Published on March 31^st, author Claire Stewart’s new book provides a detailed look at wedding feasts. As Long as We Both Shall Eat: A History of Wedding Food and Feasts examines the various food customs associated with weddings in America and around the world.

The food most associated with weddings around the world is, of course, wedding cake. Claire Stewart, a former executive chef and culinary management professor, believes that studying wedding feasts of the past can give us a glimpse into historic detail and insight into why we celebrate in the ways that we do.

Through the antics of wealthy socialites and celebrities and the telling of their exploits, we can track the fads and changes in conventional and contemporary wedding feasts and celebrations. Wedding trends often trickle down from the upper class of society.

While the white layered confection known today is a fairly modern invention, the rituals of the cake have been practiced for centuries. These traditions, such as the wedding couple jointly cutting the cake, have deep roots. Cake traditions that have been passed down for many generations have symbolized such things as purity and fertility, and modern wedding cakes continue those ideas.

Readers will find the tales shared in this new book both entertaining and enlightening. As Long as We Both Shall Eat: A History of Wedding Food and Feasts is now available at Amazon and wherever books are sold.