Wedding Cakes 101: Part X - Wedding Cake Toppers

Through the last 10 weeks, we have been talking about wedding cakes. From shapes and flavors to cake alternatives, you would think we have covered it all by now ... but not yet. In the last installment of our Wedding Cakes 101 series, we will discuss cake toppers.

In decades gone by, wedding cake toppers normally consisted of a plastic bride and groom standing under a wedding arch. However, in recent years, cake toppers have become a lot more original.

You can choose from a variety of unique choices, from classy monogram cake toppers to comical novelty cake toppers. These types of toppers allow the couple to incorporate a little more of their personality into their cake. Some companies can create custom cake toppers in the actual image of the bride and groom.

When you are working with your bakery or cake designer, talk to them about the options for cake toppers. These days, many brides are going away from the figurine cake toppers and allowing their designers to decorate the top of the cake with creations from frosting or real flowers.

Flowers can be used on the top and then cascade down the cake, or they can be used as a divider between the layers. Cake designers can make royal icing, fondant or gum paste flowers to look very close to the real thing. As an alternative, they can work with your florist and use fresh flowers on the cake.

Ribbons and bows are also popular on top of wedding cakes. The cake is stacked (rather than using dividers) to look like a stack of gifts. Then colorful ribbons are placed on the top and/or down the sides. This is a popular option in square wedding cakes, such as this one pictured below from Just Temptations.

You can also incorporate you wedding theme into the cake topper. If you are having a fairy tale wedding, then a castle or coach is a good choice. For a spring wedding, love birds or butterflies might be appropriate. For a beach wedding, seashells, starfish and other seaside inspirations are terrific options.

You don't have to have anything on the top of your cake at all. In fact, it's very elegant to just leave the top of your wedding cake plain and let the beauty of your cake shape and color shine through. This round wedding cake from Sweet Thea is a great example. The blue color and detailed floral icing is all the cake needs. Placing anything on top would take away from it's elegance and sophistication.

Whatever you choose to top your cake, whether it's a funny porcelain cake topper or dozens of rosebuds, it's a great way to express yourself and infuse a little of your own personal style into your wedding cake. Talk with your cake designer, florist and other vendors to find the perfect cake topper for you!

Story by Kori Ellis