Wedding Cake Toppers Guide

Wedding cake toppers are an important symbolic component of wedding ceremonies and an important keepsake of the big day. After they serve their purpose on top of the wedding cake, they are often kept with other valuable objects and miniatures on public display in the couple's home.

No one knows exactly how the tradition of the wedding toppers started. According to some legends, a baker's daughter asked her father to create a symbol of the couple's love and commitment for their wedding day. The baker crafted two figurines representing the bride and the groom and placed them on top of the cake. This origin story makes sense in light of the fact that a century ago wedding toppers were ephemeral things, made out of sugar.

Brides and grooms today can choose wedding toppers from a variety of materials, from plastic to china, from porcelain to blown glass. Custom-made toppers are available that vary significantly in detail and cost. Some couples opt for heirloom toppers that have been passed on from the bride's or groom's parents, or even grandparents. Others just like the vintage chic of the elaborate toppers from the beginning of the 20th century, or any other period toppers, which usually feature the bride and groom dressed in period attire, from Edwardian to Victorian. But retro is just one of the many options when it comes to wedding cake toppers. Here is a sampling of what is available for every wedding and every taste:

Bride and groom wedding toppers don't just have to be the iconic figurines standing side by side in a white dress and black tux. There are countless variations on the classic theme that evoke different moods and associations, including a romantic couple lounging on the beach, a couple about to make a getaway on a motorcycle, a couple racing to the altar, a couple kissing underneath an umbrella.

Of course, not all wedding toppers have to radiate high romance. Many clever and funny toppers are available for couples who want a humorous twist on the classic tradition. There are figurines depicting couch potatoes and cell phone fanatics; toppers that play on gender roles with the bride carrying the groom; and ones that get a laugh from gender stereotypes, like a cute figurine of a groom contemplating a "still shopping" sign instead of a bride. An adorable topper may show a bride affectionally pinching her groom's bottom.

Sports wedding cake toppers are popular with many couples. Toppers are available featuring a winter-themed skiing couple, a couple playing baseball with miniature bats and gloves, a fishing couple, where the groom cutely "fishes" for his bride; rugby or football playing couples, golf fanatic couples, and many others.

There is an entire range of specialized wedding toppers for couples of every ethnicity, religion, and profession. For soon-to-be military wives there are toppers with the groom decked out in military attire. Firefighter and policeman grooms are also common and popular. For the university professor with a sense of humor there is the cute "geek" groom figuring paired with a lovely bride. A Scottish-themed wedding would not be complete without a groom in a kilt. Indian brides and grooms will find their traditions reflected in toppers depicting a bride in a red sari and a groom in a traditional white outfit. Or they might prefer a contemporary Indian duo on top of their cake, topper figurines are available for all skin shades and all ethnic background. Beautiful toppers of Asian couples in traditional ethnic attire or of Jewish brides and grooms are just some of the selections available to the families in the process of planning a wedding.

Of course, not everyone likes sculptures of people to top their wedding cakes. There are many wedding cake toppers that symbolize love and marriage in other ways. Stylized hearts can take the place of brides and grooms. Lovebirds or doves can represent the newlyweds. Dolls, penguins, swans, schoolboys and schoolgirls, teddy bears, interwoven flowers, bunnies or any other icons of romance and commitment can appear as wedding toppers. Some couples may prefer more abstract snowflakes or stars. Others may choose silver or gold monograms, either plain or decorated with crystals. Increasingly more and more couples choose to personalize their toppers with a single letter-the first initial of their new common last name.

And after the wedding is over, the wedding cake toppers have other uses around the house. They can be framed and displayed on a shelf, and brought out to decorate special cakes for wedding anniversaries, renewals of the vows, or any other family ceremonies that include the cutting of a cake. And, of course, couples can either continue or start a new tradition of treating their wedding cake toppers like family heirlooms that carry the romance from one generation to the next.