Yes, I’m getting married in four months. Yes, I don’t even know what the wedding cake will look like. Yes, we have not even settled on the flavors for the cake. However, I still find myself oddly driven to find a wedding cake topper.
Perhaps I have lost it (at least Mr. Peppermint still denies that…so far). I’ve scoured plenty of websites looking for what will soon grace the top of our wedding cake.
A popular trend, from what I can tell, is the monogram topper. While I like it in theory, in actuality it doesn’t do it for me.
Then, of course, there’s the traditional bride and groom. I like these. I guess because it’s what I always imagined. Yet, when I look at them, there haven’t been any that jumped out at me. I do like some of the vintage ones (of course, because they are quite expensive–this one below went for over $300).
I want one with character and personality. maybe a little bit of fun–though I’m not ready for one where the bride is dragging the groom (one I’ve seen on far too many websites).
I’ve seen some of birds (which are surprisingly charming–though when I showed Mr. Peppermint, he scoffed a bit. Perhaps that had more to do with the three-digit price tag attached).
And then there’s always the personalized bobble head. Yes, I just said bobble head. Mr. Peppermint and I used to joke about getting one long before the engagement, and then we found there’s quite a market for them. I don’t think it’ll happen, though they are kinda cute, right?
For the time being, I’m still up in the air. Maybe find a cheap(er) modern topper and deck it out like the vintage one I fell in love with?
What do you envision on top of your wedding cake?
I envision….nothing-ness. Just letting the beautiful art of the cake speak for itself.
i have the decor of the cake going all the way to the very top, not just the edge, but the actual very top of the cake. at first i thought i was going to do a topper, but after explaining the design to the cake decorator, i’ve decided that i don’t really wanna touch the top at all and just let the design be beautiful by itself.
I wanted a vintage topper as well -but I wasn’t willing to pay the hefty price tag. Instead, I bought a topper off of ebay -it’s an old Martha Stewart topper that has a vintage feel [and was only $30]. Everyone thought it was my mother/grandmother’s topper!
Nothing here too. I’m not having an elaborate cake, and I just never saw the point of cake toppers. I actually don’t know that I’ve ever seen one on a cake. I’ve gone to a dozen weddings over the past couple years, and I’m sure some of them had them, but it’s just one of those things I’ve never noticed.
i’m having my topper made by my aunt, and hopefully it won’t be too heavy! it’ll be two little bears in wedding gear.
Peppermint, I’ve been following your posts, and I think I have your sense of style down. I don’t think the traditional bride and groom topper is you at all, nor do I think the trendy monogram is either. How about something fun and funky like Meredith Ditmars polymer creatures. I just think they are so cute and unique. E-mail her and she can custom design something:
http://www.corporatepig.com/
You could simpsonize yourselves.
Not all the vintage ones are that expensive. I think the one you’re showing is restored. I bought a really nice Thirties bride and groom with a pearlized finish from eBay and paid about $70, including shipping. It was a little battered, but it made it charming, it didn’t need restoration. However, it was too tall to actually put on a cake, so it was to sit next to our cake. (Except it disappeared on our wedding day, I suspect it was dropped in the kitchen, no one seems to have seen it.) Look on eBay, you can find many things–if you find a couple you like, you can get that and put them on a modern base, or on the base from another topper. Or, keep in mind, you can use anything as a cake topper as long as it’s not too heavy, and even if it is heavy, your baker can likely allow for it. Salt and pepper shakers? Toys? I saw an adorable cake with Fisher Price people on top as the bride and groom.
I liked the vintage cake topper look too but didn’t want to pay that much so I bought this:
http://www.wilton.com/store/site/product.cfm?id=44BE2118-423B-522D-FA044960055DEEF8&fid=44BE2127-423B-522D-F46AE9C5726DE5BA
It’s the classic bride and groom figurine and i glued it to a cake topper base and decorated it myself. It came out to less than $20.
I have friends that did the bobble heads. I got my sister and BIL handmade clay ones from a seller on e-bay; they were too cute!
Don’t restrict yourself to anything typical - who says it even has to be two things to represent bride/groom? Here is what I used:
http://www.dbgifts.net/i/Rucinni%20Boxes/RB15012007.JPG
It’s a pineapple trinket thing with swarovski crystals. I still love it.
I didn’t wanna pay tons of money for mine either but I really REALLY wanted something vintage looking. I found this…it’s only like $15 then you add shipping depending on where you live! I LOVE IT! It was also featured in a magazine article- “Best of Creative Weddings 2007″- You can go to Better Homes and Garden website and search “Center of Attention” and it will show you the cake with this topper! Sorry this is so long…but good luck!
I second the ebay recommendation. I really wanted a vintage topper and found a few on a website that were all in that $100 and up range. I found one on ebay that was perfect and placed a bit. I think I actually ended up bidding with the website I had scouted (the bidder’s name was the same as the site’s name), but still got the topper for around $30. I absolutely adore it!
P.S. The Social Design Events blog posted a pic of the cake with this topper a couple of days ago, it’s color are like black, white, and green. 
This will be our cake topper. It will actually be coming up the side of the cake and the top will just be a simple bouquet of spray roses in red, cream and terrecotta. I love this topper because I think it is a nice mix of the old look with a new pose. Plus it makes me think of my fiance since he is always helping up or down from the steps down to Lake Michigan.
We are using the Willow Tree “promise” piece as our cake topper! I just love Willow tree and the colors are perfect. I toyed around with using birds, but FI loved this one so we went with it
Though I was never interested in the “traditional” bride/groom cake topper, I was always a bit put off by the fact that there were very few toppers featuring multi-ethnic couples. But the times, they are a-changing: http://www.weddingate.com
It all makes sense to me, being married for 2 years - we decided to go with the bobblehead cake topper for 2 reasons.
First we needed a topper
Second - it lasts forever, capturing our special day in the form of a fun unique bobblehead of US. We love ours, Also, for under 200.00 it really is a bargin, just my thoughts!!
some roses or flowers on top
Miss Peppermint, LA/Palm Springs
Age and Occupation: 23, Actress
Fiance's Age and Occupation: 24, Web Producer
Engagement Date: October 21, 2006
Wedding Date: December 2007
Blogging Since: July 2, 2007
Venue: historic estate overlooking the heart of Palm Springs
About Me: I am a Southern California native who enjoys cooking, writing, travel and all things in the arts. Mr. Peppermint and I met in college and he proposed on our four year anniversary in one of our most special places, Joshua Tree National Park. We're having a destination wedding in Palms Springs that will incorporate tradition as well as reflect our personalities!
Fresh flowers. But then I never got into the whole cake topper thing.