In the UK , it is very traditional to have a rich fruit cake for your wedding, although tastes are changing and lighter sponge/chocolate/etc types are becoming more common.

I'm not sure I'd want to keep a sponge cake for a year for an anniversary though....

On the subject of "feeding" a cake. my mother never used any alcohol in the fruit cakes, relying on the natural ageing process to mature and keep moist,she was a very good Presbyterian of the old school!

Yes the house had a wonderful smell of cakes cooking, I especially remember the smell of the singeing paper in the AGA to stop the tops of hte cakes getting too brown, it's one of those very special childhood smells for me.

I normally soak the fruit for a few days in a mixture of fruit juice/spirit usually sherry or whisky, and then only add a little extra"liquid" about a month before it's needed.