Creative Cake Toppers

The tiny plastic, bride and groom figurines, which were popularized in the 1950’s are now a far cry from the cake toppers which are used today. Some people believe that the trend of cake toppers started with Queen Victoria and Prince Albert’s wedding cake in 1840, upon which, there was a figurine of the goddess Brittania, blessing the newlyweds. Shortly after this, cake toppers began to be mass-produced in the 1890's.

Modern cake toppers now come in a selection of ethnicities and materials, such as: glass, wire, acrylic, resin and porcelain. Flowers, sculptures, and large monogrammed letters are replacing the traditional bride and groom cake toppers.



All embellishments, including the topper on this cake are made of sugar!
Photographed at Lenotre - Paris, France
Photo copyright: Trinidad weddings 2010

Here are some ideas:

Monogram or initial cake toppers in Swarovski crystals - not only do these appear in clear crystals but now can be customized with coloured crystals (for e.g. in pink, red etc.) for a co-ordinated look. Small wooden dowels are usually inserted into the bottom of each letter, to make it ready to be inserted into the cake

Cake jewellery – these typically hang off the top of the cake from wires and are usually in the shape of hearts, birds, stars and butterflies.

Figurines that represent your hobbies - e.g. a groom fishing for his bride or a groom golfing or playing football etc.

Fresh flowers - this option is much more affordable than having sugar or gum paste flowers made and you can personalize it by having some of the same flowers that appear in your bouquet, appear on the top of your cake, or you can have the flowers that appear on your invitations ( e.g. roses, calla lilies) , appear as “live” versions on your cake.

A walk on the wild side – Acrylic toppers in zebra and leopard print

Birds – This year, natural motifs are very popular on cakes. Birds, in particular, especially handmade ones made from wood, porcelain, burlap and polymer clay are being seen.

Fondant figurines – if you have a very skilled cake artist he/she can make customized figurines for you out of fondant icing.

Themed – if you are fan of a particular cartoon or show, you can select toppers to suit for e.g. Disney or Star Trek characters.

Fabulous Wedding Ideas for 2012

2011 was popularised as the year of “vintage” and “do-it-yourself,” for weddings, however, make way for the return of elegance, romance and sophistication with the coming of 2012.
 

Here are 6 unique and easily implementable ideas for 2012:

Get guests to be interactive! – Offer up a dessert station where you can combine favours and goodies in one. You can have displays of candies, truffles, pastries, doughnuts, cookies, cup cakes and pies; then, provide guests with decorative bags, boxes or tins to take away their favourites. Have someone supervise the buffet station, so they can offer assistance and ensure all guests get a fair share!

Home-spun decorative accents –“Do-it-yourself” accents will still remain popular for weddings this year. Many brides will be looking at doing hand-crafted flowers made of paper, fabric, buttons or feathers to add a more personal touch to their decor. Some brides may even forego the floral bouquet and make their own, out of vintage brooches or feathers.

Orange is it! – The Pantone Colour Institute has named its colour of the year for 2012 as “Tangerine Tango” – a bold, reddish-orange that is sure to be a hit as an accent colour for wedding decor and on wedding cakes, this year. If orange is too bright for you, try the more subtle shade of coral.

Food stations – Inject an element of fun with your food, with an unusual food station, such as a sushi or a “baked potato bar,”where guests can choose their own toppings such as: cheddar cheese, bacon, chives, sour cream etc. You can even try a soup station, an omelette station ( perfect for a brunch wedding!), a burger “bar”( a great choice for the "after-party!") or an ice-cream station!

Royal Style – 2011’s Royal wedding of Kate Middleton to Prince William, will continue to influence weddings into 2012. There will be a resurgence of lace in wedding gowns but in a more modern way, with: lace sleeves, non-traditional lace patterns and the use of lace as an overlay over coloured fabric. Lace and lace motifs or wraps, will also be seen on invitations. The Royal wedding also made the idea of using "flower girls" more popular and encouraged the use of nature-inspired accents - for example, the eight, twenty-foot high trees that were used inside Westminster Abbey.

Cakes – This year, even the cake gets some “bling” - with the advent of metallic cakes in silver and gold. Your cake artist can achieve this look with edible metallic paints and by using shimmer or pearl dust over fondant. Chocolate fondant cakes will also continue to be trendy this year.