ahead. In Greece, it’s still common for couples to offer guests five sugared almonds to represent fertility, longevity, wealth, health and happiness.
| | | Wedding Bells are Ringing |  | For a Sparkling Married Life:
Personalised Blanc de Blancs Champagne | | | | |  | A Hamper to Have and to Hold:
The Fortnum's Wedding Day Hamper | | | | | | | Say 'I Do' at Fortnum's With spectacular food, wine, favours and floral arrangements as well as wedding licences for Piccadilly and The Royal Exchange, Fortnum’s is the perfect place to say ‘I do’. Find out more about Weddings at Fortnum’s by calling 02077348040 or emailing private.dining@fortnumandmason.co.uk. | | |  | | | |  | | One last thing... There’s always something delicious going on at Fortnum’s Food & Drink Studio. | | | | | | |  | #Fortnums is Made for Sharing Every day is a delicious adventure with Fortnum's.
Follow our journey and share your own. |  | | |   |
