Cake Toppers

Alright, so you really want one. Which direction do you go in? How about $500 for a pipe-cleaner one? Okay, okay. Let me describe some trends I’ve seen lately:

Birds. For example, Ann Wood’s collection. These are a really nice metaphor and you can probably find a range of birds that represent who you are. They also look pretty classy and will likely blend well with a classic cake.

Monogrammed. You can DIY, or you can seek out a professional or find your letter(s) online.

Personalized to look like you. These can be really cute, depending upon the artist’s representation. For example, custom bobble head toppers can be set in a variety of scenes. Or, you can be immortalized as adorable polymer clay toppers by Nicole Wong. You can find another polymer clay sculpture site here, but these are more “lifelike”, rather than an artist’s interpretation.

“Humorous” toppers. I studied a range of these for my thesis on gender roles that are perpetuated in weddings, so I’m not a great person to talk to about these. I find that they’re promoting gender stereotypes (bride has groom on a leash, or groom is left with a “still shopping” sign where the bride should be) that I know I wouldn’t want represented on my cake. However, I can see where the humor comes in, and why some couples would enjoy poking fun at each other this way.

Interchangeable individuals. Marketed to the interracial couple, these are really great for the couple who doesn’t find themselves represented elsewhere in the traditional cake topper market (aka a blonde bride and groom dancing under a sculpted heart). Check out this site, where you can buy them individually. However, they’re often still styled so that a bride and groom fit together, and not necessarily bride & bride or groom & groom. For that you may need to search elsewhere, like GayWeddings.com (with a significant range of toppers) or find the figures individually.

My two cents. I have to throw this in there - you can do whatever you want. You don’t ever need a caketopper. Will people not know that it’s your wedding cake without a topper? Are you planning on keeping this as a treasured detail from your day? What’s it actually adding to your wedding, or for that matter, what’s it adding to the cake (which you’ve spent so much money on and which already reflects so much of your style and personality)? If you choose to get one, look for something that meshes with your cake style but also represents you as a couple. On the right, you’ll see my cake and our toppers (Lara Croft and Wolverine).

I really like That’s My Topper. There’s a range of styles and it lets you choose right off the bat the style of topper you’d like (”If I were your cake topper, I would be…”). It’s also where I saw my favorite topper. I love the idea of a barefooted one!