Wedding Cake Tips (and Toppers) from the Best & Boldest Bakers
Photo: Courtesy of Cake Hero
Wedding cakes: while we can all agree that these sweet offerings need to be delicious first and foremost, we also understand that there can be some decidedly tricky elements thrown into the mix when it comes to selecting the wedding cake of your sweetest dreams. One such element that seems to invite the biggest debate is the wedding cake topper: does your wedding cake even need to be topped off? Is there a way to include a wedding cake topper without it seeming tacky? Don’t worry, we’ve got you covered. Grab some tea (and maybe a slice or two of those wedding cake samples you’ve been testing) and we’ll share with you a roundup of wedding cake topper advice from some of the boldest bakers around. Here we go!
First of all, there are myriad options that are decidedly more of this moment then the tiny, plastic mini couple figurines that might be plaguing your creative vision. But here’s the thing, even if you want to go for this look, you’ve got options that are notably cool. Lily Jones creator of Lily Vanilli Bakery in London says you can get techy with your cake topper and opt for “3d printed models of the bride and groom that can be really cool as you can throw some great poses and wear something you really love that will look great on top of your cake.”
Or, your fresh take on your wedding cake topper can skew more floral. Our friends over at The Caker only use fresh flowers to decorate the tops of their wedding cakes. Owner Jordan Rondel says that using exclusively fresh flowers to top off their wedding cakes is their “signature look,” adding that they believe flowers make wedding cakes “look elegant, modern and fresh.”
Photo: Natasha Hurley via Lily Vanilli
Melissa Torres, the boss baker over at Cake Hero, understands how important your wedding cake topper can be and notes that many couples choose an heirloom piece with sentimental value for their topper. Torres also stressed how important it is to share your creative vision for your wedding cake, including the topper, with your baker right from the very beginning so that your “cake artist can incorporate it into their design.”
Talking openly with the masterminds behind your wedding cake is key, especially as there are so many opportunities for you to get creative. “If you have real or sugar flowers on the cake, the cake decorator could wind some around the topper to make the cake topper a part of the design. Or, if you’re open to some real experimentation, a mold of your topper could be made, and then turned into candy or chocolate,” says Torres.
Taking a more modern, minimal approach to your wedding cake design? Lovely! We’ve got options for you, too. “Crystal gem formations, arrangements of citrus, and beach shells can all be sourced or made out of sugar,” says Torres.
Topping off your celebratory confection can definitely be a stress-free opportunity to get a little expressive and adventurous (two traits we’re big fans of - especially in the wedding planning process!). Your wedding cake and it’s topper can - and absolutely should - be an all-round sweet experience for you and your cake artist because in the end, “all we want is to deliver the cake that the couple dreams of to their event,” says the team at Cake Hero, “it’s what we live for!”